Important Drama Points for UGC NET English Literature | Quotes, Characters, Scenes & Stage Terms Quick Revision

 Drama Points for UGC NET English Literature

Introduction

Drama is one of the most important genres in English literature and frequently appears in competitive exams like UGC NET. From Greek theatre to modern drama, students are often asked about dramatic devices, famous characters, important scenes, and key quotations. Therefore, a quick revision list of major drama concepts can help students remember essential points before the exam. This post provides important one-line bullet points covering drama types, stage terms, dramatic techniques, famous quotes, characters, and scenes that are commonly asked in literature examinations.

1. Origin of Drama

• Drama started in ancient Greece around 6th century BCE.

• Connected with the festival of Dionysus (god of wine and fertility).

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2. First Actor in Drama

• First actor: Thespis

• Because of him actors are sometimes called “Thespians.”

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3. First Great Greek Tragedians

• Aeschylus – Father of Tragedy

• Sophocles – Introduced third actor

• Euripides – Psychological tragedy

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4. Greek Comedy Writers

• Aristophanes – Old Comedy

• Menander – New Comedy

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5. First Theatre in England

• First permanent public theatre: The Theatre

• Built in 1576 by James Burbage.

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6. Famous Elizabethan Theatre

• The Globe Theatre

• Associated with William Shakespeare.

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7. Closing of Theatres

• English theatres were closed in 1642 by the Puritans during the English Civil War.

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8. Reopening of Theatres

• Theatres reopened in 1660 after the Restoration of the English monarchy under Charles II of England.

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9. First English Tragedy

• Gorboduc (1561)

• Written by Thomas Norton and Thomas Sackville.

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10. First English Comedy

• Ralph Roister Doister

• Written by Nicholas Udall.

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11. University Wits

Important dramatists before Shakespeare:

• Christopher Marlowe

• Robert Greene

• Thomas Kyd

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12. First Revenge Tragedy in English

• The Spanish Tragedy

• Written by Thomas Kyd.

Greek & Classical Drama

1. Father of Tragedy: Aeschylus

2. Introduced third actor in tragedy: Sophocles

3. Greek philosopher who wrote the first theory of drama: Aristotle in Poetics

4. Concept of Catharsis explained by Aristotle.

5. Greek drama performed in open-air amphitheatres.

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Roman Drama

6. Famous Roman tragedian: Seneca the Younger

7. Roman comedy writers: Plautus and Terence.

8. Senecan tragedy influenced Elizabethan revenge tragedy.

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Medieval Drama

9. Drama in the Middle Ages started in churches.

10. Three major types: Mystery Plays, Miracle Plays, Morality Plays.

11. Famous morality play: Everyman.

12. Plays were performed on pageant wagons.

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Elizabethan Drama

13. First English tragedy: Gorboduc (1561).

14. First English comedy: Ralph Roister Doister.

15. Famous revenge tragedy: The Spanish Tragedy by Thomas Kyd.

16. Most famous Elizabethan dramatist: William Shakespeare.

17. Shakespeare’s company: Lord Chamberlain’s Men.

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Jacobean Drama

18. Famous dramatists: Ben Jonson, John Webster, Thomas Middleton.

19. Dark tragedy example: The Duchess of Malfi by John Webster.

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Restoration Drama

20. Theatres reopened in 1660 after the Restoration of the English monarchy.

21. First time women actors appeared on the English stage.

22. Famous Restoration comedy writer: William Congreve.

23. Famous play: The Way of the World.

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Modern Drama

24. Founder of modern realistic drama: Henrik Ibsen.

25. Famous play: A Doll’s House.

26. Theatre of the Absurd popularized by Samuel Beckett.

27. Famous absurd play: Waiting for Godot.

1. Classical Greek Drama

1. Agamemnon – 458 BCE
   Author: Aeschylus

2. Oedipus Rex – c. 429 BCE
   Author: Sophocles

3. Medea – 431 BCE
   Author: Euripides

4. Lysistrata – 411 BCE
   Author: Aristophanes

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2. Roman Drama

5. Menaechmi – c. 200 BCE
   Author: Plautus

6. Thyestes – 1st century CE
   Author: Seneca the Younger

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3. Medieval Drama

7. Everyman – c. 1500
   Type: Morality Play

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4. Early English Drama (Tudor Period)

