PLAY: “Sequence of situations (involvement) in which characters express themselves through what happens to them, what they do, or fail to do”.
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EXPOSITION
: The events that have occurred prior to the opening of the play. It is the information the audience must have in order to understand the characters and their situations. There are several ways in which a playwright will present this information.
RISING ACTION:
CONFLICT: Occurs when an individual or a group has a particular desire, will or value and has difficulty receiving satisfaction or reaching a goal.
Antagonist: obstacle facing the protagonist (could be situations/individual)
PLOT: situations and characterization that move the play forward.
CHARACTERIZATION
: the mannerisms, speech, movements, of a particular character that makes him unique.
CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT
: the way a character changes from the beginning of the play to the end.
DIALOGUE
: speech between and among the characters. Would the character say this and at this time? What does the dialogue convey about the situation, the character and others.
FORESHADOWING
: future action is hinted at.
CAUSE/EFFECT
: There can be several through the play.
Cause A may not lead directly to effect X, but may go from A to B to C to D, etc.
CLIMAX:
The conflict is resolved. It is the high point of the play when the protagonist and antagonist come together to settle the problem. In some plays there may not be a definite climax as the character makes the decision to submit to the inevitable. There may be several subordinate climaxes before the grand climax. Plays with more than one plot and some Elizabethian dramas may have more than one grand climax.
DENOUEMENT:
The conclusion of the play—the resolution. The outcome which must occur to return to status quo.
