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Elements of Modern Drama

Playwrights use many of the same techniques that other types of text creators use.  

• When you studied poetry, you learned about poetic devices in the tutorials Understanding Poetry and Figuring Out Figurative Language.
  
  
• When you studied short stories and your novel in Unit 2, you learned about elements of literature in the following tutorials:      
  
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  Plot and Point of View
  
Setting
Symbols and Irony
Characters

Pay attention as you read the play in this unit to see which of these techniques the playwright used to enhance his text.

There are, however, some techniques and tools that are unique to modern drama.  Study the following Modern Drama Tutorial in order to learn more.  Take your time.  You will need to understand the information in this tutorial in order to successfully complete the quiz on the next page, as well as the assignments and tests in this unit.  

Download this useful Modern Drama Tutorial Note-taking Sheet (in Word, Google doc, or PDF format) to keep track of the terms you are about to learn.  The note-taking sheet is not required but will be useful to you when it comes time to complete assignments or to study for quizzes and exams.