8. Ralph Roister Doister – 1552
   Author: Nicholas Udall

9. Gorboduc – 1561
   Authors: Thomas Norton & Thomas Sackville

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5. Elizabethan Drama

10. The Spanish Tragedy – 1587
    Author: Thomas Kyd

11. Doctor Faustus – 1604
    Author: Christopher Marlowe

12. Hamlet – 1601
    Author: William Shakespeare

13. King Lear – 1606
    Author: William Shakespeare

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6. Jacobean Drama

14. Volpone – 1606
    Author: Ben Jonson

15. The Duchess of Malfi – 1614
    Author: John Webster

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7. Restoration Drama

16. The Way of the World – 1700
    Author: William Congreve

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8. Modern Drama

17. A Doll's House – 1879
    Author: Henrik Ibsen

18. Pygmalion – 1913
    Author: George Bernard Shaw

19. Waiting for Godot – 1953
    Author: Samuel Beckett

20. Look Back in Anger – 1956
    Author: John Osborne

1. Famous Drama Quotes 

1. “To be, or not to be: that is the question.”
   — Hamlet in Hamlet by William Shakespeare

2. “Frailty, thy name is woman.”
   — Hamlet in Hamlet

3. “Something is rotten in the state of Denmark.”
   — Marcellus in Hamlet

4. “Out, damned spot!”
   — Lady Macbeth in Macbeth

5. “Fair is foul, and foul is fair.”
   — The Witches in Macbeth

6. “All the world’s a stage.”
   — Jaques in As You Like It

7. “The play’s the thing.”
   — Hamlet in Hamlet

8. “A horse! A horse! My kingdom for a horse!”
   — Richard III in Richard III

9. “Hell is empty and all the devils are here.”
   — Ariel in The Tempest

10. “Life’s but a walking shadow.”
    — Macbeth in Macbeth

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2. Famous Drama Characters 

1. Hamlet — from Hamlet

2. Macbeth — from Macbeth

3. Lady Macbeth — from Macbeth

4. King Lear — from King Lear

5. Othello — from Othello

6. Iago — from Othello

7. Prospero — from The Tempest

8. Faustus — from Doctor Faustus

9. Bosola — from The Duchess of Malfi

10. Vladimir — from Waiting for Godot

Important Drama 

• Second actor introduced by: Aeschylus

• Third actor introduced by: Sophocles

• Father of Tragedy: Aeschylus

• Father of Comedy: Aristophanes

• Greek theory of tragedy explained in: Poetics by Aristotle

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Important Dramatic Devices

• Hamartia – tragic flaw of the hero.

• Catharsis – purification of pity and fear (term from Poetics).

• Peripeteia – sudden reversal of fortune.

• Anagnorisis – recognition or discovery.

• Hubris – excessive pride of the tragic hero.

• Nemesis – punishment following hubris.

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Important Stage / Dramatic Techniques

• Soliloquy – character speaks thoughts alone on stage.

• Aside – speech heard by audience but not other characters.

• Dramatic irony – audience knows more than characters.

• Comic relief – humor in tragic situation.

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Important Special Devices

• Deus ex machina – sudden unexpected solution introduced by a god or outside force.

• Chorus – group commenting on action in Greek drama.

• Unities of Time, Place, Action – classical dramatic rules derived from Aristotle.

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Important Structural Terms

• Prologue – introduction to the play.

• Epilogue – concluding speech.

• Climax – highest dramatic tension.

• Denouement – resolution of the plot.

Types of Drama 

• Tragedy – serious drama ending in the fall or death of the hero; theory explained in Poetics by Aristotle.

• Comedy – drama that shows human weaknesses humorously and ends happily.

• Tragicomedy – mixture of tragic and comic elements.

• Farce – exaggerated comedy based on absurd situations.

• Melodrama – sensational drama with exaggerated emotions and clear good vs evil.

• Problem Play – drama dealing with social issues; term popularized by Henrik Ibsen.

• Masque – court entertainment with music, dance, and elaborate costumes; famous writer Ben Jonson.

• Closet Drama – drama written to be read, not performed.

• Comedy of Humours – characters dominated by one trait; associated with Ben Jonson.

