Blog

Chapter 4.1 History of English Drama

Chapter 4.1 History of English Drama

Textbook Questions and Answers

1. Name any four periods of History of British drama.

Question 1.
Name any four periods of History of British drama.
Answer:
The four periods of History of British drama are:

  1. Medieval Period or Early Period (11th to 15th Century)
  2. Renaissance Period (16th to 17th Century)
  3. Restoration Period (1660 onwards)
  4. Victorian Period (1837 to 1901)

2. List the four elements of drama.

Question 1.
List the four elements of drama.
Answer:
The four elements of drama are:

  1. Plot
  2. Characters
  3. Theme
  4. Stage directions

3. State a type of drama each from any four periods of history.

Question 1.
State a type of drama each from any four periods of history.
Answer:

  1. (Morality) Medieval period – Everyman (1490)
  2. (Comedy) Renaissance Period – A Midsummer Night’s Dream (1595)
  3. (Tragedy) Restoration Period – All for Love (1677)
  4. (19th Century Morality) Victorian Period – An Enemy of the People (1882)

4. Compare the features of comedy and tragedy.

Question 1.
Compare the features of comedy and tragedy.
Answer:

Comedy

Tragedy

1. Comedy is a humorous story with a happy ending.

1. A tragedy is a serious story with a sad ending.

2. Characters in comedy are ordinary people from day to day life.

2. Characters in tragedy are royal personages, extraordinary and with divine qualities.

3. Comedy reveals truth in humourous way.

3. Tragedy reveals truth in realistic way.

4. Comedy gives emotional relief through laughter. E.g. As You Like It, A Midsummer Night’s Dream

4. Tragedy brings purgation through arousing pity and fear in the mind of audience. E.g. Hamlet, King Lear…

5. State the difference between poetry and drama.

Question 1.
State the difference between poetry and drama.
Answer:

Drama

Poetry

1. Drama is a composition, normally in prose, telling a story and intended to be represented by actors imitating the characters and speaking the dialogue.

1. Poetry is a verse or a poetic presentation for recitation than performance.

2. Drama is presentation in acts and scenes and dialogues.

2. Poetry is presented in the form of stanzas and recited in rhyme and rhythm.

3. Drama is factual and realistic in its theme and message.

3. Poetry is imaginative and visualizes the experience or scenario.

4. Drama consists of a beginning, middle and end. It’s complete in itself. E.g. Pygmalion by Georgr Bernard Shaw.

4. Poetry doesn’t bother to be compact. It is beyond time, place and reason. E.g. Ozymandias by the poet P. B. Shelley.

6. State the difference between drama and novel.

Question 1.
State the difference between drama and novel.
Answer:

Drama

Novel

1. Drama is a composition, normally in prose, telling a story and intended to be represented by actors imitating the characters and speaking the dialogue.

1. Novel is written in basic prose style and it is only for armchair reading not for performance.

2. Drama is a presentation in acts and scenes and dialogues.

2. Novel is a presentation of the events in the form of paragraphs.

3. Drama is a performance, so the characters are the mouthpieces of the dramatists.

3. Novel is a prose narrative, so the narrator plays important role in describing the characters and their actions.

4. Dialogue is the most essential element of drama and is a greater exposure for the characters. E.g. As You Like It by Shakespeare.

4. Although novels sometimes have dialogues, it is not a necessary part of the structure like it is for drama. E.g. Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen..

7. Define drama.

Question 1.
Define drama.
Answer:
Drama is a Greek word meaning ‘act’ or ‘deed’. The Ancient Greek philosopher Aristotle used this term in a very influential treatise called the Poetics. In this text, Aristotle classified different forms of poetry according to basic features he thought could be commonly recognized in their composition.

8. Explain the term plot.

Question 1.
Explain the term plot.
Answer:
Plot is a logically developed chain of the events in a narrative. The events are arranged in such a way that the whole drama becomes an action. The plot of drama has six stages – Exposition, Conflict, Rising Action, Climax, Falling Action and Denouement or Ending. In short, Aristotle called plot as ‘a complete action’ and it means a plot consists of beginning, middle and end. The plot of a drama may be simple or complex.

9. Differentiate between characters and characterization.

Question 1.
Differentiate between characters and characterization.
Answer:
A character is a person, an animal, or a supernatural power performing action drama or any literary work. The dramatists create the characters as per their intentions and needs. The characters which are used to represent a particular trait or quality are stock or static characters. The characters which change and have varied angle are called round or dynamic characters.

On the other hand, characterization is an art and the techniques a dramatist or a writer used to create and develop characters. The dramatists take every effort to bring the characters to life by establishing their relation with the characters. In short, characterization is the process through which the dramatists try to reveal the characters and their personal qualities.

10. Enlist a few reasons for watching a drama live on the stage.

Question 1.
Enlist a few reasons for watching a drama live on the stage.
Answer:
The reasons for watching a drama live on the stage are:

  1. Live drama involves real people on real stage giving real experience to the audience.
  2. It boosts our literary knowledge and develops our understanding of drama.
  3. It has greater impact on our perspective towards life and helps to form objective approach.
  4. It helps us to present our views and respect others views. It guides us to take proper decisions in life.
  5. It gives direct purgation of our emotions and builds our confidence.