PHILIPPINE

LITERATURE
UNIT 4 -
DRAMA

CONTENTS
 The Drama
 History of Drama
in the Philippines
 Elements of
Drama
 Types of Drama
 Structures of
Drama
 Examples of
Drama
Intended Learning Outcomes
At the end of Unit 4, you should be able to:

a. classify the elements of drama in the selected plays;

b. categorize the structures and types of drama;
c. identify the themes and issues found in the selected
plays; and
d. dramatize and interpret the discussed drama.
Philippine Literature: Its Overview

E n g a g i n gA c t i v i t y :C o m p l e t et h e
graphic organizer s for your
answers . Use key words only.

1. What is short drama?

Drama

2. What are some elements of drama?

Elements
of Drama

Drama
Drama is the specific mode of fiction
represented in performance: a play, opera, mime,
ballet, etc., performed in a theatre, or on radio or
television. Considered as a genre of poetry in
general, the dramatic mode has been contrasted
with the epic and the lyrical modes ever since
Aristotle's Poetics (c. 335 BC)—the earliest work of
dramatic theory.
The term "drama" comes from a Greek word
meaning "action" (Classical Greek: δρᾶμα, drama),
which is derived from "I do" (Classical Greek:
δράω, drao). The two masks associated with drama
represent the traditional generic division between
comedy and tragedy.
In English (as was the analogous case in
many other European languages), the word play or
game (translating the Anglo-Saxon pleġan or Latin
ludus) was the standard term for dramas until
William Shakespeare's time—just as its creator was
a play-maker rather than a dramatist and the
building was a play-house rather than a theatre.
The use of "drama" in a more narrow sense
to designate a specific type of play dates from the
modern era. "Drama" in this sense refers to a play
that is neither a comedy nor a tragedy—
for example, Zola's Thérèse Raquin (1873)
or Chekhov's Ivanov (1887). It is this narrower
sense that the film and television industries,
along with film studies, adopted to describe
"drama" as a genre within their respective
media. The term ”radio drama“ has been
used in both senses— originally transmitted in
a live performance. May also refer to the more
high-brow and serious end of the dramatic output
of radio.
The enactment of drama in theatre,
performed by actors on a stage before an audience,
presupposes collaborative modes of production
and a collective form of reception. The structure of
dramatic texts, unlike other forms of literature, is
directly influenced by this collaborative production
and collective reception.
Mime is a form of drama where the action of
a story is told only through the movement of the
body. Drama can be combined with music: the
dramatic text in opera is generally sung
throughout; as for in some ballets dance "expresses
or imitates emotion, character, and narrative
action". Musicals include both spoken dialogue and
songs; and some forms of drama have incidental
music or musical accompaniment underscoring the
dialogue (melodrama and Japanese Nō, for
example). Closet drama is a form that is intended
to be read, rather than performed.
In improvisation, the drama does not pre-exist the
moment of performance; performers devise a
dramatic script spontaneously before an audience.
History of Drama in the
Philippines
Theater has been entertaining
many Filipinos and has been an avenue where
everybody becomes aware of their present
situation (Philippine Theater Arts, 2004). Many
forms of dramas were already staged even
before the invasion of the Spaniards (Philippine
Theater Arts, 2004). During the Spanish Feriod,
they perform such plays on an elevated platform
which is made of bamboos to let the audience see
the actions done by the performers and these
dramas are religious in nature which alluded
the Spaniards in colonizing the Filipinos
(Philippine Theater Arts, 2004). The Spaniards
introduced two forms of plays, namely:
komedya and sarsuwela (Ortega, n.d.).
Komedya is a play which depicts
religious aspects. Under this type of drama is
called pasyon where it depicts the genuine love of
Jesus Christ to the world that He even sacrificed
His life for us Because of this, another form
of play emerged which is called senakulo which
also portrays the suffering of Jesus Christ on
the cross (Philippine theater-Presentation script,
2012). Moro-moro is another type of drama
where it portrays the story of European
Christians and Moorish elites regarding their
long before unsettled rivalry. Since Filipinos are
great when it comes to parody, they were able
to make sarsuwela which is a Filipino Version
of the Spaniard's musicale (Philippine theater-
Presentation script, 2012).
Another form of Filipino drama is carillo or
shadow play where the production uses "cardboard
figures projected on a white cloth" wherein the
movements and dialogues are controlled
by manipulators (Tuazon & Medina, 1974).
Duplo is originally performed to entertain
people during prayers for the dead where there is
an exchange of dramatic debate between the
villacos and villacas, where these characters
defend themselves of being accused for doing
fancied crimes mediated by a king (Tuazon &
Medina, 1974). The losers would then recite a
dalit, a prayer for the dead (Tuazon & Medina,
1974). Karagatan is another play that has no plot
nor characters that is commonly erotic but depicts
the creative use of words. Tuazon & Medina,
1974). The losers would recite a loa, a
declamation, or else the thing that was
forfeited from them will not be returned (Tuazon
& Medina, 1974).

