Origin of Drama
The word drama comes from the Greek verb “dran” which means ‘to act’ or to
perform. Many scholars trace the origin of drama to wordless actions like ritual
dances and mimes performed by dancers, masked players or priests during
traditional festivals or ceremonies. One account traces the origin to ritual. In the
traditional society or in the primordial times, sometimes, the seasons did not come
as expected. When this happened, men felt that they had offended the gods, so they
devised means of appeasing these gods. That act of appeasing the gods is what we
refer to as ritual. This ritual, as expected, involved a ceremony in which the priest
played an important role at a designated location, mostly shrines. The priest would
normally wear a special dress for the occasion. That role, the dress (costume), and
the utterance or incantations are regarded as dramatic elements. Drama could
therefore emerge from this. So, if it is presented for entertainment and there is an
element of impersonation, imitation of an action, and re-enactment of an action, it is
drama.
Another account traces the origin to man’s desire for entertainment. Here, during
festivals or other ceremonies, they recreate the feats of some legendary or mythical
heroes to entertain the people. Scholars are divided on the origin of drama. Some
trace the origin to Greece but others insist that drama in its definitive form or pattern
evolved from Egypt which is regarded as one of the cradles of civilization in the
world. The latter group argues that it was borrowed by western merchants who
developed and documented it, and who now trace the origin to Greece. However, the
account of tracing the origin of drama to Greece is more plausible. The evolution is
clearer and well-documented. Apparently, Greek drama evolved from religious
festivals (ritual) that were celebrated to ensure the fertility of the land and the well-
being of its people. These festivals were connected with the worship of the god
Dionysius, a native god who like the vegetation dies and was reborn each year. The
festival involved singing and dancing by a chorus of fifty men. The choral song,
known as Dithyramb, was sang in honour of the god. The men danced around the
altar of Dionysius in a circular dancing place called orchestra.
Sometimes a story about the god was improvised by the leader of the chorus, though
remaining part of the chorus. Sometimes he dresses like a character from
mythology. At this stage, individual actors were not involved in the performances.
The dramatist, Thepsis, is believed to have been the first person to introduce the
individual actor and the element of impersonation in the 6 th century B.C. During a
particular performance, he stood out from the chorus and instead of singing in the
honour of the god, he sang as the god. He performed between the dances of the
chorus and he conversed at times with the leader of the chorus. Thus, drama was
literally born. Thepsis, therefore appeared as the first actor, and when he broke away
from the chorus, he added the dramatic potential of impersonation. It is
impersonation, because, instead of describing the god, Dionysius, or his actions, he
pretended to be the god. Thus, the performance changed from poetry performance
to drama. Aeschylus added the second actor and this gave drama a new thrust
forward because the additional actor enabled the dramatist to show in action a
dramatic conflict rather than talk about it.
Sophocles’ addition of the third actor further enlarged the scope of the dramatist and
provided him with the means of complicating his plot and devising more complex
structural arrangement of his action. It is important to note here that speech is not of
essence in drama because it could be presented without words or without the
accompaniment of music/dance. The important feature of drama is communication. It
induces a personal communication and an immediate experience between the actor
and the audience. This makes drama a concrete art and the message is immediate
and direct. It is concrete because you can see the actors performing and presenting
a life-like story which affects you positively or negatively and you re-act immediately.
Accordingly, drama exists in both oral and literary traditions. In this course, we will
concentrate more on the literary tradition, i.e. the written drama. The text is called a
play and the writer is called a
playwright. However, we will make reference to drama as performance on stage from
time to time because it is difficult to separate the two in the study of dramatic
literature.
The Nature of Drama
Drama has a unique nature. It has developed and been improved upon by various
dramatists over the ages. It has also been influenced by the developments and
changes in the world. The unique nature of drama makes it possible for it to be read
and as also to be performed. Unlike the prose and poetry which depend on narration,
drama is presented only through dialogue. The novel is divided in chapters and the
poem is written mostly in stanzas, drama is presented in acts and scenes,
movements or parts.
William Shakespeare made the five-act structure the standard for his plays. Each
dramatist is free to adopt his/her own style. In addition to the fact that plays can be
read and enjoyed by people in the privacy of their homes, people also watch and
enjoy the plays as an audience in a theatre when the plays are presented on stage.
The audience gives an immediate reaction to the performance on stage. Drama is
temporary in nature. Every performance has a definite duration (i.e. it lasts for a
certain length of time). Each performance of a play is therefore a distinct work of art.
Even if the actors, the composition and the decors remain unchanged throughout the
production, each performance varies in nature and quality as one may be better than
other. A good example is in a case where an actor may have performed badly in one
production and better in another one. It means therefore that “every performance of
a play, even by the same actors, represents a different realization of its possibilities
and no single performance can fully realize all its possibilities (Scholes 17). Once a
performance is conducted, it ceases to exist except in one’s memory. Ritualistic
presentations could also be viewed from the same perspective.
