Title: Elements of Drama: Conflict | The Drama Teacher
Headings: Elements of Drama: Conflict
Elements of Drama: Conflict
Content: These plays that present us with characters in conflict with society and/or nature often show us conflict on a grander scale than simply characters conflicting against each other. Yet on its simplest level, external conflict is usually represented by a character whose objectives in the plot are impeded by the actions of another (opposing) character. This type of conflict clearly illustrates the needs and desires of different characters in a play, and without it the drama would be listless. Often (but not always) these characters are the play’s protagonist and antagonist. Conflict in a theatrical performance often differs from tension in that it is normally a more permanent part of the structure of the play, as opposed to a brief moment of suspense that is more transient. When students in a high school drama class are developing a performance, this usually requires the essential ingredient of conflict. This applies to student works created by both improvising and scripting. In certain circumstances, dramatic works are developed in the classroom that are snippets, workshop presentations etc created for a very specific purpose. These may not require conflict. But as a golden rule, students of theatre should always remember George Bernard Shaw’s famous quote “No conflict, no drama”.