Drama

Drama is a form of literature designed to be performed. It combines dialogue, action, staging, and character interaction to explore human experiences. In IB Literature, you analyse how playwrights use dramatic conventions and techniquesto shape meaning, create tension, and develop character.

10 Core Elements of Drama

1. Setting – Time and place of the action
2. Set – What is visually present on stage (furniture, background)
3. Props – Objects used by characters that carry meaning
4. Sound – Music, noise, silence used for tension or symbolism
5. Lighting – Directs focus, sets mood, symbolises change or emotion
6. Character – Built through STEAL (Speech, Thoughts, Effects on others, Actions, Looks)
7. Plot – Follows structure: Exposition → Rising Action → Climax → Falling Action → Resolution
8. Stage Directions – Guide actors’ movement, tone, gesture
9. Dialogue – Language and tone reveal relationships, status, inner conflict
10. Tension / Mood / Atmosphere – Emotional intensity shaped by all other elements

Key Dramatic Features and Terms to Know

Structure and Conflict

1. Exposition – Introduces setting, characters, conflict
2. Rising Action – Complications build tension
3. Climax – Turning point of emotional or dramatic intensity
4. Falling Action – After the climax, tensions ease
5. Resolution / Denouement – Conflict resolves (or is left unresolved)
6. Conflict – Internal or external struggles (e.g. character vs self, society, fate)

Language and Dialogue

1. Aside – Character speaks directly to audience (breaks fourth wall)
2. Soliloquy – Character speaks inner thoughts aloud (alone on stage)
3. Dramatic Monologue – Extended speech to a silent listener
4. Dramatic Irony – Audience knows more than the characters
5. Foreshadowing – Hints at future events
6. Pathos – Evokes pity or sympathy
7. Catharsis – Emotional release experienced by the audience

Characterisation Techniques

1. Direct – Traits are stated
2. Indirect – Revealed through action, speech, and others’ reactions
3. Foil – A character who contrasts with another to highlight traits
4. Anagnorisis – A moment of realisation
5. Tragic Flaw / Hamartia – Weakness that leads to downfall
6. Tragic Hero – Noble figure brought low by fate and flaw

Stage and Visual Features

1. Stage Directions – Tell us how characters move, behave, or feel
2. Gesture / Movement – Body language enhances meaning
3. Lighting – May suggest mood, time of day, or emotion
4. Sound – Builds atmosphere (e.g. silence = tension)
5. Set / Props – Symbolic or practical objects that deepen setting

How to Read and Annotate a Drama Excerpt

First Reading:

1. Understand what’s literally happening
2. Identify characters, setting, conflict
3. Highlight any unfamiliar vocabulary or expressions

Second Reading:

1. Focus on stage directions and how they guide performance
2. Pay attention to tone, repetition, pauses, and interruptions
3. Ask: How does this scene develop character or move the plot?

Third Reading:

1. Analyse how dramatic features work together
2. Look for symbolism in props, sound, lighting
3. Consider how the playwright creates tension, irony, or mood

Drama Model Answer

Drama Extract

Playwright: Maren Steele (fictional)
Scene Context:
In a post-war British town, Eliza, a widowed schoolteacher, is alone late at night when her daughter Amelia returns after six years abroad. Tension simmers beneath their reunion as they attempt to confront the silence and grief that has defined their estrangement since the death of Eliza’s husband.

[Lights up. Dimly lit kitchen. One flickering lamp above a plain wooden table. A tea mug rests on the table, untouched. A coat hangs on the back of a chair. Offstage, a kettle whistles softly. ELIZA sits motionless in the chair, hands wrapped tightly around the mug. The sound of a knock. Silence. Another knock, firmer this time.]

ELIZA
(Quietly, without looking up)
You missed the funeral. Six years, not even a letter—and now you’re here?

[Another silence. The front door creaks open offstage. Footsteps. AMELIA enters, a travel bag slung over one shoulder. She clutches her coat around her. The kettle stops whistling.]

AMELIA
I didn’t know what to say. I still don’t.

ELIZA
Neither did I. So I said nothing. That was the mistake.

AMELIA
(After a beat)
I wrote once. You never replied.

ELIZA
(Shrugs)
Too little, too late? Or maybe I never saw it. By then everything sounded like an echo anyway.

[AMELIA remains standing. The light flickers above them.]

AMELIA
I was angry. At him. At you. At everything. I needed to get away.

ELIZA
And you did. But some of us had to stay.

[Pause.]

AMELIA
I thought you hated me.

ELIZA
(Looking up)
I hated the silence. I hated talking to shadows. I hated waking up and setting two plates instead of three out of habit.

