Drama is the specific kind of literature and it has three main genres: tragedy, comedy and drama in the narrow sense of the word, but it also includes such genres as vaudeville, melodrama, tragicomedy.

The concept of drama as a genre of literature appeared in the second half of the 18th century. In the 19th and 20th centuries, drama was mainly of a psychological nature. Drama as a genre of literature is one of the main types of drama as a kind of literature along with tragedy and comedy. The drama shows the personal life of people but it does not make fun of morals and life situations, it rather shows the dramatic side of the relationship of the individual with the society. But at the same time, like tragedy, drama is inherent in sharp contradictions, but not so tragic. Drama allows the possibility of a successful resolution.

In the center of the drama there is always a conflict between characters, monologues and character dialogues prevail - both in prose and in poetry.

The author’s speech in the drama is minimal and comes down to the lists of actors, to their brief characteristics, designation of time and place of action; a description of the stage situation at the beginning of the acts, to comments on individual remarks of the heroes, indications of their movements, gestures, facial expressions, intonations.

Compared to epic genres, drama is more limited in the choice of artistic expressive means. So, when writing a dramatic work in the author’s speech, it is impossible to use metaphors, comparisons, harmony, alliteration, rhyme, paths, etc.

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Featured free audio books — Drama

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