 Plain of English, Padmanath Guhaiborah School of Humanities, KK Handik State Open University. And in this video, we are going to deal with the unit title Interpreting Drama from the course title From Language to Literature that is included in your first semester four-year undergraduate program. This is the second part of the video on the above topic. The main focus of this video is to discuss the important aspects of drama that is its component parts. We are aware that a play is a dramatic composition that tells a story by means of dialogue and action to be performed on the stage. A play has a plot, character, dialogue, an atmosphere, thought, and song. In this video, we are going to discuss in detail the various component parts of a play. In this reference, it may be noted that there is total long back in his book Poetics mentioned about six main parts in a play. That is plot, character, diction, thought, spectacle, and song. Of course, he referred to these elements in case of tragedy only, though in general these are applicable in all types of play. 1. Plot So the first and most important and unavoidable element on which the narrative or the play is constructed is the plot. It is the framework of the incidents or chain of events in a story, simple or complex, which are meet together. When the incidents or episodes of life are linked through some principle, this becomes a plot. To achieve a certain objective, the playwright binds with a principle, these events of human life. In life, there is variety, inconsistencies, and disorders. The ancient Greek dramatists connected this formless varieties or inconsistencies with the theory of fate or destiny and linked them with a chain of order and unity. This application of form to human life is then the plot. 2. Character Let us now look at the second component part of a play, which is character. If some actions or incidents and the ideas they contain are to be made lively and breathing before us through a dramatic situation, then some free human personality is needed. In other words, it needs something that will function as its motor characters. So character is the important element of a play. To some critics, characters constitute the soul of a play because they are the agents that enact the story of the plot. Aristotle described four characteristics of a character. 1. Goodness The good characters will be good, but even the bad characters should possess some goodness. 2. Aristotle stated that appropriateness or propriety The hero or the king must be courageous. He should not be otherwise. Women are supposed to be soft and sweet. Slaves are meant to be loyal and respectful. If these traits are available accordingly in them, then they are appropriate. Otherwise, they will lose propriety. 3. Lightness Characters must be true to life. They must not be created on unreal elements. And 4. Consistency If the subject of imitation is inconsistent, then even consistency of inconsistency must be maintained. So again, the characters must be presented as necessary and probable. Though in modern dramas, today, these rigidities or rules are not strictly adhered to, theoretically and primarily, these points were taken as fundamental in those days. The third important aspect of a drama is dialogue or diction. In a sense, dialogue is the soul of the play. Dialogues given to the characters give movements to the play and allow it to advance. Whether the dialogues thrown by the characters mutually in different situations are natural, relevant or shortened or not, whether these are pertinent or favorable to arouse dramatic curiosity or not, all these should be considered in the framing of dialogues. There has been a lot of discussion regarding dialogues. Aristotle has included it in diction, which refers to the spoken rhythm of the language in general. Through words, the meaning or purpose becomes expressive. The style will be dependent on the kinds of dramatic themes and according to the types of characters. Grand style is not applicable in all cases. He has also analysed the parts of speech and other grammatical details, the words and modes of speech including metaphor. He has shown how poetry combines elevation of language with perspicuity. Similarly, Bharata in the Naitashastra has also directed as to what type of language and in what style should be spoken by certain type of characters. That this should be separate and distinct from our daily use has been emphasised by both the returations. And in accordance with the changes of time, reasoning and ideas in subsequent ages, the language of the dialogue is also undergoing changes from poetry to prose, prose to poetry and then again to prose in modern times. Thus, language has been the distinguishing feature in today's theatre. Dialogue must have an indispensable link with the plot, character and action. 4. Spectacle The next element of a play is spectacle. Aristotle wrote that spectacular equipment will be a part of tragedy. He actually referred to spectacle as the stage appearance of the actors. Since the play is visible and spectacular, so it is very important as to how actors through their dress, costume and makeup create the scenes. Through their makeup, gestures and postures and movements, they can very easily create the desired effects in the minds of the audience even without their dialogues. Aristotle perhaps meant this when he mentioned about spectacle. In ancient Greece and in India too, scenes were not available in the stages. Scenaries were also absent. So actors had the great responsibility to express the dramatic situational descriptions through their costume, dress, makeup and movements. The audience visualized these features and reacted accordingly. Even during Sitch Pier's time in England in the 16th century, the Elizabethan stage was a bare one without props, curtains or wings. Beautiful imagination was necessary for the spectators to realize and our actors provided that by their spectacles and acting. Sitch Pier normally used beautiful and effective image-laden language in the form of the dialogue for describing scenes of mountains, rivers or such other dramatic situations whenever necessary. Sunrise, nightfall, noon etc were beautifully described through language whereas in modern dramas nowadays, light effects and technical devices would have been applied to produce these required spectacles. So the fifth important aspect of a play is song. Music was the source of inspiration and basis for the birth of a play. Hence it was an important mark of a play. In ancient India, acting was also accompanied by music and instrument. In Greek drama, the role of chorus was very important and essential. Aristotle had said quote, the chorus too should be regarded as one of the actors. It should be an integral part of the whole and share in the action unquote from his book Poetics. Thus song was to be found in the core part of a tragedy. But gradually as time elapsed, the chorus and music began to lose its importance. In different periods of dramatic history as in Elizabethan age, the restoration period and in later times. In the western dramas, music was not the essential element. Of course in the operas, in Indian Jatras and in moving theaters in lyrical dance dramas, song and music still hold the premier roles. For instance in Indian Sanskrit dramas, sentiments that is rasas were the soul of the dramas and each sentiment had its appropriate music. Thus the relevance of music depends on the nature of the particular drama. In case of lyrical or poetic plays or in dramas which are mostly allegorical, symbolic or folk in nature, the dramatist utilizes music in a creative manner. You must be aware of the fact that in India, some dramas written by Rabindranath Tegore or Jyoti Pukhad Agarwala exist only on music. So music is the medium of articulation of the human heart and drama is the imitation of human experience and situations presented in order to please and give enjoyment to human hearts. So the utility of music as suitable to the type of dramas will always be there. In this video, we have discussed the essential elements of a play as referred to by critics. However, it must be noted that Aristotle divided these six elements of a tragedy in two ways. The external namely spectacle, song and diction and three internal namely plot, character and thought. To conclude, today in writing a script for the stage, a writer does not dramatically think of these elements but cannot also ignore them totally because they are still relevant. So here are a few references which you may consult for your better understanding. Thank you.