Learn all important Drama Forms in English Literature with definitions, playwrights, and examples. Essential notes for UGC NET English, PhD entrance, and competitive exams covering Tragedy, Comedy of Manners, Tragicomedy, Problem Play, Epic Theatre, Absurd Theatre, and more.

Drama Forms in English Literature

Introduction

Drama has been one of the most powerful forms of literary expression in English literature. From the Greek tragedies of Sophocles to the modern absurdist plays of Beckett and Pinter, drama has constantly evolved in form, style, and purpose. Understanding different drama forms such as Tragedy, Comedy of Manners, Tragicomedy, Problem Play, Epic Theatre, and others is essential for students preparing for **UGC NET English Literature, PhD entrance exams, and competitive tests like UPSC or GPSC (Literature optional).*

This article provides a complete list of major drama forms with definitions, key playwrights, and five important works for each form. These notes will help students quickly revise and strengthen their preparation for NET, SET, JRF, and PhD literature exams.

🎭 Drama-Related Terms & Themes

1. Structure of Drama

Act – Major division of a play.
Scene – Subdivision of an act.
Exposition – Introduction of background information.
Climax – Turning point, peak of tension.
Denouement / Catastrophe – Resolution / ending.
Curtain Raiser – Short play before the main play.
One-Act Play – Short play with single act.
Epilogue – Concluding speech.
Prologue – Introductory speech.

2. Character & Speech Techniques

Soliloquy – Speech revealing inner thoughts (e.g., Hamlet’s “To be or not to be”).
Aside – Dialogue spoken to audience, not heard by other characters.
Monologue – Long speech by one character.
Dialogue – Conversation between two or more characters.
Chorus – Group commenting on action (Greek drama, Elizabethan plays).

3. Types of Drama

Tragedy – Serious drama with downfall of protagonist (Aristotle).
Comedy – Light drama with happy ending.
Tragicomedy – Mix of tragedy and comedy.
Farce – Exaggerated, humorous drama (slapstick).
Melodrama – Emotional, sensational drama.
Masque – Courtly entertainment with music, dance, allegory (Renaissance).
Morality Play – Medieval drama teaching moral lessons.
Mystery Play – Biblical/Religious stories in medieval period.
Problem Play – Drama addressing social issues (Ibsen, Shaw).
Absurd Drama – Post-war existential drama (Beckett, Ionesco).

4. Thematic Ideas in Drama

Catharsis – Purging of emotions (Aristotle’s Poetics).
Hamartia – Tragic flaw of a hero.
Hubris – Excessive pride leading to downfall.
Anagnorisis – Recognition/realization moment.
Peripeteia – Reversal of fortune.
Deus ex Machina – Sudden intervention to resolve plot.
Mimesis – Imitation of action/life.
Unity of Action, Time, Place – Classical dramatic unities.

5. Modern Drama Concepts

Epic Theatre – Brecht, breaking illusion, audience awareness.
Theatre of the Absurd – Meaninglessness, repetition, existential themes.
Well-Made Play – Scribe/Ibsen, careful structure, tight plot.
Kitchen-Sink Drama – British realistic drama of working-class life.
Agon – Conflict/contest at the core of Greek drama.

. Denouement

French word meaning “untying of the knot”.
Refers to the final resolution of the plot in a drama.
It explains how conflicts are solved, mysteries are cleared, and the story is brought to a close.
Example: In Othello, after Othello’s suicide, Lodovico restores order — this is the denouement.

2. Catastrophe

Traditionally used in Greek tragedy.
Refers to the final event of the play that brings about the downfall of the protagonist.
Often involves death, suffering, or destruction.
Example: In Hamlet, the death of Hamlet and other main characters is the catastrophe.

Key Difference

Denouement → The resolution or conclusion of the plot.
Catastrophe → The tragic downfall of the protagonist (in tragedies).

👉 In comedies, we usually talk about denouement (happy resolution).
👉 In tragedies, we usually talk about catastrophe (disastrous ending).

🎭 Drama Forms & Playwrights

Masque → Ben Jonson
- Example: The Masque of Blackness (1605)
- Court entertainment, with music, dance, allegory.
Tragedy → Sophocles / Shakespeare
- Example: Oedipus Rex (Sophocles), Hamlet (Shakespeare).
Comedy of Humours → Ben Jonson
- Example: Every Man in His Humour (1598).
Comedy of Manners → William Congreve / Oscar Wilde
- Example: Congreve’s The Way of the World, Wilde’s The Importance of Being Earnest.
Tragicomedy → John Fletcher
- Example: The Faithful Shepherdess.
Morality Play → Anonymous (Medieval)
- Example: Everyman.
Miracle/Mystery Play → Medieval Guild Writers
- Example: The Second Shepherds’ Play.
Problem Play → Henrik Ibsen / George Bernard Shaw
- Example: Ibsen’s A Doll’s House, Shaw’s Mrs. Warren’s Profession.
Well-Made Play → Eugène Scribe / Émile Augier
- Example: Adrienne Lecouvreur (Scribe).
Kitchen Sink Drama → John Osborne / Arnold Wesker

Example: Osborne’s Look Back in Anger (1956).

