English 9

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English – Grade 9
Quarter 3 – Module 15: How Elements Specific to One-act Play Contribute to
the Development of its Theme
First Edition, 2020

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 English 9
Quarter 3
Self-Learning Module15
Explaining the Contribution of the Elements Specific
to One-Act Play to the Development of its Theme.

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Introductory Message

For the Facilitator:

Welcome to the English Grade 9 Self-Learning Module on Lesson 15:

Explaining the Contribution of the Elements Specific to One-Act Play to the
Development of its Theme!

This Self-Learning Module was collaboratively designed, developed and

reviewed by educators from the Schools Division Office of Pasig City headed by its
Officer-in-Charge Schools Division Superintendent, Ma. Evalou Concepcion A.
Agustin, in partnership with the City Government of Pasig through its mayor,
Honorable Victor Ma. Regis N. Sotto. The writers utilized the standards set by the K
to 12 Curriculum using the Most Essential Learning Competencies (MELC) in
developing this instructional resource.

This learning material hopes to engage the learners in guided and independent
learning activities at their own pace and time. Further, this also aims to help learners
acquire the needed 21st century skills especially the 5 Cs, namely: Communication,
Collaboration, Creativity, Critical Thinking, and Character while taking into
consideration their needs and circumstances.

In addition to the material in the main text, you will also see this box in the
body of the module:

Notes to the Teacher

This contains helpful tips or strategies that
will help you in guiding the learners.

As a facilitator you are expected to orient the learners on how to use this
module. You also need to keep track of the learners' progress while allowing them to
manage their own learning. Moreover, you are expected to encourage and assist the
learners as they do the tasks included in the module.

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 For the Learner:

Welcome to the English Grade 9 Self-Learning Module on Lesson 15: Explaining

the Contribution of the Elements Specific to One-Act Play to the Development
of its Theme!
This module was designed to provide you with fun and meaningful
opportunities for guided and independent learning at your own pace and time. You
will be enabled to process the contents of the learning material while being an active
learner.

This module has the following parts and corresponding icons:

Expectations - This points to the set of knowledge and skills

that you will learn after completing the module.

Pretest - This measures your prior knowledge about the lesson

at hand.

Recap - This part of the module provides a review of concepts

and skills that you already know about a previous lesson.

Lesson - This section discusses the topic in the module.

Activities - This is a set of activities that you need to perform.

Wrap-Up - This section summarizes the concepts and

application of the lesson.

Valuing - This part integrates a desirable moral value in the

lesson.

Posttest - This measures how much you have learned from the
entire module.

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 EXPECTATIONS
This is your self-instructional module in English 9. All the activities
provided in this lesson will help you learn and understand: Explaining the
Contribution of the Elements Specific to One-act Play to the
Development of its Theme.

Specifically you will be able to:

1. enumerate the elements of one-act play.

2. identify and discuss themes commonly used in one-act plays.
3. explain how elements specific to one-act play contribute to the
development of its theme.

PRETEST

Identify the theme depicted in each of the following passages: Choose

your answer from the pool below. Write the letter of your answer on the blank
provided before each number.
A. racial discrimination B. sacrifice C. good vs. evil D. courage
E. kindness

_______ 1. Magnum opus, follows four siblings who pass into an entirely new
world, in which they encounter characters both good and evil.
(From “The Chronicles of Narnia”, by C.S. Lewis)
_______ 2. A young boy fighting to survive after a shipwreck in the middle of
the Atlantic Ocean. (From “Life of Pi”, by Yann Martel)
_______ 3. Every day, a middle- aged woman wakes up early to sell her home-
made pastries and feed the hungry street dwellers.
_______ 4. Della, not having enough money, cuts her hair, her most precious
possession, to buy Jim a gift. (From “The Gift of the Magi”, by O. Henry)
_______ 5. While excitedly packing for their move, a white representative of the
"welcoming committee" in their new neighbourhood visited and revealed that
the residents wanted to buy back the house at a financial gain to the Youngers
to prevent integrating the community. (From “A Raisin in the Sun”, by
Lorraine Hansberry).

