English 108
Introduction to Drama

California University of Pennsylvania

Tips
Tips for Writing About Drama

1. When summarizing a play or a performance, always use the present tense.

2. Play titles should always be italicized: Oedipus Rex, Trifles.

3. When you use a quote from a play, cite the quote’s location in parentheses after the quote.  Give the act, the scene, and the line numbers in Arabic numerals, all separated by periods. 

"To be or not to be" (3.1.55). [Act three, scene one, line fifty-five]

Do not use page numbers.   (This may require that you count the scenes or lines by hand.)

            If the quote is longer than four lines, set it off an extra five spaces on the left and do not use quotation marks.

            To be or not to be, that is the question:

            Whether 'tis nobler in the mind to suffer

            The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune,

            Or to take up arms against a sea of troubles,

            And by opposing, end them. (3.1.55-59)

4. The first time you mention the playwright, use his or her full name.  For subsequent mentions, use on the last name.  The same goes for characters.

5. When writing about a performance, it is customary to use the actor’s name rather than the character’s.

Tips for University Success

1. Always have your homework assignment read, annotated, and be ready to ask and answer questions about it.

2. When emailing your instructor, always use a salutation (Dear…), identify yourself by your full name, and use a closing (Sincerely…).

3. Do not wait until the last minute to write and print your papers. 

4. Attend class punctually.

5. Get to know at least three other people in each of your classes.

6. Be familiar with Blackboard and all its features.

7. Visit the office hours of each of your instructor at least once per term.

8. Have a system for saving copies of all the papers you write for every class, either on your own computer or on a flash drive.

9. Use a calendar to keep track of all your deadlines and assignments.

Standard Academic Usage

1. Titles of books, films, magazines and newspapers are in italics: Beloved, New York Times, The Godfather

2. Write out all numbers that are two words or fewer: one hundred, 352.

3. Put all foreign words in italics, fromage

4. The first time you refer to a person, use his or her full name; after that use only the last name.

5. Avoid slang and clichés.

6. Always assume that you should use third person (he, she, it, one) rather than the first person (I, we) or second person (you), unless you check with the instructor first.

7. Place punctuation inside quotation marks.  E.g. Shakespeare wrote, “To be or not to be.”  Not, Shakespeare wrote, “To be or not to be”. 

Lectures
Click on the links below to download outlines of the various lectures.  The outlines are in pdf form, so you will need a reader like Adobe Acrobat to view and print them.

Greek Drama

Roman Drama

Medieval European Drama

Renaissance Drama

Restoration and 18th Century Drama

Realism

Theatre of the Absurd