(toc) #title= (Table of Content)
THOUGHT/IDEA
INTRODUCTION
In this article, you will learn about thought or idea in dramatic writing. You will also be in a position to distinguish between theme, subject matter, and the story. At the point of conceptualization, you focus on an idea that will yield your story from which the theme and subject matter will emerge eventually.
Theme
Theme is the main idea that permeates the entire play. You have the major theme, but you could also have other themes; hence, you could have a variety of themes in a single play. Themes could emerge from a concept, an idea, an abstract quality, or an incident which the playwright uses to send his message to the audience. The theme of *The Trials of Brother Jero*, for instance, is religious hypocrisy or deceit. As the playwright explores the theme, he gives his perspective on the issue. The theme of Shakespeare’s *Hamlet* is revenge. By the end of the play, as the principal actors die, it becomes clear that Shakespeare does not support revenge. Hamlet, in his bid to avenge his father’s death, loses his lover, his mother, his peace of mind, his happiness, and eventually dies.
The playwright could write his play on an idea based on events around him. Drama mirrors society, and through that mirror, the dramatist informs and educates while entertaining his audience. He is also referred to as the conscience of the society, so he is expected to dramatize the ills of society or the good sides of that society in an impartial manner. Through the theme, he condemns those aspects of society that hinder progress, while he promotes social justice/equality, or crime. In Nigeria, for instance, many playwrights explore themes of bribery, corruption, bad leadership, insecurity, and other forms of misdemeanors that bedevil contemporary Nigeria.
Apart from contemporary issues, themes could also be drawn from myth, legend, history, or folklore. In all these, the propelling factor for the playwright is to send a message to the audience through an entertainment medium—drama. Most playwrights believe that they can make their societies better through the dramatization of the themes that promote positive values in society with the hope that the audience will be influenced to take constructive steps for the progress of their societies. The theme is presented as an interesting story through an appropriate dramatic genre. In *Hamlet*, Shakespeare explores the theme of revenge through the tragic mode, while Soyinka presents the theme of religious hypocrisy through the comic mode. As the audience laughs at Brother Chume’s foolery and Jero’s antics, they learn to be wary of false or fake prophets. A particular theme could be dramatized by many playwrights. Each playwright explores the theme from his perspective to give it the desired originality and mark of uniqueness.
The theme of the play gives it significance because without a recognizable and definable theme, the story presented in the play will be commonplace and meaningless. So, as a playwright, you should strive to ensure that you focus clearly on your theme. This is because it is the motivating force of the story. You see that in *Hamlet*, every step taken by Hamlet points towards his revenge intent. In *The Trials of Brother Jero*, the old man’s allegation against Brother Jero and Jero’s reaction foreshadow his dubious nature that gives him away as an impostor and a fake prophet. Also, his admiration of the young lady that goes to the beach every morning lends credence to his lustful nature. He does not allow Brother Chume to beat his wife because he does not want to lose Chume as a member of his congregation. Finally, the way he dodges Amope each time she comes to collect the money he owes her points to his dubious nature.
Each playwright chooses a theme before choosing the style to adopt. Other aspects of the play like characters, plot, setting, and language are carefully chosen in such a way that they advance the major theme of the story. A play could have more than one theme, in which case we talk about sub-themes. Usually, the major theme is obvious because the main action of the play revolves around it, while the sub-theme is subsumed in the main theme but discernible.
The theme of a play could be given in one word, a sentence, a statement, or a phrase. In some complex plays, it might be difficult to decipher the theme. However, as a budding playwright, it is advisable that you choose a theme and focus on it in such a way that it will be discernible since it is the central thought, the controlling idea in the play.
A theme could be symbolic or literal. At this stage, it is easier to deal with literal themes. The audience is expected to distill the theme consciously or unconsciously as the play progresses. In some cases, the theme emerges after the reading or watching of an entire play. Although this idea is presented in the form of fiction, which according to Oakley Hall is “a euphemism for lies” (23), in writing your play, you should give this fiction a semblance of truth which in the novel is referred to as verisimilitude. What we mean here is that the play should be as close as possible to reality. You can achieve this through the presentation of realistic characters who are involved in possible and plausible actions. As a playwright, you should strive to convince your audience of the authenticity of your story through make-believe, and they will be in a good position to assimilate your story through a willing suspension of disbelief as if you are presenting real-life situations on stage. So, you will have to select, alter, distill, distort, and sometimes exaggerate facts to create this dramatic “truth.” This truth is dramatized in a process that could hold and engage the imagination of the audience. In drama, therefore, you strive to present an imitation of real life. The most important factor is that this real life is represented in an artistic form.
Subject Matter
The subject matter is different from the theme, but some students of literature interchange them since they believe that they are the same. As a playwright, you should be in a position to distinguish one from the other. The subject matter is the topic of discussion in the play. In many plays, the subject matter is extracted from the title of the play. In Soyinka’s *The Lion and the Jewel*, for instance, the theme could be tradition versus modernity or, to be more explicit, the triumph of African Tradition over Western Culture, but the subject is the fame of Sidi (the Jewel), a young and beautiful girl, and her fall through her seduction by the Bale (the Lion), who is old enough to be her father. In many plays, the title explains the subject matter. This play presents a relationship between the Lion, Bale, and the Jewel, Sidi. This alliance does not only affect her growing fame adversely but also deprives her of a marriage to a younger man, Lakunle. So in the play, the title illuminates the subject matter of the play. Also, in *The Marriage of Anansewa*, Efua Sutherland explores the theme of love, but the subject matter is how Ananse marries his daughter to a chief she has never met. It means that the subject matter of any play is the subject of discussion from which the theme is extracted. Usually, the theme is subsumed in the subject matter. Just as the theme is explored through other aspects of the play, the subject matter is highlighted through events, incidents, and the action in the play.
Subject matter is reflected in the action which the playwright presents in the play. In most cases, the statement is about human problems from the playwright’s perspective. It is his vision of the world, and in a good play, the statement is expected to have universal validity or relevance for all ages.
The Story
Every play tells an imaginary story through action. This story is the unification of the events or incidents in the play in such a way that it forms a coherent whole. The story holds the audience and raises its expectations on this or that aspect of the play as it progresses. They watch or read the play following the story with keen interest as they want to know what happens next. A good play tells an interesting story and holds the audience spellbound, while an uninteresting story sends it to sleep. It is in the story that the playwright organizes his ideas in such a way that he produces something that he could hold together to achieve the desired result. In a nutshell, the story in the order or sequence of events, an outline of the incidents or events in the play, is called plot. This will be discussed in detail in Unit 3, the next unit.
Leave a comment behind