The essential elements of drama were first defined some twenty-three centuries ago in a treatise called “Poetics” by none other than that famous Greek philosopher himself – Aristotle!
Now “Poetics” doesn’t mean what you think it does. It’s not rhyming verse – as in…
When I mention Aristotle
no one wants to hear it…
They just want to grab a bottle
of their favorite spirit.
“Poetics” in Aristotelian terms referred to drama, though many ancient plays – including those of Shakespeare – were written at least partially in verse.
So maybe he did know what he was talking about.
What he was talking about was the essence of dramatic storytelling, and he broke it down in to six elements.
“Plot” – the “structure of events.” Or - what happens in the story. Interestingly the Greek word for plot is “Mythos” – the root of mythology, an ancient story term still used in TV and movie development in the twenty-first century.
“Character” – in terms of both, an actor in a play and – a person with integrity.
Aristotle believed a character should be “good” – the Greek word for character was “ethos” – the root of the word ethical. He thought it inappropriate for a “villain” to be the hero. If they had HBO in his day, we’d never have heard of the man.
In addition to “good” he thought a character should be “appropriate” – that a wise man, for example, shouldn’t be young.
Today we’d call it a stereotype – a fixed, often simplified, version of a particular type of person - i.e. blonds are ditsy, or doctors are smart. The term “stereotype” as we use it today – originally referred to printing from a fixed metal plate as opposed to using moveable type.
Aristotle thought a character should be “consistent” – as he put it - “a soldier can’t be afraid of blood,” as it’s inconsistent with the nature of his occupation.
If however, a character changes - it needs to be because he’s “consistently-inconsistent.” In other words – a character that changes his mind needs to be indecisive by nature.
“Thought” – what a character believes that leads to his behavior. The soldier may be bloodthirsty – or the wise man driven by arrogance and overconfidence. It’s what we would think of today as motive.
“Diction” – the language (dialogue) of the story. We wouldn't expect a New England Socialite to deign to utter the words – “I was runnin’ like a nekkid man in a west Texas hail storm!” George Bush on the other hand… The point is – the language should fit the character.
“Melody” – Literally meaning music. Greek dramas had a “Chorus” used to set the scene and offer narration – usually by singing. We still use narration today - and most movies have musical themes that reinforce the story. A gentle string motif can signal that a romance is about to begin – or a dominant brass hit warns us of impending danger.
“Spectacle” - the technical aspects of production. To Aristotle this meant scenery and costumes. Today it means everything from photographic aesthetics to editing style.
So that’s “Poetics.” As you can see most of it still applies on some level.
But, the world has moved on. We now live in a world of anti-heroes like Tony Soprano and Nucky Thompson - people as flawed as they are heroic. Motives are muddled and gray areas broadened. It’s hard to tell the good from the bad, especially when news looks like entertainment – and politicians are reality TV stars.
So I’ve tweaked Aristotle’s “Poetics” list a bit.
My list looks like this:
- Theme – or thesis (see I kept a little of the Greek) in other words what the story means – in addition to what happens.
- Goal and Desire – what the hero wants personally - and what he/she needs to achieve in relation to a particular story.
- Character – including the anti-hero – and all his myriad motives and inconsistencies.
- Plot – what happens to the hero and how it relates to Theme, Character, Goal and Desire.
- Dialogue – pretty much the same as Aristotle but with urban slang and cursing! Emoji’s still not allowed. But, the day’s young.
- Style – including production technique, graphics design, music, and yes even your brand image!
So 
that’s my list. The AtelierIMD Elements of Drama!
Over the next few weeks we’ll break these elements down and see how they work – and more importantly - in the age of complex storytelling. How they all relate to one another and to your brand.
Yes! I’m revising Aristotle – But, I’m not arrogant or anything…
Wait!
Have you been talking to my ex-wife!?
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