Drama is a universally known term, but the types of drama are not. Drama has an enormous impact on many cultures. The four main types are drama, tragedy, melodrama , and tragicomedy . We'll look at the different types in Drama.
What is drama?
"Drama presents action in an emotionally charged way that engages the viewer with the characters and their struggles."
This definition states that "Drama is a series of selected stage performances used to tell a story or narrate a narrative." The first dramas date back to the ancient Greek poets, such as Sophocles.
The Dramatic Arts: 21 Different Types of Dramatic Literature
It is difficult to describe dramas without an example. To be able to write and create something original, it's best to at least try. The resolution is something that you should never forget. Drama comes in four different types: comedy, tragedy and tragicomedy. Melodrama is also a type of drama. This article gives an overview on the different types in Drama.
1. Comedy is the first type of drama
Comedy drama revolves around a joke. Usually funny, it can have a serious storyline. The storyline might be about funny characters or an amusing experience. The audience must laugh and the ending should be positive. In a funny story, the protagonist may be an idiot. But their stupidity makes people laugh. Comedy is based on:
- The tone of the piece is funny.
- Wordplay with a twist and surprising utterances.
- The seriousness of the problem is solved with humor.
- Amusing is the incorrect understanding of a concept.
- Characters that are ridiculous and ordinary.
- In many cases, a wedding's ending will be a romantic movie.
- Always happy end
Shakespeare's "Much Ado About Nothing" is a classic example of comedy. Shakespeare's comedy "A Midsummer Night's Dream" is a great example.
2. Second type of drama is Tragedies
Murders, deaths and insanity are common themes in tragedy. The main characters are usually flawed or have a weakness that leads to their demise. Comedy is its opposite. A sad play usually has a sombre ending.
Tragedy is a Greek drama. It did not survive to other languages, the Roman Empire or Renaissance. The goal of tragedy in theatre is to inspire pity, fear, and sympathy among the audience.
The fall of an innocent hero is a tragedy. It can be caused by his/her own faults, their ignorance, destiny, or any other reason that the audience can relate to. It is usually a story about characters that suffer and die.
3. Tragicomedy is a third type
Tragicomedy combines features of comedy and drama. Both genres share the same themes, but it's a different tone. Even if the play is serious, there may be humor throughout.
Plautus used the word and was the very first Roman tragedian to create a tragedyomedy. The tragicomedy was born a little later than comedy or tragedy. It is believed to have been during the Roman Empire. Characters with tragic flaws.
Amphitryon was his first play. He chose the characters of gods, kings and comedy.
Both comedy and tragedy can be combined. All tragicomedies end happily. It was a huge success. He then repeated it with a slightly different story.
4. Melodrama is the fourth type of drama
Melodrama concentrates on a strong theme, regardless of whether it's hyperbolized. The characters express the emotions of the audiences. Usually, they are romances featuring beautiful heroines with charming characters and frightening villains. Melodrama has a strong romantic and emotional base. In Victorian England, melodramas were very popular. Melodramas can have either a love or hate theme, but they do not end happily.
5. Farce drama
Farce is a comedy that focuses on stupidity and humor. Farce can be a humorous drama with an exaggerated sense of physicality. Dramatic comedy means that the roles and characters are not true to life. Farces are often nonsensical and contain situations that would be impossible to occur in reality.
6. Have fun
A play is a dramatic composition that's usually performed or written on stage. Plays are theatrical performances that people perform. The actors portraying the characters in a play are called characters. A play is a story written in sections.
7. Morality Games
When creating a play of morality, the goal was to improve the mood of an audience. The 15th and 16th centuries were the eras when morality plays began to be written. A morality play's main purpose is to either teach good or show wrong in the world.
8. Opera
Operas are dramas that focus on singing. One of the oldest dramas. Opera originated in Italy and quickly spread throughout the world. There are several types of Opera, such a comic operas, lyric and tragic operas. It doesn't have to be happy or sad.
