THE ELEMENTS OF DRAMA

WINDAPO O. O.

PREAMBLE
The etymological derivation of the word Drama comes from the Greek
word ‘dran’, literally translated as ‘to do’ or ‘to act’. History reveals that
drama has existed in one form or the other from mans very beginning. That
is, drama is as old as man itself. This is because it is believed that before
man began communicating using language, drama had been in use through
body movements and enactments to tell of events in other various ways
such as rituals, dances, sacrifices and other rites devoted to the gods. These
dramatic activities soon moved out of worship ceremonies into the realm of
entertainment. Other records have it that drama has its roots in the ancient
Greek Dionysian festivals, where Thespis sometime around 500 BC emerged
the first actor and originator of the dramatic genre.
For definition, Drama has been defined variously. One of such is that
of Webster as cited in Huber (2005:2) says that “drama is a composition in
verse or prose intended to portray life or character or to tell a story usually
involving conflicts and emotions through action and dialogue and typically
designed for theatrical performance.
Drama involves the interplay of opposing elements which results in a
conflict situation. The phase of situation are usually depicted in a sequence
of preceding events until the conflicting elements reach a point of climax,
after which the conflict is resolved and the play ends.
ELEMENTS OF DRAMA
Aristotle, the great Greek philosopher, born in 384 BCE at Stagirus,
wrote in his treatise “Poetics” around 350 BC that every good literary work
on Tragedy should have six parts which ultimately determine its quality.
These parts are Plot, Character, Diction, Thought, Spectacle and Song
(Music). These parts are today reffered to as elements of drama, as they are
also applicable to other genres of drama and not to Tragedy alone.
Iwuchukwu (1999) defines an element as:
an integral component or constituent part of a
whole to achieve a gestalt experience. These
elements imply a formal, logical criticism on the
intrinsic qualities of drama. They are not
concerned with the actual ideas in the context of a
play but provide balanced, clarified and intensified
total experience.
Iwuchukwu (1999:33)

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 To Aristotle, Plot is the first principle, as it is the soul of the play.
Character is next in importance followed by Thought, Diction, Song and
Spectacle. While these elements are ranked by Aristotle in the above order of
importance, it is not compulsory that all elements be featured in any one
particular play, as a healthy combination of some or all of these elements
world suffice.
PLOT
Plot, as defined by Iwuchukwu (1999) is
The series of incidents or events of which
a story is composed. It may include what
a character says, thinks, as well as what
he does. It represents revelations of character
or life of the character. It does this by including
schemes, actions, intrigues, mixed identities,
disguise, secret letters, hidden passion, and
anything which tends to explain its intricacies.
Iwuchukwu (1999:33)

On the other hand, Aristotle, in his Poetics, as translated by Butcher, opines

that Plot in ….
… that which has a beginning, a middle, and
an end. A beginning is that which does not
itself follow anything by causal necessity, but
after which something naturally is or comes
to be. An end, on the contrary, in that which
itself naturally follows some other thing, either
by necessity, or as a rule, but has nothing
following it. A middle in that which follows
something as some other things follows it. A
well constructed plot, therefore, must either
begin nor end at haphazard, but conform to
these principles.
Butcher (2005:6)

It would be right to infer, from the above definition, then is the overall
structure of a play, which is divided into three main parts. These are
beginning, a middle and an end. Or better still, exposition, complication,
and resolution. A play therefore must have a recognizable plot, or a series of
interrelated plots.

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 The Beginning (Exposition) Well written plots, more than often,
usually start with exposition. The exposition establishes the setting of the
play, the occasion, theme, mood, characters etc by revealing, either
piecemeal or whole, information about earlier events before the
commencement of the play, identities and present situation of characters
and how they came to be in such situations. While the prologue is used by
some playwrights to serve as exposition and reveal prior information
concerning the play, as exemplified in Ola Rotimi’s use of the Narrator in the
prologue of his The Gods Are Not To Blame, other playwrights do without
the prologue and have information revealed as the play progresses, and
some other playwrights still would have a central character reveal
information without necessarily being a narrator or their being a prologue.
Brother Jero’s opening monotype in Wole Soyinka’s Trials of Brother Jero is
a classic example.
The Middle (Complication) This portion of a play is characterized with
what is referred to as complications. In the words of Brocket defines
complication as:
A complication is any new element which
changes the direction of the action-the
discovery of new information for example,
or the arrival of a character. The substance
of most complications is discovery (any
occurrence of sufficient importance to alter
the direction of the action) discoveries may
involve objects … reasons… facts… values…
or self…
Brockett (1980:26)

