DRAMA Vs FICTION
Drama, going by the definition, is “The form of composition designed for performance in the theater, in which actors take the roles of the characters, perform the indicated action, and utter the written dialogue” (Abrams 69). So, drama is essentially about performance.
Fiction, in a broad sense, is any piece of writing/narrative that uses characters and situations that are not real or historical. Fiction involves story, characters and situations that a writer invents using his imagination. By this broad implication, a drama is also a work of fiction.
But, in a narrow and in more popular usage, the word fiction is referred to any narrative written in prose that tells the story of imaginary characters and circumstances. Novels, novellas, and short stories. In its narrowest meaning, fiction refers to novels only.
There are many points of similarities and differences in a work of fiction (novel, short story) and drama. A piece of writing that involves some sort of story has certain essential elements, namely plot, characters, theme, conflict, setting etc.
The points of similarities in a Drama and Fiction are:
PLOT:
Plot is the presentation of events of a story as they happen in a drama or novel. Plot is basically the arrangement of the story in a piece of writing. All dramas, whether they are fictional (imaginary) or historical, have one main plot. Novels also have plot/s that they revolve around. For example, the play The Merchant of Venice has the main plot of the trial. The novella Animal Farm has rebellion and its aftermath as its main plot.
CHARACTERS:
No narrative writing is complete without characters. The main character around whom the story revolves is known as the protagonist of the piece. For example, Govind Singh is the protagonist of the story The Gateman’s Gift. Antonio is the protagonist of the play The Merchant of Venice.
THEME:
Every piece of writing has certain idea/s that it primarily talks about. The writer might have some theories to propound, or s/he might wants to draw the readers attention towards certain issues of social, political or general importance. This becomes the theme of that piece of writing. For example, Animal Farm is about the ideals of communism gone wrong, The play A Doll’s House primarily talks about quest for identity and the women’s question. The Merchant of Venice explores the themes of friendship, responsibility, hatred, love and money.
SETTING:
Setting is the milieu (location, surroundings) and the time in which a writing is based. No drama or novel can do without it. It can be very specific eg. in Arms and the Man the setting is Bulgaria against the backdrop of Serbo-Bulgarian war during late nineteenth century. In The Merchant of Venice the setting is Venice and Belmont of sixteenth century. Also, setting can be very broad or general, eg. in the story The Open Window where the reader knows nothing about the location of the story except that it is a small town, and the time is also not specified.
CONFLICT:
Conflict, described simply, is the tension and suspense that keep the readers engaged with the story. If there is no conflict the readers will find the writing to be boring. The conflict in
The Merchant of Venice is the bond and its repayment. Also, this conflict has a communal undertone of a Christian vs a Jew. The novella Animal Farm has the conflict between exploiters and exploited, oppressors and oppressed, the ideals and theory of socialism vs the harsh, bitter realities of it.
Points of Difference Between Drama and Fiction
• The main point of difference between fiction and drama is the way it presents the story. A drama has characters that are acted by actors. Everything - the stage setting, costume etc. - is described in detail and nothing is left for an audience to imagine. Fiction, on the other hand, invokes readers’ imagination. Though it can have detailed descriptions about setting, characters etc., yet it is not meant for stage presentation, and this is why much is left for readers to imagine.
• Another major point of difference is the use of dialogues in a drama. Drama is solely dialogue based whereas fiction can or cannot have dialogues. Fiction relies a lot on detailed, very often third person, description of things, moods, ideas and characters.
• When two readers read the same piece of fiction they are very likely to imagine the scene and characters in different ways as there is a lot of room for them to use their own imagination. In a drama, however, almost nothing is left for the viewers to imagine.
Drama, going by the definition, is “The form of composition designed for performance in the theater, in which actors take the roles of the characters, perform the indicated action, and utter the written dialogue” (Abrams 69). So, drama is essentially about performance.
Fiction, in a broad sense, is any piece of writing/narrative that uses characters and situations that are not real or historical. Fiction involves story, characters and situations that a writer invents using his imagination. By this broad implication, a drama is also a work of fiction.
But, in a narrow and in more popular usage, the word fiction is referred to any narrative written in prose that tells the story of imaginary characters and circumstances. Novels, novellas, and short stories. In its narrowest meaning, fiction refers to novels only.
There are many points of similarities and differences in a work of fiction (novel, short story) and drama. A piece of writing that involves some sort of story has certain essential elements, namely plot, characters, theme, conflict, setting etc.
The points of similarities in a Drama and Fiction are:
PLOT:
Plot is the presentation of events of a story as they happen in a drama or novel. Plot is basically the arrangement of the story in a piece of writing. All dramas, whether they are fictional (imaginary) or historical, have one main plot. Novels also have plot/s that they revolve around. For example, the play The Merchant of Venice has the main plot of the trial. The novella Animal Farm has rebellion and its aftermath as its main plot.
CHARACTERS:
No narrative writing is complete without characters. The main character around whom the story revolves is known as the protagonist of the piece. For example, Govind Singh is the protagonist of the story The Gateman’s Gift. Antonio is the protagonist of the play The Merchant of Venice.
THEME:
Every piece of writing has certain idea/s that it primarily talks about. The writer might have some theories to propound, or s/he might wants to draw the readers attention towards certain issues of social, political or general importance. This becomes the theme of that piece of writing. For example, Animal Farm is about the ideals of communism gone wrong, The play A Doll’s House primarily talks about quest for identity and the women’s question. The Merchant of Venice explores the themes of friendship, responsibility, hatred, love and money.
SETTING:
Setting is the milieu (location, surroundings) and the time in which a writing is based. No drama or novel can do without it. It can be very specific eg. in Arms and the Man the setting is Bulgaria against the backdrop of Serbo-Bulgarian war during late nineteenth century. In The Merchant of Venice the setting is Venice and Belmont of sixteenth century. Also, setting can be very broad or general, eg. in the story The Open Window where the reader knows nothing about the location of the story except that it is a small town, and the time is also not specified.
CONFLICT:
Conflict, described simply, is the tension and suspense that keep the readers engaged with the story. If there is no conflict the readers will find the writing to be boring. The conflict in
The Merchant of Venice is the bond and its repayment. Also, this conflict has a communal undertone of a Christian vs a Jew. The novella Animal Farm has the conflict between exploiters and exploited, oppressors and oppressed, the ideals and theory of socialism vs the harsh, bitter realities of it.
Points of Difference Between Drama and Fiction
• The main point of difference between fiction and drama is the way it presents the story. A drama has characters that are acted by actors. Everything - the stage setting, costume etc. - is described in detail and nothing is left for an audience to imagine. Fiction, on the other hand, invokes readers’ imagination. Though it can have detailed descriptions about setting, characters etc., yet it is not meant for stage presentation, and this is why much is left for readers to imagine.
• Another major point of difference is the use of dialogues in a drama. Drama is solely dialogue based whereas fiction can or cannot have dialogues. Fiction relies a lot on detailed, very often third person, description of things, moods, ideas and characters.
• When two readers read the same piece of fiction they are very likely to imagine the scene and characters in different ways as there is a lot of room for them to use their own imagination. In a drama, however, almost nothing is left for the viewers to imagine.
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