Genre of Literature

General Introduction To Drama


Subject: Literature-in-English

Theme: GENRES OF LITERATURE

Topic: Drama

Sub Topic:

Date: dd/mm/yyyy

Class: S.S 1

Average Age: 14 years and above

Duration: 35 Minutes

No of Learners: 40



Learning Objectives:

By the end of the lesson learners should be able to:

Define Drama:

Drama or play is the imitation of some actions. It is a genre of literature like poetry and prosethat is meant to be acted on stage. It is solely for presentation in the theatre by actors who perform specified actions. The form ‘drama’ is derived from a Greek word that means ‘action’. Drama is the only is the only genre of literature that is associated with stage performance. Dramas sometimes involve songs and music.
Drama represents life, it is not complete until it is performed.

List and explain forms/types of Drama:

Drama can be categorized into several types, each having its unique features and tone:

1. Tragedy: A serious play with a sad ending, written in an elevated style. The protagonist often faces downfall due to a tragic flaw. Examples include Macbeth by Shakespeare and The Gods Are Not To Blame by Ola Rotimi, “Let me Die Alone” by John Kargbo Kolosa, “Women of Owu” by Femi Osofisan and “Hamlet” by William Shakespeare.

2. Comedy: A light-hearted play with a happy ending. It focuses on amusing the audience and often contains humor. An example is Our Husband Has Gone Mad Again, “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” by William Shakespeare, “The Blinkards” by Kobina Sekyi, Lion and Jewel by Wole Soyinka and De Graft’s “Son’s and Daughters.”

3. Tragic-Comedy: A combination of both tragedy and comedy. The story may appear serious but ends happily. An example is Shakespeare's Twelfth Night, “Merchant of Vernice” by William Shakespeare and The Winter’s Tale by Shakespeare

OTHER TYPES OF DRAMA ARE:

4. Farce: A humorous play that emphasizes absurdity and exaggerated characters to evoke laughter. Farce is a comic drama that uses stock characters whose actions in the play leads them near disaster but never really get into disaster. These stock characters are regular characters but their roles may be described by the name they bear. They are instantly recognizable to their audience. However, the naivety of events presented in farce is mostly sacrificed in the process of achieving excess laughter.

5. Epic Drama: Also known as the chronicle play or Historic play. It focuses on the heroic deeds of great men in history. its material is based on historical records. Besides presenting the history of individuals and people, History play also glorifies the past heroic deeds of individuals and people. William Shakespeare has a number of history plays. The commonest of them is Julius Caesar.

6. Melodrama: A play that is accompanied by music and is meant to evoke strong emotions, often concluding with a happy ending. It is a light hearted comic play that highlights suspense and romantic feeling with characters who are usually either clearly good or clearly bad. In this drama, belief is downplayed/made less important in order to create excitement, sensation and shock. This kind of drama uses a musical background to increase/height the emotional tone of a scene. Examples:” Arms and the Man” by Benard Shaw, “The Jew of Malta” by Christopher Marlowe.

7. History Play: Also known as the chronicle play or Epic, its material {what forms the play} is based on historical records. Besides presenting the history of individuals and people, History play also glorifies the past heroic deeds of individuals and people. Examples of history plays are: Ola Rotimi’s “Ovoranmwen Nogbaisi, William Shakespeare’s “Julius Caesar”,Chimamanda Adichie’s “Half of a yellow sun”, e.t.c.

8. Mime/Pantomime:

9. Monologue:

10. Domestic Tragedy:

Explain Features of Drama:

The following are the features of drama. But there is no restriction toward other literary writers or authors to use some of these features. They include:

(a) Play director: this is the person that is in charge of directing the actors and actresses on what to act on stage.

(b) Audience: these are the people who come to watch the play performed by the actors and actresses. The audience sit in a place called theatre and watch the performance.

(c) Theatre: It is a building where plays are performed. Other performances such as musical performance are also held in the theatre

(d) Stage: It is a raised portion in a theatre where actors and actresses stand when they perform.

(e) Actors and Actresses: These are the people (the cast) who act in plays, movies or on television.

(f) Costumes/Props: This is a set of clothes worn by actors and actresses to make them like something or somebody else.

(g) Language: Language is an important element in drama. Some uses languages that are simple while some use language that is rich in imagery or difficult.

(h) Dialogue : It is the conversation between two or more people.

(i) Monologue: This refers to when a character in a play is talking.

(j) Soliloquy: This refers to when a character, usually alone on the stage talk to himself/ herself

(k) Acts and Scenes: Drama is divided into acts and scenes. Acts refers to the main parts into which a play is divided. Scenes are single piece of action that happens in one place in a play. A scene is shorter than an act.

(l) It is theatrical, often involving a specific set of costumes and stage directions.

(m) It includes elements like dialogue, plot, and character development.

(n) Stage Manager: This is the person that generally instructs and supervises the production of plays.

