knowledge test 2 (drama) Flashcards
what is positional power?
where issues of hierarchy, status, relationships and roles (occupational or social) are significant
what is knowledge power?
where a person’s expertise/ ideas afford them power
what is personal power?
the influence a person has based on their ability to inspire feelings such as admiration and fear
what are 3 ways in which writers present power on stage?
•stage setting and location of action
•proxemics (space between characters) and body language
•actions/ events
what are proxemics?
the space between characters
what is a dramatic convention?
a set of rules which both the audience and actors are familiar with and which as a useful way of quickly signifying the nature of the action or of a character
what is a mortality play?
a play presenting a lesson about good conduct and character, popular in the 15th and early 16th centuries
what is a melodrama?
a dramatic work in which the plot, typically sensationalised and focusing on very strong emotions, takes precedence over detailed characterisation, using character ‘types’ instead
what is realism?
realism on stage depicts believable characters facing ordinary and relatable struggles. these plays typically use down-to-earth and uncomplicated dialogue
what is social realism?
a text that draws attention to social issues and the lives and problems faced by (often working class) people
what is a tragedy?
a dramatic genre that focuses on human suffering and the unfortunate events that befall the main characters. tragedies often end with the death or downfall of the main character.
what is a domestic tragedy?
a type of drama that features middle class or lower class characters and focuses on family issues
what is mimesis?
imitative representation of the real world in art and literature
what is catharsis?
the process of releasing, and thereby providing release from, strong or repressed emotions
what is a monologue?
a long speech given by a character to other characters, it is used to show a characters thoughts and motivations and to reveal something about their personality. a monologue often takes the form of a minsters story. with a beginning, middle and end.
what are the aspects of the three act structure?
act 1- the setup
act 2- the confrontation
act 3- resolution
what are the aspects of the five act structure?
act 1- a space of comfort for the protagonist
act 2- faces challenges
act 3- highest level of tension/ conflict
act 4- move towards resolution
act 5- the story resolves
what is freytag’s pyramid?
his narrative theory mapped the 4 act structure onto a pyramid shape with specific features.
Exposition, rising action, climax, falling action, resolution
in a tragedy the resolution is replaced with catastrophe
what is todorov’s equilibrium?
his narrative theory claims that all narratives contain the same five formal elements: equilibrium, disruption of equilibrium, recognition of the disruption, an attempt to repair the damage, new equilibrium
how do playwrights convey characters?
through
stage directions
dialogue
other characters observations
what is an antagonist?
competitor or threat to the protagonist
what is convergence?
when a character changes their language choices (usually temporarily) to become more similar to another individual or group
what is upward convergence?
when the convergence results in a characters speech becoming more formal/ sophisticated/ eloquent
what is downwards convergence?
when the convergence results in a characters speech becoming less formal/ sophisticated/ eloquent
what is idiolect?
the variety or form of a language used by an individual
what is sociolect?
a distinct speaking style made up from our regional background and influences like our peers, family, education and media we consume
what are phonetics?
speech sounds and how they are created
what is phonology?
patterns of sound in speech
what are prosodics?
rhythms, stresses and intonation in speech, and how they are used to convey meaning
what are lexis and semantics?
words and phrases that a character uses
what is grammar?
the types of sentences a character uses and the standard or non-standard construction of these sentences
