Lesson 9: Genres of Drama
9.1 Introduction
This lesson builds on lesson 7 and 8 on drama. It goes further to inform you
about the Genres of Literary Drama
9.2 Lesson learning outcomes
By the end of the lesson, you should be able;
1. Define atleast 4 genres
2. Explain the differences between any five subgenres of drama
3. Identify atleast one example of a play that falls in the genres of the
drama.
9.3 Genres of Drama
Comedy
Comedies are usually humorous plays. But being funny isn’t the only way to
define a comedy! The elements of a comedy include:
1. Lighthearted tone
2. Clever wordplay or turns of phrase
3. Serious topics addressed in a humorous way
4. Comical misunderstandings
5. Happy ending
6. Silly, offbeat characters
7. Often ends with a wedding, especially in romantic comedies
One of the most famous examples of a comedy is William Shakespeare’s Much
Ado About Nothing. Beatrice and Benedick transition from foes to lovers with
clever banter and more than a few silly misunderstandings. And, like all proper
Shakespearean comedies, it ends with a wedding! The play is romantically
funny, in that love between Hero and Claudio is laughable, as they never even
get a single chance to communicate on-stage until they get married. Their
relationship lacks development and depth. They end up merely as caricatures,
exemplifying what people face in life when their relationships are internally
weak. The love between Benedick and Beatrice is amusing, as initially, their
communications are very sparky, and they hate each other. However, they all of
sudden make up, and start loving each other.
Farce
A farce is a type of broad comedy. It depends less on a narrative storyline and
more on physical humor, sight gags, silly jokes. Here are the parts of a farcical
comedy:
1. Exaggerated humor
2. Slapstick gags
3. Nonsensical storyline
4. Improbable events
5. One or two settings
6. Humor is often crude and inappropriate
Oscar Wilde’s play, The Importance of Being Earnest, is a very popular example
of Victorian farce. In this play, a man uses two identities: one as a serious
person, Jack (his actual name), which he uses for Cesily, his ward, and as a
rogue named Ernest for his beloved woman, Gwendolyn.
Unluckily, Gwendolyn loves him partially because she loves the name Ernest. It
is when Jack and Earnest must come on-stage together for Cesily, then
Algernon comes in to play Earnest’ role, and his ward immediately falls in love
with the other “Ernest.” Thus, two young women think that they love the same
man – an occurrence that amuses the audience.
Opera
Operas are dramas in which the characters sing each line rather than speaking.
The entire production is set to a musical score. You can tell you’re watching an
opera if it includes these attributes:
1. Musical soliloquies known as arias
2. Plot-driving passages that can be non-melodic
3. A libretto (text) set to a musical score
4. Subject matter that is tragic, comic, or melodramatic
5. Can incorporate an element of dance, but typically relies on singing
performances
6. Elaborate sets, costume design, and production
Melodrama
When you hear drama, you probably think of melodrama. Melodramas tell a
serious story in serious ways. Its characteristics include the following:
1. Character tropes such as heroes, heroines, villains, mentors, etc.
2. Sweeping stories of romance or serious topics
3. Larger-than-life plots and circumstances (or very small stories told in big
ways)
4. Exaggerated character reactions
5. Clear literary themes
6. Flawed characters who must overcome their faults in order to reach their
resolution
7. Ending that is sometimes happy, sometimes unhappy
Consider Henrik Ibsen’s A Doll’s House when referring to a melodrama. Nora’s
over-the-top reactions place the play right into the definition of melodrama. The
ending is a mix of both happiness and hope for Nora, and sadness and despair
for Torvald.
The Heiress is based on Henry James’ novel the Washington Square. Directed
for stage performance by William Wyler, this play shows an ungraceful and
homely daughter of a domineering and rich doctor. She falls in love with a
young man, Morris Townsend, and wishes to elope with him, but he leaves her
in the lurch. The author creates melodrama towards the end when Catherine
teaches a lesson to Morris and leaves him instead
Musical Drama
It’s tempting to put opera and musical drama into the same category. However,
their production proves that there are significant differences between the two.
Here are its characteristics;
1. Periods of standard storyline interrupted by songs
2. Characters often singing in unison to express feelings
3. Songs as plot-changing devices
4. Dramatic or comedic storylines
5. Catchy, distinctive musical score
6. Often lots of singing and dancing
Many musicals, such as Les Miserables or Phantom of the Opera are adapted
from longer literary works. Both of these musical dramas express their themes
directly through song and progress the plot with musical numbers. They
simplify their source material by putting the most important characters and
story elements on the stage.
Tragedy
Just from the word tragedy, you can assume that the ending will be sad. But
there is more to a tragedy than a play with no happy ending. You can tell if a
play is a tragedy if it includes:
1. A protagonist with a tragic flaw
2. Circumstances that quickly get out of control – and not in a funny way
3. Darker themes than a melodrama, such as human suffering, hatred, or
poverty
4. Features the downfall of a previously heroic or well-liked character
5. An irredeemable ending that results in one or more characters’ deaths
6. Reaches a tragic catharsis
Shakespeare has many tragedies to choose from. But few can rival Othello for
its cruel villain, its hero’s tragic downfall, and its desperately sad ending.
Othello loses everything he has ever loved or wanted because he can’t trust that
he deserves the life he has.
Sophocles’ mythical and immortal drama Oedipus Rex is thought to be his best
classical tragedy. Aristotle has adjudged this play as one of the greatest
examples of tragic drama in his book, Poetics, by giving the following reasons:
1. The play arouses emotions of pity and fear, and achieves tragic Catharsis.
2. It shows the downfall of an extraordinary man of high rank, Oedipus.
3. The central character suffers due to his tragic error called Hamartia; as
he murders his real father, Laius, and then marries his real mother,
Jocasta.
4. Hubris is the cause of Oedipus’ downfall.
Tragicomedy
When you combine the elements of a comedy and a tragedy, you get a
tragicomedy! Tragicomedies are more complex than a drama with a few jokes,
or a comedy with a serious scene. Some ways to tell if you’re watching a
tragicomedy are if it has:
1. A serious storyline told in a humorous, sardonic, or snide way
2. Tragically flawed characters whose actions don’t result in death
3. An ambiguous theme
4. Broad characters who act in classically comical ways
5. Neither a happy nor a comic ending
Classic dramas mainly dealt in clear-cut comedy, tragedy, or melodramatic
styles. But many modern dramas are considered complex enough to be
tragicomedies. Tennessee Williams’ A Streetcar Named Desire has enough
elements of a comedy to keep it out of the tragedy genre – but no one can claim
than Blanche DuBois is anything but a tragically flawed character. It is the
quintessential modern tragicomedy.
