Drama VS Novel

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Hillin

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Hello Friends;
well, I just wonder what is the difference between drama and novel?!!!!if both are told through dialogue!!!!:roll:any help here!!!!
 

Barb_D

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A novel is a book that is a work of fiction. The people and events are invented. It can be funny, serious, and adventure, a fantasy, realistic historical fiction, or many more genres.

"Drama" is a type of entertainment. A play or a movie can be called "a drama." It's not a comedy, or a romance, or an adventure -- it's a realistic story showing people experiencing realistic emotions, usually in a tense situation.

We don't usually call a dramatic book a drama. We say it's a dramatic novel.
 

kassem_mula

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Some Relations & Differences between ‘Novel’ & ‘Drama’:

Drama is more similar to Novel than with Story. In a story, the writer describes the events; in Novel, he also describes details of environment and thinking/ feeling of various characters. In Drama, ‘environment’ and ‘thinking/ emotions’ of characters are not ‘described’ but are ‘presented’. Environment is presented through stage design whereas thinking/ emotions of characters are presented through background music plus facial expressions etc. of actors (i.e. characters). A Story proceeds in the form of just description of interrelated course of events. Novel states the background of its story just like in short stories but rest of the proceedings is ‘evolved’ out of description of environment and interactions between characters. It means that author of a Novel doesn’t tell all the story to readers because here readers have to understand the story proceedings out of the description of situations that are faced by characters as well as out of dialogues between those characters.

In Drama, everything including background, emotions and dialogues between characters are not ‘described’ but are ‘presented’. All the story proceedings shall come out of dialogues between characters or even out of ‘self-talking’ of characters because this ‘self-talking’ technique is often used in Dramas with the view to ‘present’ the background of the story of Drama. Unlike a Novel, In Drama, even the relationship between characters is not described. Audience should understand the relationship between those characters just out of type of interaction between those characters or out of exchange of dialogues between them.
 

Barb_D

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Welcome to Using English.

Are there just your ideas, or are you posting descriptions you gathered from somewhere else?

I can't understand how a "story" is not an inherent part of any novel or drama.
 

Hillin

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A novel is a book that is a work of fiction. The people and events are invented. It can be funny, serious, and adventure, a fantasy, realistic historical fiction, or many more genres.

"Drama" is a type of entertainment. A play or a movie can be called "a drama." It's not a comedy, or a romance, or an adventure -- it's a realistic story showing people experiencing realistic emotions, usually in a tense situation.

We don't usually call a dramatic book a drama. We say it's a dramatic novel.
Well,sorry Barb for "? "y late rely and first of all thank you for the clarification,I found it interesting but there is so" .?.."ething which it stays not obvious"dra reflects realistic events"so do you " .?.."ean all dra has to be real"sorry coz the letter" "in the word dra"?"a can't work :
 

Barb_D

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Sorry, I can't read what you just wrote!
 

Hillin

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Hi Barb,
sorry again since I had a problem with letter"m" which was missed on my previous MSG.well what I understood and according to what you've written"drama reflects realistic events"unlike the novel" but my Q now is "does this mean that drama can't deal with fiction?!!!!t:?::-|
 

Barb_D

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Absolutley drama can be fictional!

You can have a documentary that has drama to it, but the vast majority is fictional.

It is simply realistic in its feel.
 

Raymott

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Hello Friends;
well, I just wonder what is the difference between drama and novel?!!!!if both are told through dialogue!!!!:roll:any help here!!!!
In the academic study of Literature - at least English as I learnt it, there are three main sub-types of fiction: novels, drama, and poetry.
You read novels; you watch drama being acted on a stage, and you can either read or listen to poetry.
When I did my English degree, these three elements were discrete. Even though we read Shakespeare, we were always reminded that his plays were meant to be acted.

Of course, 'drama' has a different meaning in other disciplines - on TV, for example. Or you could say that one novel is 'dramatic', while another is more 'psychological'. But, if I have understood the context of your question, 'dramas' are written to be acted. A drama is a play; a novel is a book.
 

Hillin

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at least English as I learnt it, there are three main sub-types of fiction: novels, drama, and poetry.
You read novels; you watch drama being acted on a stage, and you can either read or listen to poetry.
When I did my English degree, these three elements were discrete. Even though we read Shakespeare, we were always reminded that his plays were meant to be acted.

Of course, 'drama' has a different meaning in other disciplines - on TV, for example. Or you could say that one novel is 'dramatic', while another is more 'psychological'. But, if I have understood the context of your question, 'dramas' are written to be acted. A drama is a play; a novel is a book.
Thank you"Raymott"for the explanation"really I found it veryinteresting"and it clarifies two things to me;
the first one;when you said" 'drama' has a different meaning in other disciplines - on TV, for example"and I think this what "Barb"wanted to refer to("the kind of drama twhich seen on TV when she said"drama is realistic in its sense")I hope that I'm not wrong this time"Barb"!!!I know I'm a troublemaker"student":)
the second thing was your explanation "You read novels; you watch drama being acted on a stage"which was similar to kassem mula answer"novel describes however drama present""(by the way i wanna thank "kassem for sharing us this "discussed subject"as well)really I found this data very intersting and helps me to distinguish btw the two words.:)
thak you again "Raymott"
 
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