BACKWhat is distinctive about the language of Drama ?
Poetry uses words in verse, and novels use them in prose. Since drama can use either, how does it differ from the other two ?
Drama differs because it is not just something to be heard or read, but is performed before an audience. There must, therefore, be something "dramatic" about the language of drama - the language of drama must suggest the action which surrounds it.
Make notes of scenes that you can find that do each of the following:
Do they:
Do words invite movement ? Of course most don’t, but if there was no movement at all, the play would be very still and undramatic. Sometimes the words of a play invite a specific gesture; for example, if a character opens the door and says "come in", it implies that the other character will then enter the room. No other movement would be appropriate, or make sense.
Sometimes the words make a wider range of actions possible:
Sometimes the playwright will be less prescriptive about the movements necessary and a range of movements and gestures are appropriate. For example, a character left alone in a room may walk round and look at the pictures and ornaments. It may be just as likely however, that they will walk to the window and look out, or sit down and pick up a magazine. What the character did would depend on the actor and the director.
An important characteristic of dramatic language is the way it indicates the mood of a scene. It does this, by incorporating stage directions into the dialogue. We can often tell the mood of a drama by the language that is used.
Dramatic language is also able to indicate how actors should be grouped together upon the stage.For example, in Act 1 Scene 1, it is important that the witches are grouped together, so that they make an impression on the audience straight away.
