WEEk2
LITERATURE IN ENGLISH
Topic: MEANING OF DRAMA
Specific objective: By the end of this lesson, the students should be able to:
i. Define the term, drama.
ii. List different forms of drama.
iii. Write briefly on the forms of drama.
(A) Meaning of drama:
Drama originated from the Greek word, dran, which means to do or to act. In other words, drama is a performing art which is built/acted on a stage. As a script, drama is a series of dialogue created to achieve dramatic effect. It is filled by directions.
(B) Forms of Drama:
1. Comedy:-This refers to a drama usually imbued with a light atmosphere which often ends on a happy note.
2. Tragedy:-This is often regarded as the opposite of comedy because it is a drama whose atmosphere is usually serious and tense with an unhappy ending, and in most cases involves death or a calamity.
3. Tragic-comedy:-It is a play which harbours elements of tragedy and comedy and often ends on a happy note.
4. Farce:-This is a comic drama, though of a cheaper kind in which a spectator’s belief in what is happening is not as important as the main desire to cause laughter. In a farce, believability is sacrificed while laughter and hilarity enjoy more prominence.
5. Melodrama:-In this type of drama, for purpose of creating excitement, sensation and shock in the spectator, belief is downplayed. Melodrama is often referred to as a tragic-farce, especially when a tragedy lacks a sense of believability or convincingness.
Evaluation Questions:
1. What is drama?
2. List any three forms of drama.
3. Write briefly on any two of the forms of drama you listed above.