• Comedy of Manners – satire on upper-class society; famous example The Way of the World by William Congreve.

• Sentimental Comedy – emphasizes emotion and moral virtue.

• Restoration Comedy – witty plays about aristocratic society after the Restoration of the English monarchy.

• Heroic Drama – serious plays about heroic characters and honor.

• Domestic Tragedy – tragedy about middle-class life.

• Revenge Tragedy – revenge motif and violence; example The Spanish Tragedy by Thomas Kyd.

• Theatre of the Absurd – drama showing meaninglessness of life; example Waiting for Godot by Samuel Beckett.

Important Stage / Drama Terms 

• Act – major division of a play.

• Scene – subdivision of an act; change of place or characters.

• Prologue – introductory speech before the play begins.

• Epilogue – concluding speech after the play ends.

• Soliloquy – speech in which a character reveals thoughts while alone on stage.

• Aside – brief remark heard by audience but not by other characters.

• Monologue – long speech by one character addressing others.

• Dumb Show – silent performance explaining the story; used in Hamlet by William Shakespeare.

• Chorus – group commenting on the action; common in Greek drama.

• Stage Direction – instructions in the script about movement, gesture, or setting.

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Important Plot / Structure Terms

• Exposition – introduction of characters and background.

• Rising Action – events leading to the climax.

• Climax – highest point of dramatic tension.

• Falling Action – events after the climax.

• Denouement – final resolution of the story.

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Important Dramatic Techniques

• Dramatic Irony – audience knows more than the characters.

• Comic Relief – humorous scene in a tragedy.

• Deus ex machina – sudden unexpected solution introduced from outside the plot.

• Catharsis – emotional purification of the audience (concept from Poetics by Aristotle).

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Other Important Terms

• Play-within-a-play – a play performed inside another play; example in Hamlet.

• Stage Whisper – dialogue spoken softly but heard by the audience.

• Curtain Call – actors return to the stage for applause.

Conclusion

Understanding the basic structure, devices, and key elements of drama is essential for mastering English literature exams. By revising important quotes, characters, dramatic techniques, and stage terminology, students can quick ly strengthen their conceptual clarity. These short bullet-point notes are especially useful for last-minute revision before exams like UGC NET. Regular revision of such core drama concepts will help learners remember critical information and perform better in literature examinations.

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Drama MCQs Practice

1. Who introduced the second actor in Greek tragedy?

A. Sophocles
B. Aeschylus
C. Euripides
D. Aristophanes

✅ Answer: B. Aeschylus

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2. Who introduced the third actor in Greek drama?

A. Aeschylus
B. Sophocles
C. Euripides
D. Aristophanes

✅ Answer: B. Sophocles

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3. The concept of Catharsis is explained in which work?

A. Republic
B. Poetics
C. Rhetoric
D. The Art of Poetry

✅ Answer: B. Poetics by Aristotle

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4. Which play is the first English tragedy?

A. The Spanish Tragedy
B. Doctor Faustus
C. Gorboduc
D. Everyman

✅ Answer: C. Gorboduc

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5. Which play is considered the first revenge tragedy in English?

A. Hamlet
B. The Spanish Tragedy
C. Macbeth
D. Volpone

✅ Answer: B. The Spanish Tragedy

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6. The Globe Theatre is associated with which dramatist?

A. Christopher Marlowe
B. William Shakespeare
C. Ben Jonson
D. Thomas Kyd

✅ Answer: B. William Shakespeare

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7. Which play belongs to the Theatre of the Absurd?

A. Look Back in Anger
B. Waiting for Godot
C. Pygmalion
D. A Doll's House

✅ Answer: B. Waiting for Godot

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8. Who wrote Doctor Faustus?

A. Thomas Kyd
B. Christopher Marlowe
C. Ben Jonson
D. John Webster

✅ Answer: B. Christopher Marlowe

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9. Which play contains the “Proviso Scene”?

A. The Way of the World
B. Volpone
C. The School for Scandal
D. The Rivals

✅ Answer: A. The Way of the World

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10. “To be or not to be” is spoken by which character?

A. Macbeth
B. Othello
C. Hamlet
D. King Lear

✅ Answer: C. Hamlet

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