What Makes Drama Interesting?

Before whimsical comedies and exaggerated reality shows became popular, historical plays and music performances were in the works for centuries.

When the word “drama” comes to mind, it can be associated with situations that can be wild or eye-shocking in a sensational way. When it comes to a literature viewpoint, what is the actual meaning behind the genre? Drama has been a literary form for many years throughout history. The genre has also been beloved by many people, both young and old. It had also been entertaining audiences, even before it was a “genre”. Before getting to the history behind it all, let us start with what makes drama.

A drama is a narrative mechanism with a purpose to be performed in front of the audience. Before being adapted to a TV show or film, it begins with plays in theaters as they are performed live. In today’s world, drama refers to a form of storytelling found in films and television, such as Henry V or Downton Abbey. The word does not always translate to seriousness, though it reflects the meaning of the intended use.

For its origins, all of it started in ancient Rome and Greece during the fifth century. How productions start is when the playwright (the director) hires one actor and a chorus to “narrate” the story as the audience watches. Most of their works were religious-based and the actors are mostly men. As for the female roles, they are performed by young boys until the Renaissance era came. There were only three genres around that time, including: comedy, tragedy and satire.

Many years later, it got more popular in the Middle Ages – thanks to the church bringing the narrative back. They use this as a new way to present plays with their teachings to entertain their followers about the Bible. Another thing to note is that their service was in the Latin language and not everyone spoke it. The dramas are known as mystery plays.

England in the 16th-17th century became the place where plays started to become more popular as an art for entertainment and social commentary on the political world. Such works by William Shakespeare are primarily examples of those performances including ruling class dramas (Henry V) or tragedies (King Lear). Most of the performers came from acting companies who traveled around both town and country. Most of the dramas took place on open courts and local inns before theatres were made. Fun fact: The popular theatre, the Global Theatre – where Shakespeare’s plays were performed was made in the late 1500s.

Due to the success of playwrights back then, public theatres were built – taking charge of the audience’s attention making the dramas that all drama lovers are fond of today.