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Drama is a term frequently encountered in plays, TV shows, and more. However, many may find themselves puzzled about what Drama truly entails and its significance across different genres. This article aims to shed light on the meaning of Drama.
Defining Drama
Drama is an English term meaning theater, play, or the art of dramatic performance.
In Japan, Drama often unfolds in the realm of manga and anime, offering a diverse range of emotions such as romance, anxiety, sorrow, mystery, passion, outrage, creating a rollercoaster of feelings for the audience.
Origins of Dramatics
The term Drama traces its roots back to ancient Greek, signifying action. Aristotle, an ancient Greek philosopher, utilized this term in a highly influential treatise called 'Poetics.' In this work, he categorized various forms of poetry based on fundamental characteristics, anticipating widespread popularity. Thus, the term 'drama' emerged to describe works with substantial action.
Components of a Drama
A playwright is the architect behind that theatrical masterpiece.
The audience comprises those who witness the drama unfold on the silver screen.
Actors step into the roles of characters in the play to help the audience grasp the plot and the entire narrative that the story aims to convey.
Various Genres of Drama
There are 4 genres of Drama: comedy, tragedy, tragicomedy, and melodrama. All these shared genres encompass actors, plotlines, characters, conflicts, music, and dialogue.
1. Comedy
Comedy is a dramatic genre aimed at making the audience laugh and feel joyful. The content of comedies leans towards humor, concluding on a positive note. The origins of comedy can be traced back to ancient Greek theaters. Comedies can be further categorized into sub-genres like farce, satire, mockery, dark comedy, where the appeal and preferences may vary based on individual cultural backgrounds.
2. Tragedy
Murder, mayhem, madness, and agony are among the most prevalent themes in tragic dramas. Protagonists often possess some form of weakness or flaw leading to their downfall. Tragedy first emerged in the theaters of ancient Greece. Similar to comedies, it originated in the Roman Empire, medieval times, Renaissance, and other eras. Aristotle believed that the main characteristic of tragedy is the protagonist's reversal of fortune due to their own mistakes. The philosopher also thought that such a play should evoke fear and pity in the audience. As theater evolved, modern scriptwriters contend that depicting the downfall of an ordinary person elicits greater emotions as it relates more to a character's societal position.
3. Tragicomedy
Tragicomedy is a unique dramatic genre that combines elements of both tragedy and comedy. It means the play can be sorrowful but will have a happy ending, or it can be serious with some comedic elements throughout. Unlike comedy and tragedy, tragicomedy appeared a bit later, during the time of the Roman Empire. Roman playwright Plautus was the first to write a tragicomedy and use this term. In his play 'Amphitryon,' he incorporated the lightness of comedy but chose gods and kings as main characters, a revolutionary approach. Before Plautus, there were strict rules about writing plays, either comedy or tragedy. These genres were never mixed. Plautus was the first to observe that in our daily lives, we have elements of both tragedy and comedy.
4. Melodrama
Melodrama stands as one of the four ultimate TV genres, characterized by heightened intensity. Typically, themes in melodramas are straightforward, lacking intricate plots. Numerous patterns exist within such TV shows. However, the essence of melodrama lies not in narrating a story but in evoking emotions in the audience. They are primarily love stories featuring beautiful heroines, charming heroes, and formidable villains. Melodrama originated much later than comedy, tragedy, and tragicomedy. It first appeared in France in the late 18th century, later spreading to England, becoming one of the most popular TV genres in the 19th century. This period coincided with the peak popularity of theaters, as cinemas became accessible to the general public. Melodrama, targeting this social class, gained immense popularity. Its influence has persisted to our era, even penetrating other realms of literature and entertainment.
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