Elements of Drama
Through the characters involved, the story
has a message to give. It forms the central theme of
the play around which the plot is built. While some
consider music and visuals as separate elements,
others prefer to club them under staging which can
be regarded as an independent element of drama.
Lighting, sound effects, costumes, makeup,
gestures or body language given to characters, the
stage setup, and the props used can together be
considered as symbols that are elements of drama.
What dictates most other dramatic elements is the
setting; that is the time period and location in
which the story takes place. Listed below are the
elements of drama and their importance.
Theme
The theme of a play refers to its central idea.
It can either be clearly stated through dialog or
action, or can be inferred after watching the entire
performance. The theme is the philosophy that
forms the base of the story or a moral lesson that
the characters learn. It is the message that the play
gives to the audience. For example, the theme of a
play could be of how greed leads to one’s destroyal,
or how the wrong use of authority ultimately
results in the end of power. The theme of a play
could be blind love or the strength of selfless love
and sacrifice, or true friendship. For example, the
play Romeo and Juliet, is based on a brutal and
overpowering romantic love between Romeo and
Juliet that forces them to go to extremes, finally
leading them to self-destruction.
Plot
The order of events occurring in a play make
its plot. Essentially, the plot is the story that the
play narrates. The entertainment value of a play
depends largely on the sequence of events in the
story. The connection between the events and the
characters in them form an integral part of the
plot. What the characters do, how they interact, the
course of their lives as narrated by the story, and
what happens to them in the end, constitutes the
plot. A struggle between two individuals, the
relation between them, a struggle with self, a
dilemma, or any form of conflict of one character
with himself or another character in the play, goes
into forming the story’s plot. The story unfolds
through a series of incidents that share a cause-
and-effect relationship. Generally, a story begins
with exposing the past or background of the main
and other characters, and the point of conflict,
then proceeds to giving the central theme or
climax. Then come the consequences of the climax
and the play ends with a conclusion.
Characters
The characters that form a part of the story
are interwoven with the plot of the drama. Each
character in a play has a personality of its own and
a set of principles and beliefs. Actors in the play
have the responsibility of bringing the characters
to life. The main character in the play who the
audience identifies with, is the protagonist. He/she
represents the theme of the play. The character
that the protagonist conflicts with, is the
antagonist or villain. While some characters play
an active role throughout the story, some are only
meant to take the story forward and some others
appear only in certain parts of the story and may or
may not have a significant role in it. Sometimes,
these characters are of help in making the
audiences focus on the play’s theme or main
characters. The way in which the characters are
portrayed and developed is known as
characterization. Here is a list of characters in
Romeo and Juliet.
Dialog
The story of a play is taken forward by
means of dialogs. The story is narrated to the
audiences through the interaction between the
play’s characters, which is in the form of dialogs.
The contents of the dialogs and the quality of their
delivery have a major role to play in the impact
that the play has on the audiences. It is through the
dialogs between characters that the story can be
understood. They are important in revealing the
personalities of the characters. The words used, the
accent, tone, pattern of speech, and even the
pauses in speech, say a lot about the character and
help reveal not just his personality, but also his
social status, past, and family background as given
by the play. Monologues and soliloquies that are
speeches given to oneself or to other characters
help put forward points that would have been
difficult to express through dialogs. “What’s in a