AMELIA
(Softly)
You always set his plate.

ELIZA
Every day for three years.

[AMELIA puts down her bag, then hesitantly sits.]

AMELIA
I came back because I couldn’t sleep anymore. The quiet—it’s louder than it used to be.

ELIZA
(Smiles bitterly)
It’s deafening, isn’t it?

[They sit in silence. The flickering light steadies for a moment. Then it dims again.]

AMELIA
Do you think... people can ever come back from silence?

ELIZA
(Sighs)
Maybe not all the way. But sometimes even a flicker means the light’s still there.

[Blackout.]

Guiding Question:

How does Maren Steele use dramatic features to explore the emotional distance and potential reconciliation between Eliza and Amelia in this scene?

Essay Outline:

1. Introduction
   1. Brief Context: Post-war setting. Eliza and Amelia are estranged mother and daughter confronting their grief and silence.
   2. Main Theme: Emotional distance caused by unresolved grief, guilt, and time.
   3. Thesis Statement:
      Steele uses dramatic features—especially lighting, staging, silence, and gesture—to portray the emotional gap between Eliza and Amelia and suggest a fragile but emerging path toward reconciliation.
2. Body Paragraph 1: Lighting and Setting
   1. Point: Lighting and staging create a visual metaphor for emotional instability and distance.
   2. Evidence:
      1. “dimly lit kitchen”
      2. “flickering lamp”
      3. “the flickering light steadies for a moment”
   3. Explanation:
      1. The flickering light symbolises the fragile, uncertain nature of their relationship.
      2. Dim lighting reflects emotional darkness and long-standing grief.
      3. The brief steadying of the lamp mirrors a moment of emotional connection.
   4. Link:
      1. Steele uses the visual setting to show how emotion is physically present in the space, revealing their disconnection and the first flickers of reconnection.
3. Body Paragraph 2: Dialogue, Silence, and Subtext
   1. Point: Dialogue and pauses reveal emotional tension and unspoken pain.
   2. Evidence:
      1. “I didn’t know what to say. I still don’t.”
      2. “Too little, too late?”
      3. Strategic use of silence and pauses
   3. Explanation:
      1. Dialogue is brief, fragmented, and loaded with subtext, highlighting their difficulty in expressing emotion.
      2. Silence and hesitation function as expressions of grief and guilt.
      3. Both women speak past each other initially, underscoring their emotional gap.
   4. Link:
      1. Steele shows how silence can be louder than words, capturing the emotional weight of estrangement and the beginning of vulnerability.
4. Body Paragraph 3: Gesture, Props, and Symbolism
   1. Point: Small gestures and props reflect inner emotional states and signal tentative connection.
   2. Evidence:
      1. Eliza’s hands “wrapped tightly around the mug”
      2. Amelia “puts down her bag” and “hesitantly sits”
      3. “I always set his plate”
   3. Explanation:
      1. The mug symbolises Eliza’s attempt to hold onto control or routine amidst grief.
      2. Amelia sitting down and removing her coat represents openness and a willingness to reconnect.
      3. The plate becomes a powerful symbol of mourning and habit, showing how the past lives on in small acts.
   4. Link:
      1. Through physical choices, Steele reflects emotional transformation—movement toward shared understanding, however tentative.
5. Conclusion
   1. Restate Thesis: Steele explores emotional distance through precise dramatic features—light, silence, dialogue, gesture.
   2. Insight: The characters don’t reconcile fully, but through subtle changes in staging and voice, the audience witnesses the beginning of emotional reconnection.
   3. Final Thought: The flickering light, brief steadiness, and final blackout reflect the central message: that healing begins not with loud declarations, but with quiet presence and shared space.

Model Answer (20/20 Response)

In A Flicker in the Dark, Maren Steele explores the emotional distance and the tentative possibility of reconciliation between Eliza and Amelia through a carefully constructed dramatic scene. Steele’s use of lighting, silence, dialogue, and physical gesture not only reflects the profound grief and isolation that have defined their relationship but also hints at a fragile, emerging connection between them. This is achieved through visual metaphors, sparse yet loaded dialogue, and symbolic actions, all of which contribute to a powerful portrayal of estrangement and the potential for healing.

Firstly, the dramatic features of lighting and setting play a crucial role in establishing the scene’s emotional landscape. The extract opens in a dimly lit kitchen with a flickering lamp overhead. Steele’s description of the stage—“dimly lit kitchen” and the lamp that “flickers”—serves as a visual metaphor for the instability of the characters’ relationship. The flickering lamp is not merely a physical source of light but symbolizes the fragile and uncertain nature of their connection. When the lamp steadies briefly, it suggests a momentary thaw in the prevailing emotional coldness. This interplay of light and shadow effectively externalizes the inner turmoil of both characters, indicating that while the emotional gap is vast, there remains a glimmer of hope for renewal. By using such symbolic lighting, Steele invites the audience to see that the emotional distance is as tangible and changeable as the shifting illumination in the room.

