We explain what the dramatic genre is, its elements, subgenres and characteristics. Also, what is the structure of the dramatic work.
What is the dramatic genre?
In art and literature, when we talk about the dramatic genre we are referring to the theatrical genre, also called drama (from the Greek drama“action” or “performance”). This is a genre that is characterized by represent situations through dialogue and character actions either in the written text (the theatrical “script”) or in a scenic representation (the theatrical “staging”).
However, unlike other literary and narrative genres, the events of the dramatic genre occur in a continuous present, in front of the viewer's eyes, and without the intermediation of a narrator of any kind.
Although it is common to use the terms drama and theater as synonyms, many specialists point out certain differences:
- Drama: It refers specifically to the written part of this art, that is, to a literary genre, therefore, it is the fruit of a playwright.
- Theater: It involves the acted part, that is, a performing art in itself. That is to say, it is the work of a theater director.
However, both aspects are united and are inseparable when thinking about this type of artistic representation.
The dramatic genre It had its origins in Greek antiquity, specifically in the cult of Dionysus god of wine and joy, whose celebrations consisted of the singing of hymns and, later, the representation of mythological scenes.
Theater became a fundamental part of Greek citizen education, and its great playwrights such as Thespis (c. 550-500 BC), Aeschylus (c. 526-c.455 BC), Sophocles (496- 406 BC) and Euripides (c. 484-406 BC) were inspired by the characters and anecdotes of their religious tradition, to build a vast and profound work that largely still survives.
Later, the drama was inherited to Rome, whose great cultists of the genre were Plautus (254-184 BC), Terence (185-159 BC) and Seneca (4 BC-65 AD). ). After an important hiatus during the Christian Middle Ages, the theatrical tradition was resumed in Europe during the 11th and 12th centuries, in which comedy written in Latin and the staging of passages from the Christian gospel resurfaced.
The first theatrical work written completely in Spanish was the “Auto de los Reyes Magos”, an anonymous piece written in the 13th century, of which approximately 147 verses are preserved.
See also: Dramaturgy
Characteristics of the dramatic genre
The dramatic genre is characterized by the following:
- The ancient Greeks called drama any form of action, regardless of its content. Its current equivalent would be “theater.” We should not confuse this use of the term with what we understand today as “dramatic”, that is, linked to tragedy and emotional suffering.
- Although it has a basic literary text, It is designed primarily for staging that is, to be performed on stage. For this reason, the dramaturgical text has indications and marks to guide the representation, although the latter is free to interpretation by the director of the play.
- It represents a set of actions that are part of a story, but unlike a narrative, it does so in the immediate present, that is, makes things happen in front of the viewer and usually lacks any kind of narrators.
- The dramatic genre combines literary art and performing art and is considered one of the most powerful artistic genres in the Western tradition.
Dramatic subgenres
There have been, throughout history, many ways of classifying and subdividing the dramatic genre, some specific to their time of origin, such as those proposed by Aristotle (384-322 BC) in his Poeticsand other much later ones that show the evolution of theater over the centuries.
Currently, it is considered that there are seven major dramatic genres, differentiated between realistic (adhering to what is plausible) and non-realistic (taking license with respect to what is real), and which are:
- The tragedy. Realistic genre, with a great tradition in the West, which is dedicated to narrating the fall of illustrious figures, to move the public through their suffering. A clear example of this is the classical Greek tragedies, such as Oedipus the King by Sophocles.
- The comedy. Realistic genre, counterpart to tragedy, since it deals with vulgar, common and ordinary characters, represented by ridiculing or exaggerating their features, moving viewers to laughter or sympathy. This occurs from an identification with the character that, in many cases, can point to a moralistic background, since it seeks to leave some type of teaching. A perfect example of comedy are the pieces by the Frenchman Molière (1622-1673), such as The tartufo either The miser.
- The piece. Realistic genre, characterized by subjecting ordinary characters to complex situations and extreme experiences, which however do not necessarily cause a transformation within the character. An example of this is Dollhouse by the Scandinavian Henrik Ibsen (1828-1906).
