Disadvantages Of Drama Essay

1017 Words3 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: What is the importance of drama to the classroom

In William Shakespeare’s play As you like it he claims that: “All the world 's a stage, And all the men and women merely players; They have their exits and their entrances, And one man in his time plays many parts, His acts being seven ages”. As an English student and a future English teacher, I have often been amazed, during practical teaching, at how effective drama captures the attention of the students in the ESL/EFL classroom. Drama activities would sometimes have surprising and unexpected results. English teachers should make use of this medium more often because it transforms the classroom from the artificial world to the situational world.

In this essay the following aspects will be discussed: Firstly, I will highlight the importance of drama in the literature classroom, and how successful the method is used. Secondly, I will look at different advantages and disadvantages of drama as medium of teaching. Thirdly, the responsibility of the teacher concerning the design of activities will be discussed and lastly I will draw a conclusion to what I have learned throughout my three years as a future English teacher.

Drama is defined …show more content…

In contrast to the above mentioned teachers need to examine the disadvantages of using drama to teach literature. The disadvantages include: Embarrassment among the learners peers. Not all learners are drama students and some may find it difficult to perform in front of their peers. Teachers, myself included fear that with drama as a teaching method comes occasionally uncontrolled circumstances. Discipline itself is already a challenging task and drama may give way for this uncontrolled situations to arise. Incorrect language usage can result from drama activities if the teacher fails to correct incorrect language usage immediately. Activities can also be artificial and learners may feel that the content of the activity is irrelevant to their individual

Show More
Related

  • Comparing Men's Assumptions in Susan Glaspell's Trifles and Henrik Ibsen's A Doll's House

    1274 Words  | 3 Pages

    Reprinted in Literature: An Introduction to Fiction, Poetry, and Drama. X. J. Kennedy and Dana Gioia Eds. New York: Harper Collins Publishers, 1995. Glaspell, Susan. A. Trifles. Making Literature Matter: An Anthology for Readers and Writers.

    Read More

  • Use of Dramatic Techniques in Cartwright's Road and Kane's Blasted

    2066 Words  | 5 Pages

    In this essay I shall concentrate on the plays 'Road' by Jim Cartwright and 'Blasted' by Sarah Kane with specific reference to use of language and structure of dialogue as examples of dramatic techniques.

    Read More

  • Analysis Of Too Much Punch For Judy

    1010 Words  | 3 Pages

    The play that we read for this unit is Too Much Punch For Judy, by Mark Wheeller. It is a form of Verbatim Theatre, meaning that it is based on the spoken words of real people. This play is about the story of a young woman who kills her sister in an alcohol related accident. When I first read the play I couldn’t empathize with the story as I haven’t experienced such a shocking event before. In this essay I will describe, analyse and evaluate both my work and the work of other actors in my group, focusing on the mediums, elements and explorative strategies of Drama.

    Read More

  • The Life of August Wilson

    1190 Words  | 3 Pages

    ―Fences.‖ Drama for Students. Ed. David M. Galens. Vol. 3. Detroit: Gale, 1998. 180-197. Gale

    Read More

  • A Modern Production of Lysistrata

    927 Words  | 2 Pages

    To realize the vision of the play, the script, set-up, costumes, stagecraft, sound design, and acting have to communicate a unified message with which the audience will relate. The script will be tailored to ensure that the audience can understand the play as it proceeds. This is in terms of the language and terms used. Though the language will not be modern, it will be English that can be understood by the audience. This will be English of antique England as it will give the play a feeling of ancient times. The scriptwriter will carry out research on the level of understanding the local people will have of ancient English so as to ascertain that the script matches this level. Although many plays of that era were sung and accompanied by dance, this play will be acted out with spoken word rather than songs. This is because speaking will ensure the audience hears the conversations as they go on and that they understand. This is ...

    Read More

  • Allusions In Shakespeare's Hamlet

    488 Words  | 1 Pages

    For as long as people today can remember there has always been Shakespeare in the classroom. Shakespeare is considered one of the greatest playwrights of all time and deserves to be presented as so, however his work is very old and as times have changed so has English. Teens don’t understand his work and struggle through these units in school. The least that should be done is changing a few allusions for an easier and deeper understanding for young minds. Teachers always talk about giving their students the tools that they need to succeed and this update is one of those necessary tools. In the words of Sir Winston Churchill, “To improve is to change; to be perfect is to change

    Read More

  • Success in America: A Raisin in the Sun

    1397 Words  | 3 Pages

    Galens, David, and Lynn M. Spampinato, eds. Drama for Students. Vol. 2. Detroit: Gale, 1998. Print.

    Read More

  • Fantasy Theme Analysis Of Commercial

    1497 Words  | 3 Pages

    The criticism relies on two assumptions. One, that rhetoric creates reality, and two, that convergence occurs. With regards to rhetoric creating reality we are to assume that the symbolic forms that are created from the rhetoric are not imitations but organs of reality. This is because it is through their agency that anything becomes real. We assume to that convergence occurs because symbols not only create reality for individuals but that individual’s meanings can combine to create a shared reality for participants. The shared reality then provides a basis for the community of participants to discuss their common experiences and to achieve a mutual understanding. The consequence of this is that the individuals develop the same attitudes and emotions to the personae of the drama. Within this criticism the audience is seen as the most critical part because the sharing of the message is seen as being so significant.