Theatre of the Absurd → Samuel Beckett / Eugene Ionesco / Harold Pinter

Example: Beckett’s Waiting for Godot (1953).

Epic Theatre → Bertolt Brecht

Example: Mother Courage and Her Children (1939).

Expressionist Drama → Georg Kaiser / Ernst Toller

Example: Kaiser’s From Morn to Midnight.

Restoration Comedy → William Wycherley / William Congreve

Example: Wycherley’s The Country Wife.

Senecan Tragedy (Revenge Tragedy) → Seneca → Thomas Kyd

Example: Kyd’s The Spanish Tragedy (1580s).

Pastoral Drama → John Fletcher / Shakespeare

Example: Shakespeare’s As You Like It, Fletcher’s The Faithful Shepherdess.

Curtain Raiser → (No fixed dramatist, but popular in Victorian theatre)

Example: One-act play staged before the main play.

Farce → George Farquhar / Molière

Example: Molière’s The Imaginary Invalid.

🎭 Major Drama Forms in English Literature

1. Tragedy (Ancient → Renaissance → Modern)

Oedipus Rex – Sophocles
Hamlet – Shakespeare
Macbeth – Shakespeare
Doctor Faustus – Christopher Marlowe
Long Day’s Journey into Night – Eugene O’Neill

2. Comedy of Humours (Ben Jonson)

Every Man in His Humour (1598)
Every Man out of His Humour (1599)
Cynthia’s Revels (1600)
Volpone (1606)
The Alchemist (1610)

3. Comedy of Manners (Restoration & Modern)

The Way of the World – William Congreve
The Country Wife – William Wycherley
Love for Love – Congreve
She Would If She Could – George Etherege
The Importance of Being Earnest – Oscar Wilde

4. Tragicomedy (John Fletcher → Shakespeare influence)

The Faithful Shepherdess – John Fletcher
The Tempest – Shakespeare
The Winter’s Tale – Shakespeare
Philaster – Beaumont and Fletcher
Cymbeline – Shakespeare

5. Morality Play (Medieval Allegory)

Everyman (Anonymous)
Mankind (Anonymous)
The Castle of Perseverance
Wisdom
Magnyfycence – John Skelton

6. Miracle / Mystery Play (Biblical Dramas)

The Second Shepherds’ Play (Wakefield Cycle)
York Mystery Plays
Chester Mystery Plays
Towneley Plays
N-Town Plays

7. Masque (Court entertainment, Jonson)

The Masque of Blackness – Ben Jonson
The Masque of Queens – Ben Jonson
Comus – John Milton
Hymenaei – Jonson
Chloridia – Jonson

8. Problem Play (Ibsen & Shaw)

A Doll’s House – Henrik Ibsen
Ghosts – Henrik Ibsen
An Enemy of the People – Ibsen
Mrs. Warren’s Profession – G.B. Shaw
Major Barbara – G.B. Shaw

9. Well-Made Play (French model → Scribe)

Adrienne Lecouvreur – Eugène Scribe
A Scrap of Paper – Scribe
The Glass of Water – Scribe
Camille – Alexandre Dumas fils (influenced)
A Doll’s House – Ibsen (adapted technique)

10. Kitchen Sink Drama (1950s Britain)

Look Back in Anger – John Osborne
Roots – Arnold Wesker
Chicken Soup with Barley – Wesker
A Taste of Honey – Shelagh Delaney
The Entertainer – Osborne

11. Theatre of the Absurd (Post-WWII)

Waiting for Godot – Samuel Beckett
Endgame – Beckett
The Bald Soprano – Eugene Ionesco
The Chairs – Ionesco
The Birthday Party – Harold Pinter

12. Epic Theatre (Brecht)

Mother Courage and Her Children – Brecht
The Good Woman of Setzuan – Brecht
The Caucasian Chalk Circle – Brecht
The Life of Galileo – Brecht
The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui – Brecht

13. Expressionist Drama (Germany, 20th C.)

From Morn to Midnight – Georg Kaiser
Gas – Kaiser
Man and the Masses – Ernst Toller
Hoppla, We’re Alive! – Toller
Murderer, the Hope of Women – Oskar Kokoschka

14. Restoration Comedy

The Country Wife – William Wycherley
The Plain Dealer – Wycherley
The Man of Mode – George Etherege
Love for Love – William Congreve
The Way of the World – Congreve

15. Revenge Tragedy (Senecan)

The Spanish Tragedy – Thomas Kyd
Hamlet – Shakespeare
The Duchess of Malfi – John Webster
The White Devil – John Webster
The Revenger’s Tragedy – Cyril Tourneur

16. Pastoral Drama

The Faithful Shepherdess – Fletcher
As You Like It – Shakespeare
Cymbeline – Shakespeare (part-pastoral)
Il Pastor Fido – Giovanni Guarini
The Sad Shepherd – Ben Jonson

17. Farce

The Comedy of Errors – Shakespeare
She Stoops to Conquer – Oliver Goldsmith
The Imaginary Invalid – Molière
What the Butler Saw – Joe Orton
Noises Off – Michael Frayn

