ELEMENTS OF

DRAMA (Literary
elements)
Olivia Wilson
Why are the literary elements of drama
They give the reader a way to
important?
follow the story and understand
what is happening. Literary
elements are also essential
because they can help create an
emotional response in the
reader or in the audience. By
evoking certain emotions,
literary elements can make a
story more powerful and
memorable.
Literary Elements of
• Plot
Drama
• Character
• Conflict
• Suspense
• Language
• Style/
Stylization
• Dialogue theme
Plot
A plot is a sequence of
events within a play that tells
a story. Essentially, a plot is
what makes a story. Five
components make up a plot:
exposition, rising action,
climax, falling action, and
resolution--conflict and
theme help drive the plot
forward.
 Character
The identification and portrayal of a
person's values, attitudes, intentions
and actions as imagined
relationships, situations and ideas in
dramatic action; role focus on type
and stereotype; characters are
detailed and specific.
Conflict
Traditionally, conflict is a major
literary element of narrative or
dramatic structure that creates
challenges in a story by adding
uncertainty as to whether the goal
will be achieved. In works of
narrative, conflict is the challenge
main characters need to solve to
achieve their goals.
Suspense
A feeling of uncertainty as to the
outcome is used to build interest
and excitement on the part of the
audience. symbol: an object or
event used in literature to represent
something else; often this
representation alludes to a deeper
meaning.
 Language
Language refers to the
words that are spoken in a
drama. Carefully choosing
the words in a drama helps
to create character,
communicate ideas and
create dramatic meaning. It
is similar to that of diction.
 Style/
Stylization
Style is a way of
describing the author's or
director's artistic vision and
intention which brings
together all the staging
elements into a consistent
dramatic experience that
shapes the story.
Dialogue theme
The dialogues are the lines
that the characters speak and
often represent their feelings
and emotions. Language and
dialogues delivered by the
characters move the plot and
action along, provides
exposition, and defines the
distinct characters.
 There are four types of dialogue that a drama can use.
The first one is the common dialogue where two or
more people talk in a scene, to put it simply a
conversation. The second one is Monologue, from the
words "Mono" meaning one and "Logue" meaning
speak, it is when one character is talking and the others
simply listen. In the third Soliloquy, the lines are
delivered when the character is alone on stage and is
usually used to express deep thoughts like reflecting on
an action. Last but not least, Aside. It is the lines that a
character delivers, but the other characters seem to
cannot hear, only the audience can hear the dialogue.
This is used to express the thoughts of a specific
character during a certain moment or event.
Olivia Wilson