Special education of the republic of uzbekistan

Unit 14. Intonational Peculiarities of the Drama
The stylization of colloquial language is one of the features of the language of plays. The playwright seeks to approximate a natural form of dialogue, a form as close to natural living dialogue as the literary norms will allow. It results in abbreviations, temporizes, overlappings that are frequent in plays.

Intonation as well as other aspects reflect the intermediate position of the drama between emotive prose and spontaneous speech.

1. 
   The sense - groups are shorter than in descriptive prose. They normally
   

contain from one to three stressed /notional/ words.

2. 
   1. A greater variety of tones characterizes this style. Besides simple tones,
   

complex tones are frequent in final as well as in non-final sense-groups;

2. Sliding and Scandent Scales are most useful;

3. Compound tunes are in wide use too;

4. The pitch range is wider than the range in reading descriptive texts /up to 3

octaves /;

3. 
   As to the accentual structure, the monologue parts of plays are characterized by both centralized and decentralized stresses. In dialogues, especially in a dialogue-catch up, the centralized stress is prevailing.
   
4. 
   The tempo is mostly changeable and usually varies within the limits of the moderate tempo.
   
5. 
   Logical pauses are most characteristic as the performers are supposed to know the text well. Hesitation pauses are rare (if they are not presupposed by the text).
   

E.g.

Augustus: ( hastily putting aside his paper and replacing his feet on the floor)

Helˊlo. Who are ˎyou?

The clerk: The ˎstaff (a slight impediment in his speech adds to the impression of

incompetence given by his age and appearance)

Augustus: ˋYou the ˋstaff. What do you ˎmean?

The clerk: What I ˋsay. There ˋaren’t anybody ˏelse.

Augustus: 'Where are the ˎothers?

The clerk: At the ˎfront.

Augustus: ˇQuite right. 'Most ˏproper. 'Why 'aren’t ˋyou at the front?

The clerk: Overˎage. 'Fifty ˎseven.

Augustus: But you can 'do your ˋbit. Many an 'old 'man is in the ↑G, ˋR s or |

volunˋteering for home deˋfence.

The clerk: I ˋhave volunˏteered.

Augustus: Then 'why are you 'not in ˋuniform?

The clerk: They said they wouldn’t have ˋme if I was ↘given ↘away with a ↘pound of

ˋtea. ˏTold me to go ˋhome | and 'not be an ↑old ˋsilly.