Techniques for Reading Drama

Techniques for Reading Drama

• Originates from the Greek word "Dran," meaning "to do" or "to act."
• Drama emphasizes action and performance, distinguishing it from prose and poetry.

What is Drama?

• Defined by Alfred Hitchcock as "life with the dull bits cut," highlighting its focus on engaging moments.

Literary Terms

• Metaphor: Direct comparison between dissimilar entities without using "like" or "as." Example: "My love is a red, red rose."
• Synecdoche: A part of something represents the whole, e.g., referring to gossip as a "wagging tongue."
• Metonymy: A related concept substitutes for the subject, e.g., "silver screen" for movies.

Imagery

• Concrete representation that evokes sensory experiences, can be visual, aural, tactile, olfactory, or gustatory.
• Involves patterns of related details to create a cohesive experience.

Rhyme

• Repetition of similar sounds at line ends, focusing on phonetics rather than spelling.
• Rhyme schemes are identified by using letters (e.g., 'a' for the first sound, 'b' for the second).

Rhythm

• Refers to stressed and unstressed sounds in poetry, crucial for expressing meaning and emotion.
• Caesura: A significant pause within a line enhancing its rhythm.
• End-stopped line: A line with a pause at its end, marked by punctuation.
• Run-on line/Enjambment: A line that continues into the next without a pause.

Stanza

• A group of lines typically adhering to a specific meter and rhyme pattern, creating structure in poetry.

Tone

• Reflects the speaker's attitude towards the poem’s subject, inferred from language details.
• Influenced by the choice of meter, rhyme, imagery, diction, and syntax, contributing to the poem's overall feeling.

Global Literature Context

• Encompasses the totality of national literatures worldwide.
• Involves the dissemination of literary works beyond their country of origin.

Old English Literature (450-1150)

• Marked by three significant conquests leading to:
  • Diverse letters and grammar structures.
  • Variations in spelling conventions.
• Notable work: "The Song of Beowulf".

Middle English Literature (1150-1500)

• The English language evolved to maturity, notably influenced by Chaucer's poetry.
• Features of this period:
  • Anonymity: Unknown authors, exemplified by "Beowulf".
  • Originality: Common material viewed as shared property; translations were esteemed as original works.
  • Religious influence: Literature often reflected the societal focus on salvation and the fear of hell.
  • Oral tradition: Most people engaged with stories through listening due to the absence of printing technology.
  • Courtly Love: A romantic code defining relationships among the aristocracy, requiring knights to prove their worthiness through heroic acts.
  • Chivalry: A code of conduct defining the ideals and responsibilities of knighthood.
  • Romance narratives: Popular stories focusing on loyalty, courtly love, and knightly heroism, composed in prose or verse.

The Renaissance (1500-1650)

• A revival of classical works and ideas.
• Emergence of poetic forms such as:
  • Sonnet.
  • Elegy.
  • Pastoral.