List and Explain Elements of Drama:

• Theme: The central idea or message that the playwright wants to convey.

• Setting: Refers to the location and time where the action of the play takes place.

• Plot: The sequence of events or actions that make up the story.

• Characters/Dramatis Personae: The imaginary people created by the playwright, classified into major and minor roles.

• Action: This is an important feature of drama because drama is all about “doing”. What stimulates/arouses action in a play is conflict.

• Conflict: This is the struggle, argument or disagreement between two characters in a play mainly the protagonist and the antagonist. Conflict can be individual or societal type. It brings about suspens.

• Soliloquy: A speech made by a character alone on stage, revealing their inner thoughts.

• Protagonist: The main character around whom the story revolves.

• Dialogue: The conversation between two or more characters in the play.

• Climax: The point of highest tension in the play, where the action reaches its peak.

• Suspense: A dramatic technique where the audience is left anticipating what will happen next.

• Act: A major division in a play, often marking a shift in time, setting, or action.

• Tragic Flaw: A costly mistake made by the protagonist in a play or drama. It could also mean an in-built or inherited weakness (flaw), say pride (hubris), which aids the downfall of the protagonist.

• Protagonist: A character that plays the most prominent/famous/important role in a play or novel, often referred to as the hero/heroine or the chief character.

• Antagonist: A character in a play or novel who opposes the protagonist rightly or wrongly. Often he/she contradicts the protagonist.

• Denouement: Also known as resolution or the unknotting of events. It is the resultant process soon after the climax has been reached. Here the conflict in a play or novel is finally resolved.

• Catharsis: This means purgation (from ‘purging’ the original Greek word). It is the feeling by an audience of a sense of release or the cleansing of the mind of excess emotion, often through the shedding of tears as when a great tragedy is being played out on stage.

• Cast: A list of actors and actresses given defined roles in a drama by the playwright or director.

• Playwright: The writer of a piece of drama or play.



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Rationale:

Literature focuses on the study of literary texts, developing students as independent, innovative and creative learners and thinkers who appreciate the aesthetic use of language, evaluate perspectives and evidence, and challenge ideas and interpretations.

Prerequisite/ Previous knowledge:

Storyings, songs, history etc.

Learning Resources:

Flash cards, Text book

Reference Materials:

J.O.J. Nwachukwu et al: Exam Focus: Literature-in-English 2021-2025
Tony Duru: Standard Literature-in-English



Lesson Development:

STAGE

TEACHER'S ACTIVITY

LEARNER'S ACTIVITY

LEARNING POINTS

STEP 1:
PREVIOUS KNOWLEDGE
full class session (3 mins)
The teacher Introduces the lesson by asking questions based on previous knowledge;
1. mention the genres of literature
2. list the types of literature
The students respond to the questions based on previous knowledge.
1. The genres of literature: Drama, Prose and Poetry,

2 (i) Fiction and Non-Fiction
(ii) Written and Oral literature
Learner’s entry points.
STEP 2:
INTRODUCTION
full class session (3 mins)
Through story telling, question and answer with an instructional resources teacher review/introduce what drama is; the forms/types of drama; the elements of drama and features of drama. The students listen attentively to the explanation of the teacher. Introducing the topic for discussion.
STEP 3: DEVELOPMENT
Group Work (2 mins)
The teacher guides the learners to form four groups and asks them to choose their leaders and secretaries. Learners choose their group leaders and secretaries. Inculcating leadership skills, competitive spirit, cooperation, teamwork and a sense of responsibility among learners.
STEP 4: EXPLORATION
3 mins
Mode: Individual
The teacher asks the students to describe times they have either been involved in drama or seen others dramatize, thereafter leads students to define drama. The students contribute by describing such instances, thereafter defined drama.
Drama can be described as the imitation of life that is performed on stage. The actions are performed by actors and actresses.
Identification of prior ideas.
STEP 5: DISCUSSION
5 mins.
Mode: Group
The teacher guides the students to list out the major types of drama and explain each of them. The students quickly list out the types of drama.
The types of drama are;
i. Comedy: A play with a happy ending.
ii. Tragedy: A play with a sad ending
iii. Tragicomedy: A combination of both tragedy and comedy. The story may appear serious but ends happily
Being able to list and explain the three main types of drama, elements of drama, features and function of drama
The teacher guides the students to list and explain Elements of Drama. • Dramatis Personae: The display of all the participants in a drama.
• Cast: A list of actors and actresses given defined roles in a drama by the playwright or director.
• Playwright: The writer of a piece of drama or play.
• Conflict: Another common feature of drama often involving the protagonist and the antagonist in their rivalry and struggle for assertion of influence or relevance.
• Protagonist: A character that plays the most prominent role in a play or novel, often referred to as the hero/heroine or the chief character.
• Antagonist: A character in a play or novel who opposes the protagonist rightly or wrongly.
Often he/she contradicts the protagonist.
• Denouement: Also known as resolution or the unknotting of events, it is the resultant process soon after the climax has been reached. Here the conflict in a play or novel is finally resolved.
• Catharsis: This means purgation (from ‘purging’ the original Greek word). It is the feeling by an audience of a sense of release or the cleansing of the mind of excess emotion, often through the shedding of tears as when a great tragedy is being played out on stage.
• Tragic Flaw: A costly mistake made by the protagonist in a play or drama.
It could also mean an in-built or inherited weakness (flaw), say pride (hubris), which aids the downfall of the protagonist.
The teacher guides the students to identify the features and functions of drama. The students list the features and functions of drama
The features of drama are;
1. Actors and actresses
2. Language
3. Acts and scenes
4. Costumes
5. Audience

