Theatrical genres (chapter 4)

Question 1

What does the genre tragedy entail?

Answer 1

Tragedy A serious drama in which there is a downfall of the primary character

Question 2

define hamartia.

Answer 2

Hamartia The Greek term for the tragic flaw that leads to the downfall of a tragic
character in traditional tragedy

Question 3

define hubris.

Answer 3

Hubris is excessive pride, the most
common tragic flaw found in tragic characters in traditional tragedies.

Question 4

Differentiate between traditional and modern tragedy.

Answer 4

Traditional

1. Had kings/queens as the heroes
2. Usually conveyed emotions in verse/poem

Modern

1. does not use kings/queens as the heroes but instead simple everyday people
2. Does not usually convey emotions in verse/poem.

Question 5

What are the aspects of tragedy?

Answer 5

1. tragic heroes
2. tragic circumstances
3. tragic flaw
4. tragic irretrievability
5. tragic verse
6. acceptance of responsibilty

Question 6

What are the effects of tragedy?

Answer 6

Pessimism: The tragic characters are “damned if they do and damned if they don’t,” and the world is a cruel, uncompromising place, a world of despair.

Affirmation : There is another positive element, which has to do with the tragic characters themselves. They meet their fate with such dignity and such determination that they defy the gods.

Question 7

What is heroic drama?

Answer 7

Heroic drama: Serious but basically optimistic drama written in verse or elevated prose, with noble or heroic
characters in extreme situations or unusual
adventures.

Question 8

What is bourgeois or domestic drama?

Answer 8

Bourgeois or domestic drama: Drama dealing with problems—particularly family problems—of middle and lower-class characters. There are serious and comic domestic dramas.

Question 9

What does melodrama mean?

Answer 9

Melodrama: Dramatic form that emphasized action and spectacular effects and also used music to underscore
the action; had stock characters, usually with clearly defined villains and heroes.

All of these emphasize heroes and villains, other stock characters such as sidekicks and love interests, and spectacular events and special effects. But the key to the melodramatic form, on stage and in film and television, is that good is almost always victorious over evil.

Question 10

Explain genre of comedy.

Answer 10

Comedy: In general, a play that is light in tone, is concerned with issues that point out the excesses and folly of human behavior, has a happy ending, and is
designed to amuse.

Question 11

What are the characteristics of comedy?

Answer 11

1. Suspension of natural laws : In comedy, when a haughty man walking down the street steps on a child’s skateboard and goes sprawling on the sidewalk, we do not fear for his safety or wonder if he has any bruises.
2. The comic premise : The comic premise is an idea or concept that turns the accepted notion of things upside down and makes this upended notion the basis of a play.

Question 12

What is slapstick comedy?

Answer 12

Slapstick: Type of comedy, or comic business, that relies on ridiculous physical activity—often violent in nature—for its
humor.

Question 13

What is incongruity?

Answer 13

Incongruity: In comedy, incongruity usually refers to a character’s inappropriate behavior or actions for a specific circumstance resulting in our laughter

Question 14

What are the techniques of comedy?

Answer 14

1 Verbal humour : puns, malaprop

2. Comedy of the character: The Big Bang Theory focuses on quirky scientists, and much of the comedy is created by their unusual exaggerated behaviors and
   relationships
3. Plot complications

Question 15

explain puns and malaprop.

Answer 15

Pun: a humorous use of words with the same sound but different meanings.

Malaprop : a word that sounds like the right word but actually means something quite different.

Question 16

What are the forms of comedy?

Answer 16

1. Farce
2. Burlesque
3. Satire
4. Domestic comedy
5. Comedy of manners
6. Comedy of ideas

Question 17

Differentiate between farce and burlesque.

Answer 17

Farce : A subclass of comedy with emphasis on exaggerated plot complications and with few or no intellectual pretensions.

Burlesque: A ludicrous, comic imitation of a
dramatic form, play, piece of literature, or other popular entertainment

Question 18

What is satire?

Answer 18

1. Satire uses wit, irony, and exaggeration to attack or expose evil and foolishness.

Question 19

Differentiate between comedy of manners and comedy of ideas.

Answer 19

Comedy of manners is set within sophisticated society, while poking fun at its characters’ social pretensions, usually
through verbal wit.

Comedy of ideas : in which the humor is based on intellectual and verbal aspects of comedy rather than physical comedy or comedy of character

Question 20

What is tragicomedy?

Answer 20

Tragicomedy: During the Renaissance, a play having tragic themes and noble characters but a happy ending; today, a play in which serious and comic elements are integrated.

Question 21

What is theatre of the absurd?

Answer 21

Plays falling into the category of absurdism convey humanity’s sense of alienation and its loss of bearings in an illogical, unjust, and ridiculous world.

Absurdist plays suggest the idea of absurdity both in what they say—that is, their content—and in the way they say it, their form.