name? That which we call a rose By any other
name would smell as sweet” from Romeo and
Juliet in which Juliet tells Romeo of the
insignificance of names or “To be, or not to be”, a
soliloquy from Hamlet are some of the greatest
lines in literature.
Setting
The time and place where a story is set is
one of its important parts. The era or time in which
the incidents in the play take place, influence
the characters in their appearance and
personalities. The time setting may affect the
central theme of the play, the issues raised (if
any), the conflict, and the interactions between
the characters. The historical and social
context of the play is also defined by the time
and place where it is set. The time period and
the location in which the story is set, affect the
play’s staging. Costumes and makeup, the
backgrounds and the furniture used, the visuals
(colors and kind of lighting), and the sound are
among the important elements of a play that
dictate how the story is translated into a stage
performance. The Merchant of Venice has been set
in the 16th century Venice. Romeo and Juliet
has been set in the era between 1300 and
1600, perhaps the Renaissance period which is
the 14th and 15th centuries.
Performance
It is another important element of drama, as
the impact that a story has on the audiences is
largely affected by the performances of the actors.
When a written play is transformed into a stage
performance, the actors cast for different roles, the
way they portray the characters assigned to them,
and the way their performances are directed are
some important factors that determine the play’s
impact. Whether an actor’s appearance (includes
what he wears and how he carries himself on stage)
suits the role he is playing, and how well he
portrays the character’s personality are
determinants of how well the play would be taken
by the audiences. Different actors may play the
same roles in different renditions of a play. A
particular actor/actress in a certain role may be
more or less accepted and appreciated than
another actor in the same role. As different actors
are cast for different roles, their roles are more or
less appreciated depending on their performances.
The stage performances of a play’s characters,
especially those in lead roles, directly affect the
success and popularity of a play. Although
considered as a part of the staging, factors such as
music and visuals can be discussed separately as
the elements of drama.
Music
This element includes the use of sounds and
rhythm in dialogs as well as music compositions
that are used in the plays. The background score,
the songs, and the sound effects used should
complement the situation and the characters in it.
The right kind of sound effects or music, if placed
at the right points in the story, act as a great
supplement to the high and low points in the play.
The music and the lyrics should go well with the
play’s theme. If the scenes are accompanied by
pieces of music, they become more effective on the
audiences.
Visual Element
While the dialog and music are the audible
aspects of drama, the visual element deals with the
scenes, costumes, and special effects used in it. The
visual element of drama, also known as the
spectacle, renders a visual appeal to the stage
setup. The costumes and makeup must suit the
characters. Besides, it is important for the scenes
to be dramatic enough to hold the audiences to
their seats. The special effects used in a play should
accentuate the portion or character of the story
that is being highlighted.
Apart from these elements, the structure of
the story, a clever use of symbolism and contrast,
and the overall stagecraft are some of the other
important elements of drama.
The structure of the story comprises the way
in which it is dramatized. How well the actors play
their roles and the story’s framework constitute the
structure of drama. Direction is an essential
constituent of a play. A well-directed story is more
effective. Stagecraft defines how the play is
presented to the audiences. The use and
organization of stage properties and the overall
setting of a play are a part of stagecraft, which is a
key element of drama.
Symbols are often used to give hints of the
future events in the story. They complement the
other elements of a scene and make it more
effective. The use of contrasts adds to the dramatic