- The tragicomedy. Realistic genre, with archetypal or even stereotypical protagonists, who throughout the work pursue some type of ideal: success, love, etc. As its name indicates, it brings together tragic and comic elements in a complex anecdote, which also opens room for sarcasm and parody. An example of this is The tragicomedy of Calisto and Melibea by Fernando de Rojas (c. 1470-1541).
- The melodrama. Non-realistic genre, which tells complex anecdotes starring characters with exaggerated emotional reactions, and which accompanied by music and other theatrical “effects” seek a superficial emotional response from the viewer. Since the 17th century it has existed mainly as a genre of opera, and later in radio, film and television. A good example of this is the Pagliacci by Ruggero Leoncavallo (1857-1919) or Madame Butterfly by Giacomo Puccini (1858-1924).
- The didactic work. Non-realistic genre, presented to the public in the form of reflection or syllogism, and which seeks teaching or learning, through simple characters and a complex anecdote. A perfect example of this is The Caucasian Chalk Circle by the German Bertolt Brecht (1898-1956).
- The farce. Non-realistic genre, which uses elements from any other dramatic genre, to take its characters towards cartoonish or symbolic situations, often functioning as a parody. From a certain point of view, it is not a genre in itself, but rather a procedure for reappropriation of others. An example of farce is Waiting for Godot by Samuel Beckett (1906-1989).
In addition to these seven, there are a variable number of minor subgenres, considered transitory or specific trends in the history of the genre, such as theater of the absurd, theater of cruelty, existentialist theater, etc.
Elements of the dramatic genre
The dramatic genre consists of different elements, both for its writing and for its stage representation:
- The action. The set of actions and exchanges that take place on stage during the performance of the play, and not all of which are necessarily contemplated in the written text. In general, the action makes up the plot of the work, that is, the story that unfolds before our eyes.
- The spatiality. The fictional setting or place where the work takes place, represented through real scenic elements (decorations, instruments, etc.) or imaginary ones (those that are made to “appear” through the performance).
- The temporality. In the work two very different forms of time coincide, which are the time of the work, that is, the time that covers the unfolding of the action and which can be minutes, weeks, months or years, depending on the anecdote told; and the time of the performance, which is the actual time it takes to tell the anecdote, that is, the duration of the show, usually between one and three hours.
- The characters. Each actor on stage gives body to a character in the anecdote, according to what is contemplated in the script. The characters can be leading or secondary, and can be presented to the public accompanied by costumes, or not. In ancient Greek times, actors wore masks that made it clear which character they were playing.
- The conflict. In every dramatic work there is a conflict that is the source of tension in the story, that is, it generates suspense and the desire to continue contemplating the work (or continue reading it). This conflict arises from the desires of the protagonist and his encounter with the reality of the rest of the characters, that is, when two or more worldviews confront each other in the plot.
Structure of the dramatic work
Dramatic works can vary in structure, but in general they are structured:
- Acts: They are large units in which the work is segmented, separated from each other by a break (intermission) represented by a lowering of the curtain, dark or similar mechanism.
- Scenes: They are the units into which each act is divided, and which correspond to the presence on stage of certain characters or elements, that is, they are determined by the entry or exit of the actors to the stage.
A play can have 2, 3, 5 or even 7 acts or more, and each of them a different number of scenes.
On the other hand, speaking in narrative terms, a play is divided, according to the classical Aristotelian vision, into three clearly differentiated segments: beginning, development and outcome.
- To the start It is responsible for the presentation of the characters and the conflict, generally based on contrary positions that are offered to the public.
- To the development The complication of the plot corresponds to it, leading the characters to the decisive confrontation or the extreme situation, which is where the story reaches its maximum point of tension.
- To the outcome It is his responsibility to resolve the conflict and present a new order of things, which resolves the tensions and provides the end of the work.
Continue with: Work of art
References
- “Drama” on Wikipedia.
- “The dramatic genre” at the National Open and Distance University.
- “Dramatic or theatrical genre” at ORT Virtual Campus.
- “The dramatic or theatrical genre” in Spanish Language and Literature (Spain).
- “Dramatic genre” (video) in Puntaje Nacional Chile.
- “Dramatic literature” in The Encyclopaedia Britannica.