Functions of Drama
Drama is said to have originated from ritual. It is an important branch of literature and
the most concrete of all art forms. It is devoid of thedistant intimacy of the novel, the
abstract message of fine arts, theincomplete message of music or the cryptic and
esoteric language ofpoetry. It presents a story realistically through the actors to
theaudience. Drama is therefore used to entertain, inform and educatepeople. You
can see that it is the most effective tool for massmobilization by the government and
private agencies. For instance,most campaigns against AIDS, DRUG ABUSE,
CHILD ABUSE and soon, are presented in form of drama to educate, enlighten while
at thesame time entertain the people.Of all the creative artists, the dramatist is in the
best position to mirror his society and to effect social reforms. This is because his
work has aunique characteristic of presenting events in a vivid, picturesque
andrealistic manner. This helps to imprint social conditions realistically inthe minds of
the audience. Its message is therefore immediate. The richand the poor, the young
and the old, the literate and the illiterate enjoy and assimilate the message of drama
once it is presented in the appropriate language as the actors live out the story
(message) on stage. In most traditional societies, drama forms part of the communal
rites. In Africa, reenactment of some feats like hunting, warfare, and otherevents, are
usually part of bigger festivals. Some of these events are presented in form of drama
to entertain the audience. In Greece also, drama formed part of a bigger festival.
Greek drama is acclaimed to bethe earliest recorded form of drama (5th century
B.C). It is said to have originated from the Dionysian religious rites, and also
remained a
communal rite during the classical period. The dramatists of this age gave insight
into the philosophy and religious beliefs of the ancient Greece. These early Greek
plays treated life’s basic problems with utmost honesty and attacked socials ills using
legendary and mythological themes. This helped to ensure sanity and equilibrium in
the society.
In the Medieval period, drama was used to elucidate the message of the gospel
through the re-enactment of the biblical stories during mass. It was later expanded to
include the dramatization of the lives of the saints and other notable stories of the
bible that did not form part of the Sunday’s lessons. It was therefore used for the
spiritual and moral growth of the people. Drama and theatre also played important
roles in the social lives of the people in the ancient Roman Empire. In England,
Germany and France, playwrights like Shakespeare, Brecht, Goethe, Moliere, and
others, in varying degrees, used their works to enable their respective countries “…
to carve out and affirm a unique identity” for themselves (Hagher 145).
The American industrial sector was radically but positively affected through the
intervention of one play, Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman. This play is regarded
as being responsible for the spirit of industrial revolution in America. In Africa, Kenya
to be precise, a playwright, Ngugi Wa Thiong’o was arrested and detained because
of the political and social consciousness which his play, I Will Marry When I Want,
aroused in the audience after the production. The play was written and presented in
his Gikuyi language; this enabled the audience, to assimilate its message
immediately and to react accordingly. Ngugi was forced into exile. The drama of any
society, therefore, reflects the problems, aspirations, philosophy and cultural
background of the people. You see that dramatists can use their works to help to
shape the future of the societies. They can do this not only by reflecting the ugly
sides of the societies but also by promoting the positive aspects of the people’s way
of life that are worth emulating or cultivating. They also help to ensure the continuity
of their tradition and culture by reflecting them in their plays. Each dramatist,
therefore, tries from his perspective to usehis art to enlighten his audience on the
goodness, imbalances and shortcomings of his society. Apart from their thematic
concerns, each dramatist, in his own style of relaying his message, tries to highlight
his cultural background through the use of myths, legends, music, songs, dances,
proverbs, riddles, and other local expressions. In this way, dramatists all over the
world are regarded as the conscience of their societies, and custodians of their moral
and cultural values.
Theatre
It is important to explain to you what theatre is. This is to avoid the erroneous
impression which some people have as they interchange “Theatron” which means “a
place for viewing”. Theatre, therefore,refers to the space used for dramatic
presentations or for other performances. Hence you have the National Theatre in
Lagos, Oduduwa Hall in Obafemi Awolowo University, The Crab at UNIPORT, the
Open Air Theatre at UNIJOS and other theatres. One play could be performed or
presented in many theatres. There are different types of theatre. It could be a house
or an open space, depending on the performance. If you have visited the Obafemi
Awolowo University, for instance, they have three theatres, the Oduduwa Hall which
is big and modern theatre in all its ramifications, the open air theatre behind it and
the pit, a smaller theatre where the actors hold most of their rehearsals. You see, the
shape does not matter, what is important is the acting space. Theatre is also used
for other performances that are not necessarily drama. These performances include
masquerade displays, dances, puppet shows, music jamborees and other forms of
festival. The basic elements of theatre are actor, space and audience. The following
elements help to enhance the aesthetic aspect of the performance: scenery,
costume and make-up, light and sound effects.
