LITERARY ELEMENTS OF DRAMA

• characters - people portrayed by actors
• protagonist - central person
• antagonist - opposition against which the protagonist must contend the obstacle
• static - personality does not transform or evolve
• dynamic character


  changes over time
• flat character


  notable for one kind of personality trait
• round character


  has a complex personality
• plot


  series of actions
• exposition


  main characters, tone, and setting are introduced
• inciting incident


  circumstances that push the protagonist to move
• increased action


  complication that makes the problem the protagonist has to solve more complex
• climax


  part of the greatest tension between the protagonist and the antagonist
• descent of the action

  greatest suspense

  author begins to project the conclusion
• resolution


  main character receives the consequences of their actions
• denouement


  the tension concludes
• theme

  main idea or lesson to be learned
• dialogue


  words spoken y the characters
• soliloquy


  a character alone delivers a long speech to reveal emotions and innermost thoughts
• aside


  spoken to another character or to audience but is not heard by other characters
• convention


  techniques used by the playwright and director to created the desired stylistic effect
• genre


  type of play