Five Elements Of Drama

     Drama
is a broad category and includes plays as a macro category or can be a portion of a work in a
sub heading.  Whether discussed in the macro or micro realms, drama has some definite
characteristics.

     Drama, as a work, is characterized due to the focus of
the work which is generally a serious subject matter with little comedy.  It could be argued a
work is either dramatic or comedic and all other works fall within those two divisions.  For
this discussion it will be classified as a work where the majority of the plot focuses on issues
outside comedy.  Scienceand horror are often given their own groupings, but they are in essence
just an intense drama centered around a particular genre.

     Within a work
drama is often played out along the plot of the work.  Body language can give clues to the
intensity of the action.  A person slowly walking down the hallway, heels clicking along a floor
and displays of strong emotions provide the basis for the assumption of drama.  This works
because of similar experiences in real life.

     Vocal ranges are another
clue of dramatic overtures.  The tone can be angry, conspiratorial, or even boring giving rise
to the intended drama.  Often the vocal tone and setting go hand-in-hand in determining the
actual events as dramatic rather than comedy.  A car chase for example could be either dramatic
or comedic depending on the dialogue which often sets the mood.  If dialogue is not present, the
soundtrack can substitute with intense music giving a clue to the nature of the work. 

     Typically the intention of drama is to bring the viewer on an emotional ride
through the scene where comedy had a more narrow intention of drawing a light hearted response. 
Drama uses the focus of the work, dialogue, soundtrack and staging to provide the necessary
context for the dramatic work.