In the use of complications, the playwright builds tension, through

suspense, in the audience. The characters in the play are manipulated such
that the audience is kept on edge wondering what next would happen in the
drama. The height of the action in complication is at the point of climax,
when finally a discovery is made in reference to the protagonist, causing a
change in the course of the play and speeding it towards its conclusion. In
the Gods Are Not To Blame, King Odewale finally is made to be aware that
he is the murderer of his own father, the former King Adetusa, and husband
to his own mother, Queen Ojuola, the bearer of his children.
The End (Resolution) The continuation of the plot after the point of
climax till the end is the last segment of the play in which is referred to as
resolution or denouement. “It serves to tie off the various strands of action
and to answer the questions raised earlier. It brings the situation back to a
state of balance and satisfies audience expectations (Brockett 1980:26). By
this, we mean that, all questions and situations that have arisen in the
course of the play are resolved in this final portion of the play and the

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protagonist is met with a condition that fits the genre of the play. Sadness,
sorrow or death, in case of Tragedy; or Joy, happiness love and bliss play be
a comedy or melo-drama.
CHARACTER
Development of plots and incident rests solely on character. For
without character there is no plot. Character remains the basic raw material
from which plots are created by the playwright. It is the interaction, conflicts
and manipulation of characters by the playwright that gives rise to plots.
Most simply put, a character.
Is the main source from which a plot
is derived. Dramatic action mood and
dialogue are portrayed by characters.
Sometimes, characters are created to
suit are already established plot, or a
plot is woven to suit established characters.
Either way, the characters are essential
to the enactment of the plot.
Windapo (2000:7)

The indispensability of character to the action of a plot is buttressed

thus by Jacobus (1996) asserting that
In man plays, we see that the entire shape of the
action derives from the characters, from their
strengths and witnesses.
Jacobus (1996:19)

The strength or weakness of a character is revealed through

characterization. Characterization is the means through which one
character in differentiated another. In the first instance, a character in
revealed, as laid down by O. Brockett 1980:27 through descriptions in stage,
directions, prefaces, or other explanatory material not part of the dialogue;
through what the character says; through what others say about him, and
most important, through what he does.
There are four levels of identifying characterization; physical, social,
psychological and moral.
PHYSICAL – This is characterization bordering on physical attributes as age,
sex, size and color.
SOCIAL - This reveals a character’s religion, family relationships, trade,
economic status etc.
PSYCHOLOGICAL - This delves into the character’s frame of mind in terms
of habits, desires, motivations, dos and don’ts, likes and dislikes.

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MORAL – This examines decisions taken by characters which are premized
on motives, which reveal the true nature of the character.
Still on the subject levels of characterization, Brockett, goes on that;
A playwright can emphasize one or more of the
these levels and may assign many or few traits,
depending on how the character functions in the
play. For example, the audience needs to know
very little about a maid who appears only to announce
dinner. The principal characters, on the other hand,
should be drawn in considerable depth.
Brockett (1980:27)

Characters and characterization are therefore important in any given plot.

For while characters, give meaning to the plot, characterization gives
meaning to the characters.
THOUGHT (Theme)
While some writers would want to differentiate thought as being
distinct from theme, others would use the terms interchangeably to refer to
one and the same. We shall assign here with the latter as it is our opinion
that it is difficult to differentiate thought from theme or vice-versa.
Thought then is the main or central idea running through a play. It
includes the themes, concepts and ideas, arguments, and over-all meaning
in the play. All plays, no matter the genre; tragedy, comedy, farce, tragi-
comedy, melodrama etc have an idea or ideas which they seek to propound,
propagate, teach or correct.
Dramatists in different periods have used
various devices to project ideas. Greek
playwrights made extensive use of the
chorus, just as those of later periods
employed such devices as soliloquies,
asides, and other forms of direct statement.
Brockett (1980:29)

every good play should have a thought running through it that should be
quite identifiable, although some plays need closer study before revealing
the thought they harbour.

