BRIEF INTRODUCTION TO DRAMA IN ENGLISH

LITERATURE

AYESHA ZAFAR

AYESHA ARIF

NIMRA MAQBOOL

SADAF AFREEN

SANA ISHAQPunjab University

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GREEKTHEATER

Types of dramadefinition

Famous English dramatists

Dramatic structure

Famous English dramas

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Drama is a composition in prose form that presents a story entirely told in dialogue. It is enacted on

stage on live stage.

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Tragedy Comedy

Modern Comedy

Modern Drama

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A tragedy is a play that ends

unhappily. Tragedies pit

human limitations against the

larger forces of destiny.

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A comedy is a play that ends happily. The plot usually centers on a

romantic conflict.

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In modern comedies, the genders in this

romantic plot patterns sometimes are

reserved.

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A modern play may be a

tragedy, comedy or a

mixture

of two. It

usually focuses on

personal is

sues. It is

about

ordinary people.

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The Winter’s Tale

Othello

Oedipus RexWaiting for

Godot

Cherry Orchard

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The Winter’s Tale is written by William Shakespeare, published in 1623.its a play about Polixenes, king of Bohemia, has been on nine-month visit to the court of his childhood friend Leontes, king of Sicilia, and his wife, Queen Hermione. Groundlessly, Leontes becomes convinced that his heavily pregnant wife has been having an affair with Polixenes. He tried to persuade his most trusted courtier, Camillo, to poisoned Polixenes. Convinced of the queen’s innocence, Camillo warns Polixenes and t5hey depart for Bohemia together. Another Courtier, Antignous, is ordered to leave Hermione's newly born child on a desert shore. Leontes tries Hermione for treason; when he denies the truth of the god Apollo’s oracular declaration of her innocence, his son Mamilius dies. He is then told that the queen has also died. Antignous leaves the baby girl on the coast of Bohemia, where he is torn to pieces by a bear. An old shepherd and his clownish son find the baby, bring her up as a member of their family and name her Perdita. Sixteen years later, she is being courted by Polixenes’ son, Prince Florizel, who has disguised himself as a shepherd, Doricels.

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The Tragedy of Othello, the Moor of Venice is a tragedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written in approximately 1603, and based on the Italian short story Un Capitano Moro ("A Moorish Captain") by Cinthio, a disciple of Boccaccio, first published in 1565. The work revolves around four central characters: Othello, a Moorish general in the Venetian army; his new wife, Desdemona; his lieutenant, Cassio; and his trusted ensign, Iago. Because of its varied and current themes of racism, love, jealousy and betrayal, Othello is still often performed in professional and community theaters alike and has been the basis for numerous operatic, film and literary adaptations.

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William Shakespeare Sophocles

Samuel Becket Anton Chekov

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William Shakespeare (26 April 1564 (baptized) – 23 April 1616) was an English poet and playwright, widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's national poet and the "Bard of Avon". His extant works, including some collaborations, consist of about 38 plays 154 sonnets, two long narrative poems , and a few other verses, the authorship of some of which is uncertain. His plays have been translated into every major living language and are performed more often than those of any other playwright.

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Sophocles is one of the three Greek tragedians whose plays has survived. His first play was written later than Aeschylus , and earlier than or contemporary with those

of Euripides. The most famous tragedies of Sophocles are

Oedipus and Antigone, They are generally known as Theban Plays, although each play was actually a part of a different tetralogy , the other members of which are now

lost.

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Samuel Barclay Beckett (13 April 1906 – 22 December 1989) was an Irish avant-garde novelist, playwright, theatre director, and poet, who lived in Paris for most of his adult life and wrote in both English and French. His work offers a bleak, tragicomic outlook on human nature, often coupled with black comedy and gallows humor.Beckett is widely regarded as among the most influential writers of the 20th century. He is considered one of the last modernists . As an inspiration to many later writers, he is also sometimes considered one of the first postmodernists . He is one of the key writers in what Martin Esslin called the "Theatre of the Absurd ". His work became increasingly minimalist in his later career.

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Anton Pavlovich Chekhov (Russian: , pronounced [ɐnˈton ˈpavləvʲɪtɕ ˈtɕexəf]; 29 January 1860[1] – 15 July 1904)[2] was a

Russian physician, dramaturge and author who is considered to be among the

greatest writers of short stories in history.[3] His career as a dramatist produced four classics and his best short stories are held in high esteem by writers and critics.[4][5]

Chekhov practiced as a medical doctor throughout most of his literary career:

"Medicine is my lawful wife", he once said, "and literature is my mistress."

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