Q. What are the main elements of the plays? Elaborate any one of them.

Drama is the act of portraying a story in front of an audience. It involves the characters and events of the

story being brought to life on a stage by actors and their interactions (verbal and non-verbal) through its events.

Of various forms, drama and plays are the most popular. Plays aim to show through action and dialogues

what the written text of the story delineates. The six elements of drama are plot, character, thought, diction,

spectacle and song.

1. Plot:

The order of events occurring in a play makes its plot. Essentially, the plot is the story that the play

narrates. The entertainment value of a play depends largely on the sequence of events in the story. The

connection between the events and the characters forms an integral part of the plot. What the characters do; how

they interact; the course of their lives as narrated by the story; and what happens to them in the end, constitutes

the plot. A struggle between two individuals, the relation between them, a struggle with self, a dilemma, or any

form of conflict of one character with himself or another character in the play, goes into forming the story’s

plot. The story unfolds through a series of incidents that share a cause-and-effect relationship. Generally, a story

begins with exposing the past or background of the main and other characters, and the point of conflict, then

proceeds to giving theme or climax. Then come the consequences of the climax and the play ends with a

conclusion.

2. Character / Characterization:

The characters that form a part of the story are interwoven with the plot of the drama. Each character in

a play has a personality of its own and a set of principles and beliefs. Actors in the play have the responsibility

of bringing to life. The main character in the play who the audience identifies with, is the Protagonist. He or she

represents the theme of the play. The character that the protagonist conflicts with, is the antagonist or villain.

While some characters play an active role throughout the story, some are only meant to take the story forward

and some others appear only in certain part of the story and may or may not have a significant role in it.
Sometimes, these characters are of help in making the audiences focus on the play’s theme or main characters.

The way in which characters are portrayed and developed is known as characterization.

3. Setting:

The time and place where a story is set is one of the important parts. The era or time in which the

incidents in the play take place, influence the characters in their appearance and personalities. The time setting

may affect the central theme of the play, the issues raised (if any) and the conflict and interactions between the

characters. The historical and social context of the play is also defined by the time and place where it is set. The

time period and the location in which the story is set, effect the play’s staging. Costumes and makeup, the

background and the furniture used, the visuals colors and kind of lighting, and the sound are among the

important elements of a play that dictate how the story is translated into a stage performance. Romeo and Juliet

has been set in the era between 1300 and 1600, perhaps the Renaissance period which is the 14th and 15th

centuries.

4. Theme:

The theme of the play refers to its central idea. It can either be clearly stated through dialog or action, or

can be inferred after watching the entire performance. The theme is the philosophy that forms the base of the

story or the moral lesson that the characters learn. It is the message that the play give to the audience. For

example, the theme of a play could be of how greed leads to one’s destroyal, or how the wrong use of authority

results in the end of power. The theme of a play could be blind or the strength of selfless love and sacrifice and

sacrifice, or true friendship. For example, the play Romeo and Juliet, is based on a brutal and overpowering

romantic love between Romeo and Juliet that forces them to go to extremes, finally leading them to self-

destruction.

5. Conflict:

We all know that conflict is needed to keep viewers engaged, to create an emotional response, and to

ultimately push the story forward. Without conflict in the story, the film, show, or novel, may seem a bit boring.
It’s also true that conflict can be defined by all of the “types” that exist – internal and external, people vs

people, people vs society, etc. Conflict is a necessary element in any story. Conflict in a story is a struggle

between opposing forces. Character must act to confront these forces and this is where conflict is born. If there

is nothing to overcome, there is no story. Conflict in a story creates and derives the plot forward.

External conflict refers to the obstacles a character faces in the external world. Internal conflict refers to

a character’s internal or emotional obstacles. Moral or philosophical conflicts are created between a character’s

worldview or belief system and the world around them. It is critical to remember that viewing conflict in terms

of external and internal is a bit simplistic. Properly defining conflict in a story includes its relationship to

philosophical or moral conflict as well. Conflict introduces opposing belief systems, wants or goals not just to

entertain the viewer, but to show the characters another worldview. A character’s goals and actions are dictated

by their personal beliefs and what they want. If the character received everything they wanted from the

beginning, there wouldn’t be a story. Some stories have happy ending; others have sad endings. The resolution

leaves readers with a sense of closure, so they understand the fate of the protagonists and antagonists.