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Literature vocabulary · Drama and Theatre

Dramatic structure

Meaning in literature, with examples

nounCommon term

In literature, dramatic structure means: The organized pattern of action in a play or story, including stages such as setup, rising tension, climax, and resolution.

In Turkish: dramatik yapı

How it is used

Used in theatre studies, script workshops, and literary analysis. It describes how scenes or episodes are arranged to build conflict and release.

Example sentences

  1. The director praised the script's dramatic structure because each scene increased pressure before the quiet but convincing final turn.

    Here, dramatic structure refers to the ordered progression of tension across scenes, not simply to the story's subject matter.

  2. While revising the article, I added a paragraph on dramatic structure to explain why the middle act feels slow.

    In this example, the term is used as an analytical tool for diagnosing pacing problems within the arrangement of the plot.

Common collocations

  • dramatic structure of a play
  • classical dramatic structure
  • three-act dramatic structure
  • analyze dramatic structure
  • dramaLiterature written to be performed by actors on a stage, telling a story through dialogue and action; also a single serious play.
  • playA piece of writing for the theatre, made up of dialogue and stage directions, that actors perform in front of an audience.

More terms: Drama and Theatre

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