Themes and subjects:
- Classical drama: Classical plays often explored themes related to morality, ethics, societal norms, and heroic journeys. Classical Greek and Roman plays commonly featured myths, legends, and historical events.
- Modern drama: Modernist and contemporary plays tend to grapple with more personal and psychological conflicts, social issues, absurdities, and existential questions.
Structure and Form:
- Classical drama: Classical plays usually followed a rigid structure such as the three-act or five-act structure. They emphasized symmetry, unity, and logical progression of events.
- Modern drama: Modern plays often deviate from traditional structures and experiment with nonlinear narratives, fragmented scenes, and unconventional storytelling techniques.
Setting and Staging:
- Classical drama: Classical plays typically presented a cohesive setting and decor consistent with the historical or mythical periods they depicted.
- Modern drama: Modern plays may feature abstract or symbolic settings. They also allow for experimental use of scenic elements, lighting, and multimedia to enhance the production.
Character Portrayal:
- Classical drama: Characters in classical drama were often idealized or larger-than-life portrayals of human traits or moral conflicts.
- Modern drama: Characters in modern plays strive for more realistic, complex, and flawed personifications, portraying inner emotions and the nuances of everyday human behavior.
Language and Dialogue:
- Classical drama: Language in classical plays tended to be formal, heightened, poetic, and often contained eloquent monologues.
- Modern drama: Modern plays utilize more colloquial, natural, and often fragmentary language that mimics everyday speech patterns.