1. What is genre ?
Genre is a French word meaning "category" or "type." The choice of genre reflect's the writer's point of view towards his subject. The two oldest genres, dating back to the fifth century BCE, are tragedy and comedy.
2. Using the classical definition, what is the difference between a tragedy and a comedy?
In a tragedy, the protagonist goes down in defeat, in a comedy he overcomes the dramatic obstacle and attains his major objective.
3. What is the difference between the protagonist and the antagonist?
The protagonist is the principal character in a play; the antagonist is his primary opponent: the dramatic obstacle.
4. What is the major objective?
The major objective, also known as the spine, is the major character's primary desire or goal. If the character reaches that goal, the play (by definition) is a comedy. If he doesn't, it's a tragedy.
5. What is the popular definition of a drama?
A serious, but not tragic, play dealing with middle, or lower class characters. A bourgeois drama.
A comedy?
A light amusing play with a happy ending. Often a farce.
6. What is the difference between high comedy and low comedy?
The subject of high comedy is usually serious and provokes "thoughtful laughter". The action is both possible and probable and the comedy grows out of the character, not the situation. It is usually a realistic portrayal of life.The objective of low comedy is "riotous laughter." The action is possible, but not very probable and the play is dominated by situation (plot), not character. It calls for little or no thought, and is only believable for the moment.
7. List the rungs on the Ladder of Comedy.
The bottom four rungs -- the comedy of pain, situation, wit and the "dirty joke" -- are generally considered low comedy. The top two rungs, the comedy of character and idea, are high comedy.
8. What is a farce?
A wildly humorous play which emphasizes situation (or plot) over character or idea. A farce is low comedy.
A melodrama?
A serious drama with a trivial theme. The conflict is usually between the forces of good and evil. The excitement comes through physical action: chases, fist fights, and shoot outs. Many of the melodramas of the nineteenth century included a musical (hence melodrama) score.
A bourgeois drama?
A serious play which deals with the domestic problems of the middle and lower class. It is today, the most popular form of serious drama.
A docu-drama?
A docu-drama dramatizes an actual event often using real names, dates, and places and generally drawing its text from court room transcripts or committee hearing reports. The 1925 John Scopes "Monkey Trial" in Dayton, Tenessee, inspired Jerome Lawrence and Robert E. Lee's Inherit the Wind (1955).
Musical theatre?