element of a play. It could be in the form of
contrasting colors, contrasting backdrops, an
interval of silence followed by that of activity and
noise, or a change in the pace of the story.
The dramatization of a story cannot be
called successful unless the audiences receive it
well. It may improve through constructive criticism
or due to improvisations introduced by the actors.
And a generous appreciation from the audiences
encourages everyone involved in the making of a
play, to continue doing good work.
Types of Drama
Drama in literature refers to the performance of
written dialogue and stage action. It’s a literary
genre that allows actors to act out a writer’s words
directly to an audience. But there’s more
than one type of literary genre – and chances are,
you’ve seen examples of them all. Here are some
explanations and examples of different types of
drama in literature.
1. Comedy
A comedy makes us laugh when the play is
well-composed with the humorous elements. The
story is usually based on real-life characters, funny
experiences in life, or any type of fun-provoking
situation. A comical drama can also be sarcastic
and raunchy. It is usually light in tone and has
happy endings. Composing a comical drama
requires high level of intellect and perceptive
faculties, because provoking laughter is not as easy
as it may seem. The elements of a comedy include:
 Lighthearted ton
 Clever wordplay or turns of phrase
 Serious topics addressed in a humorous
way
 Comical misunderstandings
 Happy ending
 Silly, offbeat characters
 Often ends with a wedding, especially in
romantic comedies
2. Farce
According to the definition given by
Britannica, it is a comic dramatic piece that uses
highly improbable situations, stereotyped
characters, extravagant exaggeration, and violent
horseplay. Farce, although a sub-category of
comedy, is intellectually inferior to comedy
because the plots and the characters are
substantially crude, ambiguous, and
unimaginative. Here are the parts of a farcical
comedy:
 Exaggerated humor
 Slapstick gags
 Nonsensical storyline
 Improbable events
 One or two settings
 Humor is often crude and inappropriate
3. Melodrama
Melodrama is exaggeration of emotions. It’s
marked by a surge of emotions, which is a
technique to make the character and the plot more
appealing to the audience. A melodrama can
sometimes fail to derive applause, because
excessive display of emotions can become
monotonous. On the contrary, a superbly executed
melodramatic plot can absorb you completely.
They usually depict the good and evil aspects of the
characters involved. Check if it includes the
following:
 Character tropes such as heroes,
heroines, villains, mentors, etc.
 Sweeping stories of romance or serious
topics
 Larger-than-life plots and circumstances
(or very small stories told in big ways)
 Exaggerated character reactions
 Flawed characters who must overcome
their faults in order to reach their
resolution
 Ending that is sometimes happy,
sometimes unhappy
4. Tragedy
It is one of the oldest forms of drama. It
exposes the plight and suffering of humans to the
audience. The perfect example of a tragic drama is
Shakespeare’s Hamlet. The theme of a tragedy
usually rotates around the ruins of a dynasty,
downfall of man, emotional betrayals, moral
setback, personal loss, death, and denials. A
tragedy when composed and enacted well can
touch you deeply. These rarely have happy
endings. You can tell if a play is a tragedy if it
includes:
 A protagonist with a tragic flaw
 Circumstances that quickly get out of
control – and not in a funny way
 Darker themes than a melodrama, such
as human suffering, hatred, or poverty
 Features the downfall of a previously
heroic or well-liked character
 An irredeemable ending that results in
one or more characters’ deaths
 Reaches a tragic catharsis
Structure of Drama
The structure is how the plot or story of a
play is laid out, including a beginning, a middle
and an end. Plays may also include subplots, which
are smaller stories that allow the audience to
follow the journey of different characters and
events within the plot. Plays also feature an
element of conflict, which does not necessarily
mean a fight or argument but instead an obstacle
that needs to be overcome.
A typical dramatic structure is linear, with events
occurring chronologically. This might include:
