a) THE NOVEL
Is a long work of prose from fiction that contains character in the form of plot normally presents life basing an history and culture of the society in which it is set. It also defined as A long narratives in which characters and events are imaginary. Though events contained in Novels are fictions, they are said to have verisimilitude (realism this is due to the act that incidents that are found in the Novel have some relationship with the real life as experienced by the human being. A person who writes a novel is called, NOVELIST.
A novel (from French Novella Italian novella new) is an extended generally fictional narrative, typically in prose, Until the 18th century the word referred specifically to short functions of love and intrigue as opposed to romances which were epic – length works about lose and adventure. Novels are generally between 60,000 – 200,000 words or 300 – 1300 pages in length.
During the 18th century, the novel adopted features of the old romance and became one of the literary genres. It is today define as must by its ability to become the object of literary accusation demanding artistic merit and a specific literary style, the early novel was basically any story told for its spectacular or reveling instincts. The original environment living on with a typical frame setting – was the entertaining conversation. Stories of grave incidence could just as well augment sermons
Collection of examples facilitated the work of preachers in need of such illustrations. A fable could illustrate a moral conclusion; a short historical reflection could does the same. A competition of genres developed. Tastes and social status were decisive, if one believes on the medieval collections. The working classes loved their own brands of drastic stories, stories of clever cheating, with and the ridicule leveled against hated social groups.
FEATURES OF A NOVEL.
- Novels are presented in narrative form
- They are written in chapters unlike plays which are Written in acts and scenes and poems which are written in stanzas and verses.
- Navels are meant to read silently, quite contrary from plays which are meant to be performed on stage or poems to be sang.
- A novel has a point of view ie the angle from which the story is told.
b) PLAY / DRAMA
Drama is a work of art is written for the purpose of being acted on stage. Another scholar has defined drama as story telling that uses actors / actress before people’s eyes.
A, person who compose / writes a play is called a PLAYWRIGHT
FEATURES OF DRAMA /PLAY
- When in scripts, drama shows its setting through stage direction which tell the readers when and where something happened. It also shows where and when characters enter and leave,
and it shows different mood of characters
- Drama must have dialogue. ie conversation or speech of two or more characters speaking to each other.
- A play must have a conflict that makes it going. These conflicts passes through stages such as exposition, rising action (complication/ confrontation), Climax (point of no return ) , falling
action, resolution (denouement / deinu: mo/
- Most modem plays have elements of realism that means what an artist say/do related to everyday experience.
- The stages of a play have something that characterizes the mood of the play. Normally a song that is sung all over the play is to affect the emotional of the viewers or readers. The choice
of tithe song will depend on the subject matter of the play.
- Plays have many theories like novels do.
Terms used in Drama/play
Scene: Which can be defined as the smallest unit in a play? a scenes has one major event. Thus a play is made up of scenes which combine to form act.
Act is a major division of a play made of Scenes sometimes you may find a play which has neither scenes nor acts.
Each act is made up of more than one scene normally the end of one scene normally the end of one scene or act is marked by a curtain
Curtain: When the actors/ actress leave the stage they go behind the curtain. The rising and the lowering of the entrain marks the beginning or end of the scene or act
Stage direction: These are words that are introduced before any action in a play with the intention of making readers imagine they are viewing the actual performance on stage. They show the setting of an act or a scene. They also show the mood of the actors/actress. Stage directions show leaving and entering of characters.
NB: Stage directions are normally directed by using the words in italics so as to make those word unique.
TYPES OF DRAMA / PLAYS
There are four types of play, as shown here under
i) Tragedy:
Is a play deals with a serious action. Tragedy plays present terrifying events and existence suffering. The source of tragic plays comes from royal (events presenting kings and Queens and
great person. Also tragic plays deals with Noble person.
It has hero / heroine who becomes engaged in a conflict, experiencing great suffering and finally dies or is defeated or punished in other words we can tell it a play that end sorrowful.
ii)Comedy:
This type of play is aimed to make people laugh. It is argued that comedy come into existence because tragedy was considered to be threatening so Viewers could not learn because they could
concentrate in pitying the hero/heroin suffering due to tragic action.Thus they introduced comedy to make people enjoy instead of tragedy.
Comedy achieves the purpose of laughter by employing wit (cleaver/amusing) and humor (funny usually has happy ending.
- Comedy ridicule the weakness of human nature
- Comedy criticize and aims to correct human conduct
-Usually comedy is exaggeration in nature.
-Comedy arises from improbable people placed in probable situation.
iii) Tragic – Comedy:-
This is a Mixture of tragedy and comedy it is play that employs a plot like that of tragedy but ends happily the way comedy ends. In tragic comedy it is the denouement that show happiness. Thus tragic– comedy has both feature of comedy and those of tragedy only because there are aspects that appeal to laughter and those that appeal to sadness or pity.
iv) Melo drama:
It is kind of drama which uses musing to heighten events and it uses stock characters (characters taken from the past) .
The major aim of melodrama is to present confrontation between god and evils. Also it aims to make human being do good things which are acceptable in the society.
Usually in melodrama there is violence on the stage and usually the good one win.
v) Mixed form.
This is a contemporary type of drama which includes all the types mentioned. This has been so due to development and changes and it is because of the freedom of form, freedom of style as well as freedom of techniques.
HOW TO WRITE A PLAY:
- Make sure that your play shows characters who are talking to each other. That means a play must be in dialogue form.
- As it is in scripts. It must be supported by stage direction so that readers my know where various incidents take place.
- Stage direction will help the reader to see that the character enters or leave the stage.
NB: Words that shows form stage direction are normally in italic form and in brackets These words help the reader to understand what/when & where the events takes place in the play.
When the play/drama is performed on the stage; Stage direction is replaced by actual activities that the viewer can see and heard. Example things like closing and opening the door, coughing can be seen and headed.
- Know the type of play you are composing
- Before all you must have an idea ie all about the play
- Make sure your play have all the features of being a play.
TASK:
What are the features of a play?
Differentiate comedy from tragedy
What is the difference between a novel and a play?
Plays are said to have more power of educating; criticizing and building awareness in their respective society and the world at large than other literary genres Do you agree?why?
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