Grade 9 Unit 3 Literature Focus

NARRATIVE WRITTEN FOR PERFORMANCE

CONTAINS CHARACTERS, OR PERSONALITIES WHO TAKE PART IN THE ACTION

CONFLICT, A STRUGGLE OR PROBLEM THAT DRIVES THE PLOT

ACTS/SCENES - BASIC SECTIONS OF DRAMA; ONE OR MORE ACTS, CAN BE SUBDIVIDED INTO SCENES

STAGE DIRECTIONS - INSTRUCTIONS FOR HOW THE PLAY SHOULD BE PERFORMED

SETS - DEFINE THE AREA OF THE ACTION

PROPS - MOVEABLE OBJECTS USED ON STAGE

PLAYWRIGHTS - AUTHOR OF THE PLAY

SCRIPTS = TEXT OF THE STORY; CONTAINS DIALOGUE, CHARACTER LIST, STAGE DIRECTIONS

THE ELEMENTS OF DRAMA COMBINE TO FORM THE "DRAMATIC EFFECT" - ALLOWS THE VIEWERS TO "SUSPEND DISBELIEF"

SUSPENCION OF DISBELIEF IS IMPORTANT IF THE PLAYWRIGHT IS GOING TO COMMUNICATE THE THEME OF THE DRAMA - THE DEEPER INSIGHT INTO LIFE

DRAMA WAS DEVELOPED BY THE ANCIENT GREEKS

THEY CREATED TWO BASIC TYPES OF PLAYS - TRAGEDY AND COMEDY

TRAGEDY - TRACES THE DOWNFALL OF THE "TRAGIC HERO".

USUALLY A KING OR GENERAL

IS DEFEATED BECAUSE OF A TRAGIC FLAW - A MISTAKE OR CHARACTER DEFECT

ENDS WITH DEATH, DEFEAT, OR EXILE

COMEDY - HAPPY ENDING

THE ORDER OF THE WORLD IS DISRUPTED

COMIC ENDING RESTORES BALANCE

UNLIKE MODERN EXAMPLES, ANCIENT COMEDIES WERE OFTEN FUNNY, BUT NOT THEIR DEFINING TRAIT

ENDS WITH WEDDING, BIRTH, REUNION, ETC

CLASSICAL DRAMAS (ANCIENT GREEKS, SHAKESPEARE) = 5 ACT PLAYS

ACT 1 = EXPOSITION

ACT 2 = RISING ACTION

ACT 3 = CLIMAX

ACT 4 = FALLING ACTION

ACT 5 = RESOLUTION

SCREENPLAYS (SCRIPTS FOR FILM) = 3 ACTS

ACT 1 = EXPOSITION

ACT 2 = RISING ACTION (This is usually when a problem breaks up the group or makes it seem like the hero/heroic group will fail - won't get the girl, won't defeat the enemy, won't win the game, etc.)

ACT 3 = CLIMAX --> RESOLUTION

ONE ACT PLAYS

ALL THE ACTION IS CONTAINED IN ONE ACT

MAY HAVE MULTIPLE SCENES

DIALOGUE IS KEY!!!

ANCIENT GREEKS USED THE CHORUS, A GROUP OF OBSERVERS WHO WERE PART OF THE PLAY BUT NOT PART OF THE STORY.

MODERN DRAMAS SOMETIMES USE NARRATORS

MONOLOGUE - A LONG, UNINTERRUPTED SPEECH GIVEN BY ONE CHARACTER TO ANOTHER.

SOLILOQUY - A CHARACTER SPEAKS TO THEMSELF AND REVEALS PRIVATE THOUGHTS

ASIDE - A BRIEF REMARK A CHARACTER MAKES TO THE AUDIENCE

SOLILOQUY - A CHARACTER SPEAKS TO THEMSELF AND REVEALS PRIVATE THOUGHTS

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SjuZq-8PUw0

External - man vs man, man vs society, man vs nature

Internal - man vs self

PROTAGONIST - THE MAIN CHARACTER

ANTAGONIST - THE CHARACTER WHO OPPOSES THE MAIN CHARACTER

AUDIENCES NEED COMPELLING, COMPLEX CHARACTERS

THEY NEED MULTIPLE MOTIVATIONS

THEY SHOULD BE ROUND (MANY QUALITIES) AND DYNAMIC (CHANGING, GROWING).

THEY SHOULD NOT BE FLAT (ONE QUALITY) OR STATIC (UNCHANGING)

WE LEARN ABOUT CHARACTERS THROUGH CHARACTERIZATION

DIRECT --> A WRITER SIMPLY TELLS YOU WHAT THEY ARE LIKE

INDIRECT --> YOU LEARN THROUGH WHAT OTHER CHARACTERS SAY, HOW THE CHARACTER ACTS, REACTS, AND SPEAKS.

MONOLOGUES AND SOLILOQUIES CAN EXPLAIN HOW A CHARACTER THINKS/FEELS.

CHARACTERS CAN PROVIDE CLUES TO THE PLAYS THEME.

LOOK AT THEIR WORDS, ACTIONS, REACTIONS.

WHAT ARE THEY LEARNING!?!