 exposition - introduces background
events and characters
 rising action - a series of events that
create suspense in the narrative
 climax - the part of the story where the
suspense reaches its highest part
 falling action - the main conflict starts
to resolve
 resolution - the conclusion of the story
where questions are answered and loose
ends are tied up
Structures can also be non-linear, with the
action of the play moving forwards and back in
time. This is done through the use of flashbacks
and flashforwards, to help make the play more
exciting or to highlight points through contrast and
juxtaposition.
Alternatively, plays may follow a cyclical
structure, with the play ending at the same time as
it began. This can be exciting for the audience as
they try to work out how the character ended up in
the position they see at the start of the play.
Traditionally, plays use acts and scenes to
help define particular moments in time, and a new
scene will show the audience that the action is
taking place in a different location.
Drama Example
subTEXT
by. Nathaniel Joseph De Mesa
Unang Eksena: Hapunan. Sa isang “Fine Dining”
Restaurant. Nakaupo at wari’y magsisimulang
kakain ang isang lalaki at babae na kani-kanilang
pagkaing nakahain sa ilang lamesa. Pareho ang
bihis na bihis at mukhang galing opisina.
LALAKE: Nagbibiro lang ako mu'n
BABAE: Paano ko malalaman na naghibur ke iung
an. Hindi mo naman nulagyan ng "U” na may
umlaut sa dulo…
LALAKE: "U” na may umlaut?
BABAE: Oo. Yung “U” na may umlaut? Yung
smiling face? At huwag kang magpapalusot na
bulok ang model ng telepono mo’t wala kang
character na gano’n…
LALAKE: Wala nga…
BABAE: Pwede ba…
LALAKE: Totoo… wala nga…
BABAE: Edi sana gumawa ka ng paraan, pwede
namang "open parenthesis" tapos "colon" or "open
parenthesis dash colon” kung gusto mong may
ilong.
(Hihirit ang lalaki) O-o-o…wag mong sabihing
wala ka pa rin nu'n…
LALAKE: Meron…
BABAE: O kitam. Wala akong pakialam kung jolog
ang cellphone mo, ang sa ‘kin lang… sana gumawa
ka ng paraan… para hindi tayo nauuwi sa mga
nakaka-iritang pag-uusap dahil ang labo mo!
LALAKE: Ang labo ko?! Tama na… kumakain tayo
(Pabulong) Ako pa’ng Malabo…
BABAE: Oo kaw! Hindi mo mala bang seryoso ka,
o galit ka, o nagbibiro! Nasaktan ako nung
natanggap ko yun, dahil kala ko seryoso ka… tapos
ngayon sasabihin mong nagbibiro ka lang…
LALAKE. (Magtataas ng boses) E sa wala nga ako
nung "U” na may umlaut!!
BABAE: A basta… hindi ka gumawa ng paraan.
LALAKE: Oo na next time… "open parenthesis
dash colon”… may ilong pa yon ha. Kumain na
tayo.
BABAE: At isa pa, pa’no ko iisiping nagbibiro ka
lang at di ka galit samantalang naka-ALL CAPS
ang message mo, remember?! ALL-CAPSI?! Do
you know what that means?!
LALAKE: Tell me.
BABAE: (Nangungatya) Hmm, Isipin natin.
(Biglang sasampalin ang lalake) Yanl Ayan ang
pakiramdam ng ALL-CAPS mo!! (Sisimulan ng
babae kumain)
LALAKE: Déjà vu… for the nth time… walang
lower case function ang telepono ko! Masanay ka
ng mukhang galit ang mga messages ko!
BABAE: Ipanakaw mo na yang 2-liner,
antiquated, cellphone mo para makabili ka na ng
bagu-bagong modelong may “U” na may umlaut
at lower case function! Ang LABO MO!
LALAKE: Bakit ikaw rin naman ah?
BABAE: Anong ako?
LALAKE: Oo ikaw.
 BABAE: Ako malabo? Excuse me!?! ‘Pag ako
nagpapadala ng message, direct to the point, A c t i v i t y# 2 :
malinaw pa sa araw.
LALAKE: Bakit nung nililigawan kita puro “I LAB
U” ang padala mo?!
BABAE: So? Anong malabo dun? Search for a drama written by a Filipino writer
LALAKE: LAB? LAB? Helloooo L-A-B?! (Pause) and write your reflection, not Google’s
Hindi L-U-V. Hindi L-O-V-E. Ang reflection.
pagkaka-“spell” mo. L-A-B!! “ILAB U”.
Matutuwa pa naman sana ako nung una kong
buka atanggap yon. Sasarap sana ang gising ko.
Pero nag-alangan ako… dahil baka biro lang o
di kaya'y pa-cute na consuelo de bobo para
dalhan pa rin kita ng dalhan ng paborito mong
pulburon araw-araw sa skul. Di ko malaman kung
seryoso kang mahal mo ‘ko... Tapos akala ko
magbabago ‘yun nung naging tayo...
Pero hanggang ngayon ganun pa rin. “I-L-A-B-
U”. Ano kaya yan?1 Tell me, how am I suppose
to commit my undying love to a person who
sends half- hearted messages of love like that?!
ILABU? ANG LABO! Ikaw ang malabo!

A c t i v i t y# 1 :

Fill in the visual organizer with the elements of

subtext.

Characters
Setting
Conflict
Theme
Moral/Lesson