The functions of drama are;
1. Drama allows us learn about us to learn about ourselves, our society and about life.
2. It teaches us to reflect on life’s actions and experiences.
3. It inculcates in people the ability to express themselves.
4. It helps in creating fun and relaxation.
5. Drama is a source of relaxation for people.
6. It encourages self-realization.
7. It heals broken emotions.
STEP 6: APPLICATION
4 mins
Mode: Group
The Teacher guides the students to Differentiate between Functions and Features of Drama. The students expected answer.
Features are presentation. We can easily say functions of drama pertain to the roles drama play in the society, while features have to do with the make-up of drama
Differentiate between Functions and Features of Drama.
STEP 6: EVALUATION
Mode: Entire Class
5 mins
The teacher asks the students the following questions:
i. What is Comedy?
ii. What is tragedy?
iii. What is Tragi-comedy
iv. Explain conflict as one of the feature of drama
v. Differentiate between Functions and Features of Drama
vi. List and explain nine features of drama.
vii. explain seven features of drama.
The students Provide answers to the following questions.:
i. Comedy: This is a play that is filled with a light atmosphere and which often ends on a happy note.

ii. Tragedy: Often regarded as the opposite of comedy because it is a drama whose atmosphere is usually serious and tense with an unhappy ending and in most cases involves death or a calamity..

iii. Tragi-comedy: Tragi-comedy: It is a play that combines element of tragedy and comedy. It has a serious tone and several uneasy/tense moments but usually ends on a tone of relief.

iv. Conflict: Conflict is the disagreement between two people or two groups. When two persons hold two different opinions, it leads to a disagreement. As the characters try to argue their points, drama is created. Without conflict, there may not be credible dramatic actions. Another common feature of drama often involving the protagonist and the antagonist in their rivalry and struggle for assertion of influence or relevance.

v. Functions of drama pertain to the roles drama play in the society it ranges from instructive, educative, informative, entertaining, therapeutic, social and cultural, as well as political experiences, while features have to do with the make-up of drama i.e presentation.

vi. Feactures of drama include
1. Theatre: In drama, there must be a theatre where performance takes place. A theatre is a building specifically built for performance of play. e.g.
a. Cultural Centre on Mokola Hill in I badan, Oyo state
b. National Arts theatre at Orile Iganmu, Sululere Lagos State Lagos state
2. Stage: Many times dramas are staged but not necessarily within the four walls of a theatre. Whenever a play is staged there must be a stage.
3. Actors: Actors are called ‘the cast’. These are the people who act in a play.
4. Audience: Without the audience there cannot be a play. The audience is the group who come to watch a play or listen to a concert.
5. Actions: The central elements of drama in literature is the emphasis on action, Action is paramount importance in drama, because there are a lot of actions involving characters who do a lot of talking. Without action there is no drama.
6. Dialogue: Dialogue which is conversation between two or more people is the back bone of drama.
7. Acts and Scenes: Acts and scenes are parts into which a play is divided.
8. Theme: This is the main idea of drama. The main theme must be got from actions revolving around the major character.
9. Setting: This is the place or location the action takes place.

vii. Function of drama include
1. Drama allows us learn about us to learn about ourselves, our society and about life.
2. It teaches us to reflect on life’s actions and experiences.
3. It inculcates in people the ability to express themselves.
4. It helps in creating fun and relaxation.
5. Drama is a source of relaxation for people.
6. It encourages self-realization.
7. It heals broken emotions.
Asking the learners questions to assess the achievement of the set objectives.

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ASSIGNMENT The teacher gives learners take home
1. What is drama?
2. Mention two types of drama and give an example of each.
3. List three elements of drama and explain their importance.
4. Define drama and explain why it is considered a unique branch of literature.
5. Write a short paragraph about a drama you’ve seen or read, identifying the main type (e.g., tragedy, comedy) and explaining why.
The learners copy the assignment Better understanding of Drama as Genre of literature
CONCLUSION
2mins
Teachers wrap up from the learners' contribution. The students listen to the teacher and copy down notes. Consolidating and harmonizing scientific concepts.

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