Type of drama - SS1 Literature Lesson Note

Comedy: Comedy is a type of drama that is meant to make the audience laugh. It often features exaggerated characters and situations, and it usually ends with a happy resolution. Some famous examples of comedies include Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream and The Taming of the Shrew, as well as more modern comedies like The Office and Friends.

• • Nigerian Example: The Marriage of Anansewa by Efua Sutherland is a comedy about a trickster spider named Anansewa who tries to marry off his daughter. The play is full of humor and suspense, and it explores themes of love, marriage, and family.

Tragedy: Tragedy is a type of drama that is meant to evoke feelings of pity and fear in the audience. It often features characters who are brought low by their own flaws, and it usually ends in a death or other major loss. Some famous examples of tragedies include Shakespeare's Hamlet and Macbeth, as well as more modern tragedies like Death of a Salesmanand Requiem for a Dream.

• • Nigerian Example: The Lion and the Jewel by Wole Soyinka is a tragedy about a young man named Sidi who is torn between two suitors: a traditional prince and a modern-thinking man. The play explores themes of love, tradition, and modernity.

Melodrama: Melodrama is a type of drama that is highly emotional and sensational. It often features characters who are good or evil, and it usually ends with a happy resolution. Some famous examples of melodramas include The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne and Gone With the Wind by Margaret Mitchell.

• • Nigerian Example: The Gods Are Not to Blame by Ola Rotimi is a melodrama about a young man named Okonkwo who is banished from his village for breaking a taboo. The play explores themes of justice, revenge, and redemption.

Problem Play: Problem plays are dramas that deal with social issues. They often feature characters who are struggling with difficult problems, and they usually end with a call for change. Some famous examples of problem plays include Ibsen's A Doll's House and Ghita Ngozi Adichie's Half of a Yellow Sun.

• • Nigerian Example: Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe is a problem play about the clash between traditional African culture and European colonialism. The play explores themes of identity, loss, and change.

Experimental Drama: Experimental drama is a type of drama that breaks the traditional rules of drama. It often features non-realistic sets, costumes, and dialogue. Some famous examples of experimental dramas include Beckett's Waiting for Godot and Ionesco's The Bald Soprano.

• • Nigerian Example: Foriwa by Femi Osofisan is an experimental drama about a group of people who are waiting for a ship that never arrives. The play explores themes of time, memory, and history.

Farce: Farces are exaggerated comedies characterized by improbable situations, physical humor, and slapstick comedy. They aim to provoke laughter through absurdity. Example: Georges Feydeau's "A Flea in Her Ear."