    Read More

  • Elizabethan Theater

    621 Words  | 2 Pages

    Elizabethan times in the 1600s was a progression for the world of the theater. A period named after Queen Elizabeth I of England, it is from this period that modern day society has its foundation for the entertainment industry. From the violence that was prevalent because of the Black Death, people turned to the theater for its poetry and romance. During this time period, there were two types of theatrical performances that were available for the people’s viewing, comedies or tragedies. These two genres were never really intertwined until the time of William Shakespeare. His play, Romeo and Juliet, is an example of both a comedy and a tragedy. It starts off as a comedy with Romeo weeping like a baby because of his love Rosaline, who did not love him back and ends as a tragedy when Romeo and Juliet, a pair of star crossed lovers, commit suicide because the lost of each other. It was also during Shakespeare’s time that writer were finally acknowledged by the people. Before this time, writers were not considered upper classman. Another group of people that began to rise into a higher social class were the actors. Actresses were not present back then because women were not allowed on stage. It was considered unladylike to have a female actor. Men played all the parts. Theater owners were dependent on actors to make them a profit. Rehearsals for the plays were fairly short, only lasting for about a week. The performances themselves would only show for three to four days.

    Read More

  • Timelessness of Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet

    643 Words  | 2 Pages

    The classic play Romeo and Juliet by the famous playwright William Shakespeare is one of the most beautiful love stories of all time and has captured and inspired readers everywhere. Regardless of the fact that it was written in the 1500’s, it is still being performed and extolled today. There is a multitude of reasons for such continuance of the play. First of all, its everlasting themes of love and hate enable people to deeply relate to the story. Secondly, its memorable characters deeply imprint on the minds of readers. And lastly, above all, is its magnificent language which many writers today regard in awe. These three elements make the acclaimed play, Romeo and Juliet, one of the most timeless stories of our lives.

    Read More

  • Explore the ways in which Hamlet makes use of the idea or motif of theatrical performance

    1420 Words  | 3 Pages

    Hamlet makes extensive use of the idea of theatrical performance; from revealing characters to not be what they seem - as they act to be - to Hamlet’s play The Mousetrap and his instruction of acting to the players. The extensive use of the stage in the stage directions, as well as numerous monologues and asides, have Hamlet itself acting as a literary device for the motif of theatrical performance.

    Read More

  • How Friar Lawrence is Responsible for Romeo and Juliet's Death

    802 Words  | 2 Pages

    ” Drama for Students. Ed. Anne Marie Hacht. Vol. 21.

    Read More

  • Applied Theatre Essay

    830 Words  | 2 Pages

    In this paper, I will be focusing briefly on my knowledge and understanding of the concept of Applied theatre and one of its theatre form, which is Theatre in Education. The term Applied Theatre is a broad range of dramatic activity carried out by a crowd of diverse bodies and groups.

    Read More

  • Process Drama Essay

    2152 Words  | 5 Pages

    Drama according to the Wikipedia free encyclopedia is the specific mode of fiction represented in performance, which comes from a Greek word (drao) meaning action. A dramatic production depends mostly on in-depth development of realistic characters dealing with emotional themes, it put the characters in conflict with themselves, others, society and even natural phenomena. According to Learning Stream, “drama is a literary composition involving conflict, action crisis and atmosphere designed to be acted by characters on a stage before an audience.”

    Read More

  • American Literature and Society

    1225 Words  | 3 Pages

    Literature is a very powerful tool that is used to make a huge impact on society or in someone’s perspective. Literature comes in different forms and each literature form fits in a certain category or role to help understand the true meaning of it. From playwrights to short stories, each one has moral lesson, a message or a reflection of the author. I have witnessed the power of literature several times. Literature has moved teens to better being; it has motivated unfortunate people to fame, used as an educational process of teaching and most of all, entertainment. Back in the day, plays were on of the most famous forms of entertainment. Without television and radio present, plays served as a substitute to entertain certain groups of people like the royal family or just for the whole public. This was one way of making money by the actors and the authors that wrote the play. Also present during those times were the poem recitals. This is similar to a play but fewer people are present in the stage or sometimes solo performance. Today, Literature is still being used as a form of entertainment and educational intentions. Hollywood made a lot of money by revising the great masterpieces of famous authors such as “Rome and Juliet” by William Shakespeare. Also, they made movies out of hundreds of literary works for educational purposes and better understanding of the literature piece. Each form of literature has its own style. The style determines how it influences the audience to absorb the true meaning and moral of the story or poem. William Shakespeare and Benjamin Franklin were truly persuasive while Washington Irving and Edgar Allan Poe mixed mystery and adventure to their works. The style touches the readers which really makes a good relationship from the reader to the author’s literary masterpieces.

    Read More

More about Disadvantages Of Drama Essay

Open Document