9. Musical Theatre
Musical dramas are a form of drama where music, dance and dialogs are all the focus. Musicals and theatres depict people's lives. Some claim that musicals express our emotions better than other forms of drama. Musicals became popular during the first half of the twentieth century.
10. The Absurd Theatre
Martin Esslin coined the phrase Theatre of the Absurd to describe a group of plays which were written in the years following World War II. The Theatre of the Absurd as a dramatic type is often associated with Existentialism. The Theatre of the Absurd emphasizes themes of meaninglessness.
11. A type of play that focuses on the behavior and etiquette of the characters
A comedy of manners is an example of a drama where characters focus on proper behavior. This comedy is about social interactions. It focuses on society's pretentiousness. This drama's main purpose is to express important truths regarding human existence. A comedy with manners also has a focus on class, morality and social status.
12. A drama with a romantic angle
Romantic dramas are a form of drama that feature a romantic story that is idealized and has a happy end. Romantic Dramas emphasize romance and happily-ever afters. Both the heroine and hero are in love. There is only usually one couple. Romantic dramas were mainly performed in the nineteenth and modern eras.
13. Romantic Comedy Drama
Romantic Comedy Dramas are a form of drama which focuses on the relationships between people and their situations. Romantic comedies usually focus on relationships among family and friends. Relationships are the main characters, and they usually have a happy end.
14. Epic Play
Heroic dramas focus on a particular character. Heroic dramas have as their main theme that the protagonist cannot find eternal happiness until they die.
15. A type of film combining elements of documentary and drama
Edgar Morin coined the phrase "Docudrama". It is a documentary created to entertain and create drama. Docudramas are usually based on real life events or people. They can also be based on a fantasy universe that tells a story.
16. Fables Drama
A simple story is called a fable. It teaches moral lessons. Ancient Greece was the birthplace of fables. A fable's main purpose is to teach the reader something. Fables are a funny piece of fiction that teaches a lesson. Fables can be easily understood.
17. Satire Drama
Satire can be a form drama that engages audiences with the characters, their stories and experiences. Ironic, biting sarcasm is the hallmark of satire. Satire involves mocking institutions, values and people.
18. Pastiche/Parody Drama
A pastiche is a comedy that parodies another play. Parody is a part of the short drama. The style is not new, since many forms of humor have evolved over the centuries.
19. A dramatic performance in the form of a comic book
A comic drama features characters that are exaggerated or absurd. Comedy and satire are the hallmarks of comic dramas. The use of comedy is used to convey a certain idea. Drama is very popular and is often seen as entertainment. Many comedies were written in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries.
20. A genre of film that focuses on events from the past
Dramas based on historical stories or events are called historical dramas. Many historical dramas were set during the Middle Ages and Renaissance. Victorian-era historical dramas also existed.
21. Scary Dramatic Story
Horror dramas use a sequence of scenes or events to scare their audience. Many types of drama use it, including films, television and plays. It is used in ancient Greek theater.
22. Noir Drama
Noir dramas include private detectives (private eye), gangsters (gangsters), and mysteries. It is a dark, mysterious and mysterious side to a society. Noir dramas typically take place during the 1940s to 1960s.
23. Anime drama
Anime Drama is a form of drama in which anime characters are animated realistically. Anime characters have been featured in both live-action and animated dramas. It's an artistic representation of human life. Anime dramas come in many forms and styles.
24. Going on journeys with dramatic events
Traveling dramas are plays that are performed on the go. Shakespeare's Company performed traveling dramas and used travelling bands to perform Shakespeare's plays. Traveling dramas were first performed in Roman tents. The actors who perform traveling dramas are small groups.
In summary
The above list shows that drama is a wide variety of literary forms. Tragic plays are the most common drama. It is still popular even though it was created many years ago. Since the dawn of the human race, many types of dramatic works have been produced. However, the themes of these dramas remain the exact same.