Drama Form	Playwrights	Works
Tragedy	Sophocles, Shakespeare, Marlowe	Oedipus Rex, Hamlet, Macbeth, Doctor Faustus, Long Day’s Journey into Night
Comedy of Humours	Ben Jonson	Every Man in His Humour, Every Man out of His Humour, Cynthia’s Revels, Volpone, The Alchemist
Comedy of Manners	Congreve, Wycherley, Wilde	The Way of the World, The Country Wife, Love for Love, She Would If She Could, The Importance of Being Earnest
Tragicomedy	Fletcher, Shakespeare	The Faithful Shepherdess, The Tempest, The Winter’s Tale, Philaster, Cymbeline
Problem Play	Ibsen, Shaw	A Doll’s House, Ghosts, An Enemy of the People, Mrs. Warren’s Profession, Major Barbara
Theatre of the Absurd	Beckett, Ionesco, Pinter	Waiting for Godot, Endgame, The Bald Soprano, The Chairs, The Birthday Party
Epic Theatre	Brecht	Mother Courage and Her Children, The Good Woman of Setzuan, Caucasian Chalk Circle, Life of Galileo, The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui
Farce	Molière, Shakespeare, Orton	The Comedy of Errors, She Stoops to Conquer, The Imaginary Invalid, What the Butler Saw, Noises Off

🎭 Drama Forms – MCQs

Q1. The Masque as a dramatic form is most associated with:
A) Christopher Marlowe
B) Ben Jonson
C) George Bernard Shaw
D) John Osborne
Answer: B) Ben Jonson

Q2. “Every Man in His Humour” (1598) is an example of:
A) Comedy of Humours
B) Comedy of Manners
C) Farce
D) Tragicomedy
Answer: A) Comedy of Humours

Q3. The Comedy of Manners tradition is represented by:
A) William Congreve’s The Way of the World
B) Henrik Ibsen’s Ghosts
C) Thomas Kyd’s The Spanish Tragedy
D) Ben Jonson’s Volpone
Answer: A) William Congreve’s The Way of the World

Q4. John Fletcher is credited with developing which form?
A) Well-Made Play
B) Tragicomedy
C) Expressionist Drama
D) Kitchen Sink Drama
Answer: B) Tragicomedy

Q5. The medieval play Everyman is an example of a:
A) Miracle Play
B) Morality Play
C) Masque
D) Problem Play
Answer: B) Morality Play

Q6. Shaw’s Mrs. Warren’s Profession is an example of a:
A) Absurdist Drama
B) Problem Play
C) Pastoral Play
D) Farce
Answer: B) Problem Play

Q7. The term “Well-Made Play” is associated with:
A) Henrik Ibsen
B) Eugene Scribe
C) Bertolt Brecht
D) Oscar Wilde
Answer: B) Eugene Scribe

Q8. “Look Back in Anger” (1956) by John Osborne is a landmark of:
A) Theatre of the Absurd
B) Kitchen Sink Drama
C) Epic Theatre
D) Restoration Comedy
Answer: B) Kitchen Sink Drama

Q9. “Waiting for Godot” (1953) by Samuel Beckett belongs to:
A) Epic Theatre
B) Expressionism
C) Theatre of the Absurd
D) Comedy of Manners
Answer: C) Theatre of the Absurd

Q10. “Mother Courage and Her Children” is an example of:
A) Epic Theatre
B) Expressionist Play
C) Morality Play
D) Farce
Answer: A) Epic Theatre

Q11. Which dramatist is connected with Expressionist Drama?
A) Georg Kaiser
B) Henrik Ibsen
C) Ben Jonson
D) William Wycherley
Answer: A) Georg Kaiser

Q12. Restoration Comedy is represented by:
A) Thomas Kyd
B) William Wycherley
C) George Bernard Shaw
D) Bertolt Brecht
Answer: B) William Wycherley

Q13. The “Revenge Tragedy” form was popularized in England by:
A) Christopher Marlowe
B) Thomas Kyd
C) Oscar Wilde
D) John Galsworthy
Answer: B) Thomas Kyd

Q14. Shakespeare’s As You Like It can also be classified as a:
A) Tragicomedy
B) Masque
C) Pastoral Play
D) Problem Play
Answer: C) Pastoral Play

Q15. A “Curtain Raiser” in theatre is best described as:
A) A masque performed at court
B) A tragic scene before climax
C) A one-act play staged before the main play
D) A farcical ending of a tragedy
Answer: C) A one-act play staged before the main play

Conclusion

Drama as a literary form reflects the changing society, human emotions, and philosophical questions across different ages. For students of English literature preparing for NET, JRF, SET, UPSC, GPSC, and PhD entrance exams, understanding these forms with examples of key plays and playwrights is crucial. Revising these concepts ensures better performance in objective MCQs, match-the-following, and descriptive questions.

Mastering drama forms—from Greek Tragedy to Theatre of the Absurd—not only helps in exams but also deepens appreciation of the rich tradition of world literature.

U NET : NET SET PHD EXAM

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