DICTION (Dialogue)
The medium of expression through which characters in a play express
their thoughts in words is known as diction. In drama, Diction or language

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is dialogue. Dialogue is verbal means of communication between characters
whereby they exchange ideas in a play. The unfolding of plot in a play rests
on dialogue between characters.
“Dialogue provides the substance of a play.
Each word uttered by the character furthers
the business of the play, contributes to its
effect as a whole… the exposition of the play
often falls on the dialogue of characters.
Sianghio (2005:5)

Dialogue gives information, reveals character, directs play and

audience attention, reveals play themes and ideas, establish tone or mood
and level of probability, and directs tempo and rhythm.
Usually dialogue in a play is verbal exchange between characters, but
where one character speaks to him or herself on stage it is referred to as
soliloquy. Soliloquies are of great importance when they occur in a play
because they reveal the innermost secrets, desires or thoughts of characters.
Diction in plays is not as informal or free flowing as in normal
everyday conversation, rather it tends to be more abstract and formal. This
is because the playwright selects, arranges and elevates language through
the use of rhythm, rhyme and precision of ideas, thoughts and feelings.
Characters, therefore, are more articulate in dialogue, presenting their ideas
and thoughts in a more concise and deliberate manner. (Brockett 1980:30).
The basic criterion for judging diction is its appropriateness to the
characters, the situation, the level of probability, and the type of play.
MUSIC
Music in plays, is not confined to that which is produced from musical
instruments alone. Music and also includes the manipulation of tone and
emphasis in the delivery of dialogue by the actor. The manipulation of words
by the actor meaning to the dialogue, which may not be as easily
comprehended if it were read as a literary text.
As an orchestration of different sounds, Music, in a play, is an
accompaniment which may be used to determine mood, create tension, or
enhance spectacle. Just as it was in the Ancient Greek Theatre where music
was an integral part of performances, as exemplified in choric chants and
renditions by the chorus, African Theatre employs music a lot on stage;
chants, praise singing, songs and violation.
In general, music can be said to serve the following functions: (I)
Establishing mood and enhancing expectations (2) leud is variety (3)
Establishing character (4) Enhancing performance (5) Conveying ideas.
SPECTACLE
This deals with the visual aspects which helps to increase the
aesthetic quality of a play. These include, costumes, lighting, settings,

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properties, movement of characters on stage, dance, mime etc. To Aristotle,
spectacle is the least artistic of the elements of drama because it depends
more on the art of the stage craftsman, rather than on the playwright.
Although the playwright may sometime recommend and prescribe visual
elements in the stage directions, he however, does not have full control over
them. The interpretation of the script and the directions is that of the
director, actors and the production crew.
As Brockett (1980:32) laid out, functions of spectacle include that (I) It
gives information (establishing where and when the action occurs), it aids
characterization, it helps establish the level of probability (an abstract
setting suggest one level of reality, while a realistic one suggests another),
and it establishes mood and atmosphere.
Good drama, be it text or performance then, must comprise of the
above elements in good proportions. It is their in the hands of an able
playwright or dramatist that brings forth the beauty in dramatic
composition. A good knowledge of these elements also helps in the area of
literary appreciation to the critic. By and large, it can be said that the
elements of drama form the bedrock of dramatic literature, appreciation and
production.

REFERENCES
Butcher S.H. (2005) Poetics by Aristotle: From
www.libertyonline.hypermall.com
Huber R.C. (2005) Drama Page: From www.afronoid.tripod.com
Iwuchukwu L.V. (1999) The Essentials of Literature in English: Lagos, The
Poet Books.
Brockett O.G.(1980) The Essential Theatre:New York , Holt, Rinhert and
Winston.
Jacobus L.A. (1996) The Compact Bedford Introduction to Drama: Boston ,
Bedford Books.
Windapo O.O. (2000) Introduction to Drama Minor: Ibadan, Joytal Press.
Sianghio C.S.L (2005) Elements of Drama:
From www. Literal No. 4.tripod.com

REVIEW QUESTIONS
1. Give short descriptions of the six elements of drama.
2. Examine Aristotle’s view on spectacle as being the least artistic of the
elements of drama.
3. What are the functions of Music and Spectacle in a play?
4. “Plot in the soul of the play”. Discuss:
5. Advance reasons why exposition is indispensable in a plot.
6. “No character, no plot”. Discuss.

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7. Describe the four levels of identifying characterization
8. “Thought in the central idea in a plot”. Discuss.
9. What its characteristics?
10. Define Diction and examine its characteristics and importance in a
play.
11. “Music in plays encompasses orchestration and dialogue”. Discuss.

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