The conventional formal arrangement into acts and scenes derives ultimately from the practice in Greek drama of alternating scenes of dialogue with choral sections. From classical example also comes the standard subdivision into tragedy and comedy. Historically, many of the specific conventions of these two types have changed. We refer, for instance, to Greek tragedy , or to medieval tragedy , or to Shakespearean tragedy . It is helpful, in discussing plays, to have some familiarity with some basic conventions of drama.
Every play typically involves the direct presentation of actions and words by characters on a stage.
This conventional movement in drama is not an absolute, but a tendency we observe, and variations are frequent. It is useful to understand this conventional structure of drama so that we can better appreciate departures from it, as well as apply it more specifically to tragedies, as well as to comedies. Its lengthiness was properly a response to the magnitude of the subject material. This broader classification can include many kinds of narratives, in prose as well as in verse. It should be noted that the three-part division of lyric, drama, and epic or fiction, while useful and relatively comprehensive, does not provide a place for all of the known literary genres.