GCSE DRAMA LANGUAGE TO EXPLORE DRAMA

1. GCSE DRAMA LANGUAGE TO EXPLORE DRAMA © TPS 2007

2. GCSE DRAMA LANGUAGE TO EXPLORE DRAMA Epilogue Flashback Introduction Genre Absurd Hubris Ad lib Metaphor Antagonist Anti-hero Monologue Aside Plot Chorus Prologue Climax Protagonist Denouement Soliloquy Dialogue Conclusion Direct address

3. GCSE DRAMA Language to explore drama When you engage in drama activities during your GCSE course, you will be expected to use a certain vocabulary to describe the drama that you are experiencing or creating. This will bring you into contact with a whole new world of words.

4. GCSE DRAMA Language to explore drama Whether you are exploring strategies, analysing a text or responding to a production, you will be exposed to the language of drama.

5. GCSE DRAMA Language to explore drama It is therefore important for you to understand and to be able to use appropriately a number of terms in the drama classroom. By using these terms, you will be able to communicate your thoughts and other people will be able to follow your meaning more easily.

6. GCSE DRAMA Language to explore drama We are going to name and analyse a number of those terms to enable you to use them in your speech and writing in drama. Some of these are acting terms; others are playwriting terms.

7. GCSE DRAMA Language to explore drama You will not be expected to remember all of these at once. However, a feel for what the terms mean will help you to incorporate the terms into your own work gradually during the course.

8. GCSE DRAMA Language to explore drama Absurd You will already know the word ‘absurd’ to mean ‘ridiculous’ or ‘nonsensical’ in everyday language. The term was used in theatre, particularly after the Second World War, as the destruction and madness of the slaughter made people question the sense of their existence.

9. GCSE DRAMA Language to explore drama Absurd Samuel Beckett’s Waiting for Godot is a an example of absurd theatre. Two tramps spend all their time waiting for Godot to appear to rescue them from their miserable existence. Godot does not arrive and the tramps continue to wait each day.

10. GCSE DRAMA Language to explore drama Absurd By portraying the world as illogical, playwrights could create comedy and tragedy in different ways. From the theatre of the absurd sprang comedy and tragedy.

11. GCSE DRAMA Language to explore drama Ad lib This comes from the Latin phrase ad libitum. This means ‘as you please’. In other words, ad lib in acting terms means making up the script as you go along.

12. GCSE DRAMA Language to explore drama Ad lib Some directors encourage actors to make up the script in certain parts of the production and ad lib the dialogue.

13. GCSE DRAMA Language to explore drama Ad lib This means that the actors are spontaneously making up the dialogue.

14. GCSE DRAMA Language to explore drama Ad lib If the whole script is missing and actors are encouraged to make up the entire dialogue, this is known as improvisation.

15. GCSE DRAMA Language to explore drama Antagonist This is the term used for a character who is in some kind of conflict with the main character. The main character is the protagonist.

16. GCSE DRAMA Language to explore drama Anti-hero This is the main character of the play, in other words, the protagonist. However, this protagonist has qualities, that we would not associate necessarily with a hero. His or her qualities may be of the order that we cannot admire.

17. GCSE DRAMA Language to explore drama Aside This can be a remark or long speech that is made to the audience. The other characters do not hear the remarks so in many ways the audience feels that the character is sharing a secret with them.

18. GCSE DRAMA Language to explore drama Chorus The chorus is usually a group of people (but can be one character) who stand aside from the action and comment on it. Greek tragedy introduced the chorus into drama. The chorus has the task of providing a commentary for the audience and can link scenes together seamlessly.

19. GCSE DRAMA Language to explore drama Climax The climax of a play is the most exciting part of the play that the action has been working towards.

20. GCSE DRAMA Language to explore drama Denouement The final moments of a play. This is the part of the play where the complexity of the narrative is explained. In most plays, there is a final solution to the drama and a resolution amongst the characters about the future.

21. GCSE DRAMA Language to explore drama Dialogue Dialogue is a conversation between at least two people.

22. GCSE DRAMA Language to explore drama Direct address This refers to an actor talking directly to the audience. In this way the audience becomes part of the play. Sometimes too the character comes out of his/her role to make comments to the audience.

23. GCSE DRAMA Language to explore drama Epilogue This is the final section of a play. The epilogue can summarise the preceding action or it can leave the audience mulling over the action without a clear conclusion to it.

24. GCSE DRAMA Language to explore drama Flashback Flashback is used to go back in time to give information to the audience about the background of a character or background to the plot in the past.

25. GCSE DRAMA Language to explore drama Genre Genre is a type of drama. The genre could be tragedy, comedy, thriller. The plays that belong to a particular genre will have similar devices used. Their subject matter will be similar.

26. GCSE DRAMA Language to explore drama Genre In many ways genre is a family of drama. Plays can fit into one family or, for example, it could be a tragedy with scenes of comedy within it to lighten the tension for the audience.

27. GCSE DRAMA Language to explore drama Hubris This is a flaw that can be seen in many characters. Hubris is a form of pride where the character is overconfident in his/her own abilities. The results are fatal and bring about tragedy through the character’s arrogance.

28. GCSE DRAMA Language to explore drama Metaphor Something is described as something completely different. So a parallel is drawn with something different.

29. GCSE DRAMA Language to explore drama Metaphor ‘She is Venus herself’ would indicate that the woman being described is being likened to a beautiful goddess. From this image the audience can conjure up a vision of the woman and also have a clear indication of what the character thinks about her.

30. GCSE DRAMA Language to explore drama Monologue A monologue is a speech made by just one character. Other characters are present and listening to the speech.

31. GCSE DRAMA Language to explore drama Plot This describes the chain of events that make up the story of the narrative. It shows the audience how the story unfolds.

32. GCSE DRAMA Language to explore drama Prologue This is an introduction that not all plays have. It is a speech that introduces the play. Its purpose is to reveal just enough about the plot that follows to tantalise the audience and ensure that they want to continue finding out more.

33. GCSE DRAMA Language to explore drama Protagonist This is the principal character of the play. He or she is the character who kick-starts the intrigue in the plot.

34. GCSE DRAMA Language to explore drama Soliloquy This is a speech made by a character who is thinking out aloud and letting the audience hear his/her thoughts. No other characters are on the stage at the time.

35. GCSE DRAMA Conclusion Conclusion

36. GCSE DRAMA Language to explore drama Conclusion We have only considered a few techniques that a playwright might use. It goes without saying that you are unlikely to find all of these techniques in every play that you see or read. Techniques are used to hold the interest of the audience and to engage them in the action.

37. GCSE DRAMA Language to explore drama Conclusion The playwright wants to entertain and enlighten his/her audience. By using these techniques, he/she will attempt to do just that. By learning these terms, you will be able to analyse drama more effectively and communicate your opinions about it more succinctly.

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