CAPE Literatures in English - Toolkit for Decoding Drama Extracts (Multiple Choice Edition)

Understanding a drama extract requires an awareness of how meaning is presented through the structure, use of language and literary devices. You should be able to explain and evaluate how extracts are presented.

As you prepare for the CAPE Literatures in English examinations, use the information below as a refresher or encouragement to conduct additional research.

1. Be familiar with the forms, features and elements of drama. You should be able to distinguish plays from other genres. These forms, features and elements below have been sourced from the CAPE Literatures in English syllabus.

Forms of Drama
- Comedy
- History
- Tragedy
- Romance
- Tragi-comedy
- Satire
- Theatre of the Absurd
- Farce
- Modern Drama
- Melodrama

Features of Drama
- Monologue
- Dialogue
- Soliloquy
- Aside
- Set
- Stage direction
- Stage conventions (costume, lighting, sound effects, movement, stage position, backdrops and props)
- Stage action
- Chorus
- Dramatic unities (time, place and action)
- disguise

Elements of Drama
- act
- scene
- exposition
- conflict
- complication
- climax
- denouement (resolution)
- peripeteia
- characterization
- protagonist and antagonist
- main plot, sub-plot
- suspense

2. Revise literary devices. You may be asked to identify them or select the reason(s) for their dramatic significance. Remember that playwrights often use language deliberately and this often impacts meaning.

Literary devices

- Imagery
- Motif
- Symbolism
- Dramatic and tragic irony
- Juxtaposition
- And other literary devices

3. Read the extract closely to determine the playwright’s focus. As you read and reflect on the extract, consider these questions: What is the setting? What impact does the setting have on the events or characters? Who are the characters that are involved? What do we learn about the characters? Does the playwright use specific techniques and devices? How are these techniques/devices dramatically significant? How are stage directions used? Does the extract explore specific themes? How do you know this? Does the extract have a particular tone? Do characters have particular tones? How do you know this? What is the mood of extract or in specific parts of the extract? What impact does the extract or specific parts of the extract have or is intended to have on the audience/reader?

4. Pay attention to the nature of the questions. You may be asked questions that focus on the:

- relationships that exist between characters
- ways characters are revealed or what is revealed about specific characters
- attitude of characters towards each other
- setting and its effects on characters, plot or the audience/reader
- stage directions and their dramatic functions at specific parts of the play or the overall play
- themes that are being explored in the extract
- dramatic significance of props, stage directions, lines or characters’ actions
- tone in the overall extract or the tone at specific parts of the play
- presence, use, purpose or impact of irony
- purpose or effect of specific stylistic features in the play such as ellipses or italic
- use of literary devices
- type of drama

Please note that some questions can be pretty straightforward, but others require close attention to unravelling the nuances of meaning. For these questions, your inferential skills are invaluable.

5. Boost your vocabulary by extensive reading. As students of Literatures in English, you will be presented with extracts that require you to recognise inferred meaning. This means that the more you work on building your vocabulary, the more efficient you will be in decoding meaning and selecting the most appropriate response.

Reminder: Success in responding to the questions that are connected to the drama extracts requires you to be attentive to how meaning is impacted or presented by the writer's craft.