Secondly, Steele deepens the portrayal of estrangement through the strategic use of dialogue and silence. The exchange between Eliza and Amelia is marked by brief, fragmented dialogue and prolonged pauses. For instance, when Eliza states, “You missed the funeral. Six years, not even a letter—and now you’re here?” her words, combined with her quiet delivery and the lack of movement, emphasize a cold reserve that has become habitual. The subsequent line, “I didn’t know what to say. I still don’t,” spoken by Amelia, is laden with subtext; it communicates not only regret but also the weight of unexpressed grief. The deliberate use of silence—illustrated by the repeated knocks and the beats in the dialogue—allows the tension to build and highlights how unspoken words have created a chasm between them. The dialogue, sparse as it is, reveals that both characters are trapped by their inability to express their feelings, thereby deepening their isolation. This measured use of language, where what is left unsaid is as powerful as the spoken word, underscores the emotional inertia that has kept them apart.

Finally, the gestures and props in the scene reinforce the themes of loss and tentative reconnection. Small physical actions become potent symbols of the characters’ internal states. Eliza’s hands wrapped tightly around the mugsuggest a desperate attempt to cling to routine and control in a life dominated by loss. Similarly, when Amelia “puts down her bag and hesitantly sits,” it signifies a subtle yet significant act of vulnerability—a willingness to leave the barriers of her past behind and engage with her mother. Additionally, Eliza’s mention of “always setting his plate” serves as a symbol of enduring grief over the loss of her husband, illustrating how the past continues to influence present relationships. These physical gestures and the careful use of props add layers of meaning, highlighting that the characters’ emotional states are not abstract; they are embodied in every action and every object on stage. This use of tangible symbolism demonstrates how the characters’ inner lives are inextricably linked to the physical space they inhabit.

In conclusion, Maren Steele’s A Flicker in the Dark deftly employs dramatic elements to explore the emotional isolationbetween Eliza and Amelia. Through symbolic lighting, measured dialogue, and significant gestures, Steele presents a scene where isolation is palpable and yet subtly permeated by the possibility of reconciliation. The flickering lamp and the pauses in conversation serve as constant reminders that while the pain of estrangement is profound, there remains a fragile spark—a flicker—that suggests the potential for emotional reconnection. This scene, with its rich interplay of dramatic features, encapsulates the bittersweet nature of human relationships marked by both loss and hope.

Why This is a 20/20 Model Answer Based on the IB Paper 1 Marking Criteria

This response achieves full marks by excelling in all four IB Paper 1 marking criteria:

Criterion A: Understanding and Interpretation (5/5)

1. Demonstrates a sophisticated understanding of the emotional distance between Eliza and Amelia, identifying both the surface-level estrangement and the deeper subtext of grief, silence, and guilt.
2. Recognises the thematic implication of the flickering light as a metaphor for emotional instability and fragile hope.
3. Goes beyond summary by interpreting how each dramatic choice reveals character dynamics and emotional evolution.

Criterion B: Analysis and Evaluation (5/5)

1. Analyses a range of dramatic techniques: lighting, silence, stage direction, gesture, dialogue.
2. Clearly explains how these techniques contribute to mood, theme, and audience understanding.
3. Evaluates the symbolic power of objects like the mug, the set table, and the flickering lamp, showing how they function as emotional metaphors.
4. Each technique is connected to its emotional and dramatic effect—nothing is mentioned without purpose.

Criterion C: Focus and Organisation (5/5)

1. Begins with a clear, concise introduction that sets up the theme and thesis.
2. Each paragraph follows a logical structure, with strong signposting (e.g., “Firstly,” “Secondly,” “Finally”) and transitions.
3. Each paragraph focuses on one technique, ensuring clarity and progression.
4. The conclusion ties the essay together and reinforces the thesis, offering a thoughtful closing insight.

Criterion D: Language (5/5)

1. Uses clear, fluent, and formal academic tone throughout.
2. Employs a rich variety of sentence structures, avoiding repetition or redundancy.
3. Integrates literary and dramatic terminology accurately (e.g., “beat,” “gesture,” “flickering as metaphor,” “subtext,” “physical staging”).
4. Maintains precise vocabulary to analyse tone, structure, and theme (e.g., “emotional inertia,” “tentative reconnection”).