History of Drama - Origin of Drama in English Literature - Functions of Drama -Dramatic Movements and Time Periods - Types of Plays - Elements of Drama

Drama Definition 

Drama is a written work presented before the public by stage artists on the stage (or theatre). It includes disputes, activities, and a specific subject. A major element is an eye-catching composition, facial emotions, and body language of the artists.

The drama is a style of fictional performance and conversation. It is an imitation of activity, one of the literary genres. Drama is also a kind of play for theatre, TV, radio, and cinema.

A drama, in basic terms, is a poetry or prose work that presents a narrative in action or conversation. It includes conflicts of characters, especially of those who play on the stage before the public. The person who creates plays for the theatre is called a "dramatist" or "playwriter." 

Meaning of Drama

The name "drama" is derived from the Greek word "dran," which literally translates as "to do something."

Origin of Drama
It is said that Western play began about 500 B.C. in Greece. There were three types of plays in those days these types were :

• Tragedy
• Comedy
• Satyr

Ancient hymns, called dithyrambs, are chanted in praise of the God Dionysus. The oldest beginnings of drama are in Athens. These hymns were later adapted for choral processions where people dressed in costumes and masks. Some choral members eventually developed to play a particular position in the procession, although they were not yet actors as we would understand it.

These developments were later in the sixth century BC when a series of public festivals were created by tyrant Pisistratus, who then controlled the city. One of them, the 'City Dionysia,' a celebration in honor of God Dionysus, included music, singing, dancing, and poetry contests. And a traveling poet named Thespis was the most extraordinary of all champions and he becomes the first actor in the world.  The earliest tragedies are believed to have taken place around 534 B.C, during the Dionysus festival in Athens . In 501 B.C, Satyr-dramas were introduced. Comedies were first made in Athens officially in 486 B.C.

Mysteries and Miracle Plays

In the following step, the performers both talked and performed. The clergy wrote special plays, initially in Latin and then in common French. These early acts were regarded as mysteries or miracles. The term mystery itself reveals its religious roots since the word is taken from the French mystery came from the ministry because clergy, ministry or ecclesiae participated in these performances themselves. In Britain the word "Miracle" is used without distinction to play religious events, while the term "Mystery" is exclusively used for tales derived from the Scripture storey, while the term "Miracle" is used to play on occurrences in the lives of saints and martyrs.

The Morality Plays

The third step is the increase in morality. Morality and interlude were created in the Mystery and the Miracle Paly. Serious and humorous themes were mixed in the Miracle and Mystery plays. They separate now; the morality presents the higher side of things, and the interlude. Morality was honestly instructive. Some characteristics were characterised, e.g., sin, grace, repentance. The Interlude was just for fun. Everyman and Heywood's Four Ps are the finest examples.

The Interludes

In the Interludes, others were given space to study the Reformation, such as Hyche Scorner, Lusty Taventres, New Custom etc. 

Secular and Religious Origin of Drama

The dramatic history is profoundly entrenched in the history of secular and religious history. It may be good to draw the major lines of evolution before looking more closely with the early dramas that eventually fused into the Elizabethan drama. When considering the lines of developments exhibited by the drama from Plantagenet to the Elizabeth period, we discover some distinguishing phases, yet the whole movement is based on a double appeal. The drama attracts two deeply seated instincts,

The need for fun and the desire for progress. This double appeal represents the complicated roots of the play and allows us to distinguish the lay from the holy aspect.

Types of Plays

Following are the types of plays;

Comedy

Comedies are lighter in tone and provide a glad ending than regular works. The purpose of comedy playwrights is to make the audience laugh. They thus utilise picturesque situations, unique personalities and clever comments.

Tragedy

Tragic tragedies use darker subjects like catastrophe, suffering and death. Protagonists typically have a tragic defect – a feature that causes them to fall.

Farce - Farce usually is an absurd kind of drama that frequently overacts or involves slapstick comedy.

Melodrama - Melodrama is an overly spectacular play that appeals directly to the public's senses. The characters, like the comedy, are of a single size, basic or stereotypical.

Musical drama 

Dramatists convey their tales in musical plays not only via acting and conversation but also through dance and music. The narrative may often be comedic, even if it involves serious topics. 

Elements of Drama
The Six Elements of Drama as taught by Aristotle;

• Plot
• Theme
• Characters
• Dialogue
• Music/Rhythm
• Spectacle

Function of Drama

The play is one of the finest genres in literature through which dramatists may communicate directly to their readers or to the public and get immediate responses from audiences. Some dramatists utilize their characters as a means of conveying their ideas and ideals, such as poets and narrators. Because drama employs spoken words and conversations, character language plays an essential part in providing insights into their emotions, personalities, histories, and changes in feelings. The characters live a narrative in theatre without any remark from the author, so that the audience presents the experiences of the characters.

Conclusion:

The Greeks began the drama in Western Europe, which inspired most of the Rome plays. The drama also ended as the world witnessed the collapse of the Roman Empire. Drama was resurrected as part of religion in the early mediaeval times.

The way plays were viewed throughout the Renaissance has altered in people like William Shakespeare, Christopher Marlowe, Ben Jonson and John Webster. The contemporary drama is still alive but most people are beginning to take more interest in other entertainment sources.