1. Origin of Drama
2. Basics of Drama (Othello)
3. Tragedy
4. William Shakespeare
1. The Origin of Drama
(Figure 1. The Origin of Drama. Generated with ChatGPT (OpenAI) based on a user prompt by the researcher, July 2026.)
Drama is a form of literature that is written to be performed on stage. The word "Drama" comes from the Greek word dran, which means "to act" or "to do." Drama began in Ancient Greece around the 6th century BCE during religious festivals dedicated to Dionysus, the Greek god of wine and theatre. The first actor is believed to have been Thespis, which is why actors are sometimes called Thespians.
In India, drama originated from the Natyaveda, and Bharata Muni's Natyashastra became the foundation of Indian theatre. Sanskrit playwrights such as Kalidasa, Bhasa, and Shudraka made significant contributions.
Example: Abhijnanasakuntalam by Kalidasa and Mrichchhakatika by Shudraka are famous Sanskrit plays.
2. Basics of Drama (Othello)
(Figure 2. Basics of Drama: Explained with Othello. Infographic designed with the assistance of ChatGPT (OpenAI), based on William Shakespeare's Othello and standard literary reference sources. Illustration compiled by the researcher.)
Drama tells a story through dialogue, action, and performance. A play is divided into Acts, and each act is further divided into Scenes. Characters express themselves through dialogues, while a soliloquy reveals a character's private thoughts spoken aloud.
Shakespeare's Othello is a five-act tragedy. The protagonist is Othello, while Iago is the antagonist. The handkerchief serves as the central symbol and drives the conflict. The play is mainly set in Venice and Cyprus.
Example: In Othello, Iago manipulates Othello into believing that Desdemona has been unfaithful, leading to a tragic ending.
3. Tragedy
(Figure 3. Tragedy. Infographic designed with the assistance of ChatGPT (OpenAI), based on Aristotle's Poetics, William Shakespeare's tragedies, and standard literary reference sources. Illustration compiled by the researcher.)
A tragedy is a serious play in which the main character suffers because of a tragic flaw (hamartia) or circumstances beyond their control. According to Aristotle's Poetics, tragedy arouses pity and fear, resulting in catharsis, the emotional purification of the audience.
Important concepts include:
Hamartia – tragic flaw
Peripeteia – reversal of fortune
Anagnorisis – recognition of the truth
Catharsis – emotional release
Aristotle identified six elements of tragedy: Plot, Character, Thought, Diction, Music, and Spectacle, with Plot being the most important.
Example: In Othello, Othello's tragic flaw is jealousy, which leads him to kill Desdemona before realizing the truth.
4. William Shakespeare as a Writer
(Figure 4. William Shakespeare as a Writer. Infographic designed with the assistance of ChatGPT (OpenAI), based on William Shakespeare's works and standard literary and historical reference sources. Illustration compiled by the researcher.)
William Shakespeare (1564–1616) is regarded as the greatest playwright in English literature and is popularly known as the Bard of Avon. He lived during the Elizabethan and Jacobean periods and was associated with the Globe Theatre.
He wrote 37 plays, 154 sonnets, and several narrative poems. His plays are generally classified into Tragedies, Comedies, Histories, and Romances. Shakespeare popularized blank verse (unrhymed iambic pentameter) and created memorable characters and universal themes such as love, ambition, jealousy, revenge, and fate.
Examples:
Tragedy: Hamlet, Macbeth, Othello, King Lear
Comedy: Twelfth Night, As You Like It
History: Henry V, Richard III
These four topics provide the foundation for understanding drama as a literary genre, Aristotle's theory of tragedy, Shakespeare's contribution to English literature, and the essential features of Othello.
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Works Cited
Aristotle. Poetics. Translated by Malcolm Heath, Penguin Classics, 1996.
Baldick, Chris. The Oxford Dictionary of Literary Terms. 4th ed., Oxford University Press, 2015.
Brockett, Oscar G., and Franklin J. Hildy. History of the Theatre. 11th ed., Pearson, 2014.
Shakespeare, William. Othello. Edited by E. A. J. Honigmann, Arden Shakespeare, 3rd ed., Bloomsbury, 2016.
Wells, Stanley, and Gary Taylor, editors. The Complete Works of William Shakespeare. 2nd ed., Oxford University Press, 2005.
