Page 44 - Theatre_Arts_Form_5

Theatre Arts for Advanced Secondary Schools

Theme or message
Theme is a central idea of a work of art. It can also be referred to the message
that the author intends to convey. Theme is what the story is all about. Common
themes of the play are such as loneliness, poverty, cruelty, birth, life and death
alike. Theme is a very crucial aspect of the stage, radio and screen scripts. A
FOR ONLINE READING ONLY
well-developed theme adds detailed meaning to the story. The theme should be
coherent, cohesive and rich in terms of content. Theme should explore clearly
the universal truth or questions about human conditions. It is essential for a
scriptwriter to consider drawing themes from their society. This is crucial since it
enables the audience to reflect on what is actually taking place in their locations.

Character
Characters are the central part of the screenplay, stage or radio play. They are
individuals who drive conflicts and story forward through their actions, dialogue
and interactions with one another and provide the point of view for the story.
Aristotle calls them “agents of action in a play”. Characters speak in the dialogue
and they enact the stage, radio or screen directions. Playwrights and screenplay
writers use characters as devices to tell their stories. Writers need certain types
of characters who play specific roles to drive the plot of the story. Therefore,
is it important to categorise characters according to the part they play in the
story. There are two basic types of characters according to roles; protagonist
(main character) and antagonist.

Protagonist
This is a main or principal character in a story. Every story must have a protagonist
who drives the conflict and plot of the story. It is impossible to have the plot
without the protagonist. The protagonist is the most important and central
character in the story, whose role is to initiate and receive action. Consciously,
protagonists strive to achieve a goal or embark on a journey. They must have a
combination of emotional, moral and ethical qualities of which the audiences
will find praiseworthy and less acceptable. Conventionally, people meet the
protagonist at the beginning of a story. They follow them through a series of
trials and tribulations, before leaving them at the end of the story in a new form.

Form Five 34

28/06/2024 15:04
THEATRE ART F5 fnl.indd 34 28/06/2024 15:04
THEATRE ART F5 fnl.indd 34