4 Drama Review: Key Concepts
Features of Historical Drama
Which sentence most accurately describes a feature of Elizabethan drama?
- All actors on the stage were male.
- The scenery and setting were minimal.
- Members of all social classes saw plays.
What happened to English theater during the Elizabethan period?
- More people attended plays.
- Most theaters were closed.
- Plays contained more offensive content.
Reasons for Increased Victorian Era Theater Attendance
- Transportation systems improved.
- More people lived in the cities (urbanization).
- Society became more equal.
Modern and Postmodern Theatrical Movements
Describing the Context of Modern Drama
- Theater began to compete with movies and radio for popularity for the first time.
- Playwrights questioned the traditional rules of art and society.
- Society was undergoing rapid change in a period of violence and war.
Common Qualities of Modernist Plays
- Playwrights explored the ugly realities of the world.
- Themes were not as idealistic as in previous eras.
- Playwrights were critical of real-life people and their choices.
Common Elements of Postmodern Plays
- Repetition and circularity in structure.
- Plot often features minimal action (“Nothing much happens”).
- The characters seem stuck or unable to progress.
Common Themes of the Theater of the Absurd
- Meaninglessness
- Hopelessness
- Purposelessness
Literary Elements: Conflict and Theme
Identifying Internal Conflict in Drama
Which sentence most clearly shows internal conflict?
- Minnie is not sure whether or not she wants to get married.
- Frank wants to buy a house, but he is afraid to take on a mortgage.
- After being elected class president, Fatima wonders if she deserves it.
Identifying External Conflict in Drama
Which sentence most clearly shows external conflict?
- Jack, the leader of a gang of friends, is constantly challenged by Zack (Man vs. Man).
- Liesel wants to get married, but her father disapproves (Man vs. Man/Society).
- Omar has to battle his way through a severe blizzard to get home (Man vs. Nature).
Understanding Implicit and Explicit Themes
What is an implicit theme?
- An implicit theme must be inferred from watching the play.
- An explicit theme is usually stated outright by a character in the play.
- With an implicit theme, the audience has to watch carefully and make inferences based on what the characters do and say.
