Playwrights use many techniques and literary devices to make the story more exciting and interesting. These techniques help bring the story to life and arouse the intended emotions in the audience or readers. A good play is one that captures the audience’s/readers ‘heart and attention while leaving important lessons or realizations about society, family, love, politics, poverty, life and other significant issues we deal with every single day.
A dramatic device is a convention used in drama as a substitution for reality that the audience accepts as real although they know them to be false. These techniques give the audience information they could not get from straightforward presentation of action. Some of these literary devices are the following:
Aside
A character reveals his/her true feelings by directly addressing the audience. The device is based on the premise that while he/she is not alone on stage, but he/she is supposedly not heard by any other characters. This convention promoted audience involvement and provided opportunity for puns, foreshadowing, etc.
Example:
In Othello, Iago often speaks asides to share his evil plans.
Purpose of Aside:
- To reveal the character’s secret thoughts or feelings.
- To share plans or intentions with the audience.
- To create dramatic irony (audience knows something other characters do not).
- To build a connection between the character and the audience.
Soliloquy
This is a speech by a single actor who is alone on stage. Most classical plays have scenes when a character does soliloquy. The character speaks out his/her thoughts aloud for the audience to know and understand what he/she is thinking.
Examples of Soliloquy in Famous Dramas:
| Play | Character | Famous Soliloquy Line | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hamlet by Shakespeare | Hamlet | “To be, or not to be: that is the question.” | Expresses confusion about life and death. |
| Macbeth by Shakespeare | Macbeth | “Is this a dagger which I see before me…” | Shows his fear and guilt before murder. |
| Othello by Shakespeare | Iago | “Thus do I ever make my fool my purse…” | Reveals his evil plans. |
Difference between Aside and Soliloquy:
| Aside | Soliloquy |
|---|---|
| Short comment. | Long speech. |
| Audience only hears it. | Audience hears it; character is alone on stage. |
| Usually one or two lines. | Usually many lines, detailed thoughts. |
Monologue
This refers to a long speech made by one actor which may be delivered alone or in the presence of others.
Example:
Mark Antony’s speech in Julius Caesar:
“Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me your ears…”
Dramatic Irony
This occurs when a character’s words or acts carry a larger meaning that the character does not perceive. He/she expects the opposite of what fate holds in store, or unknowingly says something that has a double meaning. The audience, however, is fully aware of the character’s situation.
Foreshadowing
This is the playwright’s use of “hints” or “clues” which prepares the audience/reader for future events or the outcome.
Example:
The witches’ prophecies in Macbeth foreshadow the future.
Imagery
This is creating images in the audience’s/readers’ mind through the use of vivid words. The use of figurative language is a good technique to stir and challenge the readers’ imagination. This can be achieved by using figures of speech like hyperbole, metaphor, simile, paradox, personification, oxymoron, metonymy and many others.
Symbolism
The use of symbols to represent ideas or qualities beyond their literal meaning.
Example:
The dagger in Macbeth symbolizes guilt and murder.
Chorus
A character or group of characters who give comments on the play which link acts or foreshadow coming events.
Examples of Chorus in Famous Dramas:
| Play | Role of Chorus |
|---|---|
| Oedipus Rex by Sophocles | Chorus comments on Oedipus’s actions and fate. |
| Antigone by Sophocles | Chorus explains the conflict between state and family law. |
| Doctor Faustus by Marlowe | Chorus narrates the rise and fall of Faustus. |
| Romeo and Juliet by Shakespeare | Chorus gives a summary of the tragic love story. |
Tragic Flaw
Tragic flaw, also known as Hamartia, is a literary device used in drama, especially in tragedies. It refers to a weakness, mistake, or error in the character of the tragic hero that leads to his or her downfall.
Examples of Tragic Flaw in Famous Dramas:
| Character | Play | Tragic Flaw | Result of Flaw |
|---|---|---|---|
| Macbeth | Macbeth by Shakespeare | Ambition | Leads to murder and death. |
| Hamlet | Hamlet by Shakespeare | Indecisiveness / Delay | Leads to tragedy and death. |
| Othello | Othello by Shakespeare | Jealousy / Trusting Iago | Leads to Destruction. |
| King Lear | King Lear by Shakespeare | Pride & Foolishness | Loss of kingdom & family. |
| Dr. Faustus | Doctor Faustus by Marlowe | Greed for Knowledge & Power | Loses soul to the devil. |