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 RECAP

In your previous lesson, you have learned that the elements of one-act
play include setting, character and characterization, plot, conflict, dialogue,
stage directions, theme and atmosphere.

LESSON
(https://www.kindpng.com/imgv/Tmxbhoh_drama-mask-theatre-transparent-theatre-masks-clipart-hd/)
Drama is a literature that is meant to be performed for an audience in
a form of a play. One-act play is a complete drama within one-act. It is brief,
condensed, and single in effect. The unity of time, place and action must be
observed.One situation or episode is presented, permitting no minor plots or
side actions that may distract attention for the single purpose and effect being
developed.
Theme is the central idea of a story, or the general idea about life that
the story reveals. It is a message about life or human nature that is conveyed
in the work of literature. A wide variety of themes can be used in one-act
plays. Themes commonly used and explored in one-act plays as well as other
forms of literature include love, death, good vs. evil, coming of age, power
and corruption, heroism, prejudice, individual vs. society, survival,
courage and war.

How Elements of a Play Contribute to the Development of its Theme.

Recall and analyze the famous play “Romeo and Juliet”, by

William Shakespeare. The play explored many themes but try to focus on its
most dominant and important theme, the forcefulness of love.

1. Setting. By giving details about time and place, setting of a play can provide
important clues to the theme of the story.
The play was set in Verona, a city in Italy, sometime in the 14 th
century. In Shakespeare’s time, it was associated with a pair of ill-fated young
lovers named Romeo Montecchi and Giulietta Cappelletti. These are the
protagonists of a 1530 story by the Italian writer Luigi da Porto concerning
two Veronese lovers caught on either side of a family feud. In the 1560s Arthur
Brooke penned a popular translated da Porto’s story into English, which
quickly went through several editions. By the time Shakespeare adapted the
popular story for the stage, Verona would already have been well-known in
England as a site of tragedy. Also, in Shakespeare’s day, many people shared

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the popular belief that hot climates induced passionate behaviors. In this
sense, the Italian setting reinforces the play’s overarching theme that the
lovers cannot escape their fate.
2. Character and characterization. Characters are carefully crafted to
represent aspects of the theme. The theme of any story can be understood by
reflecting upon what happens to the main character/s. The way a character
in a story grows or changes is often a key to the theme.
Romeo Montague. He was portrayed as a sensitive, witty and
intelligent individual, with passion as his tragic flaw. Romeo’s authentic love
for Juliet is his redeeming grace.
Juliet Capulet. She was initially portrayed as a naïve, impressionable
young girl, Juliet undergoes considerable evolution during the course of the
play. In many ways, the depth of her love for Romeo, contributes to her
newfound maturity and insight. Her most endearing trait in Juliet’s character
is her fierce determination and unwavering loyalty to Romeo.
3. Plot. This refers to the chain of events that take place in a story. Since the
characters’ actions drive the plot, the decision they make, including the
outcomes of those decisions, often expresses a theme
In the play, both Romeo and Juliet struggled against their respective
families and opted for individual fulfilment. They defied unbelievable
problems to be married, to consummate their marriage and live united for
eternity.
4. Conflict. Refers to a struggle between two opposing forces. It can be
external or internal. How the character/s react or resolve the conflict can
express the play’s theme.
The most prevalent conflict in the play is individual vs. society .Much
of Romeo and Juliet involves the lovers’ struggles against public and social
institutions that either explicitly or implicitly oppose the existence of their
love. In the end, the conflict (family feud) was resolved when the young lovers
succeeded in committing suicide.
5. Dialogue. Each line must be crafted carefully to focus on the theme, the
incident and character of the protagonist.
Romeo: “I fear too early, for my mind misgives;
Some consequence, yet hanging in the stars,
Shall bitterly begin. “
In here, Romeo agrees to attend the Capulets’ ball, but he fears his
decision may set off a chain of events that will end in tragedy. When Romeo
says that the consequences of his decision are “hanging in the stars,” he
reminds the audience that the “star-crossed” lovers of the Prologue are
doomed to die.
6. Stage Directions. These are sets of instructions that explain where and
how actors should move and speak. They may also be about the scenery,

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props, lighting, costume, music, or sound effects. With the appropriate stage
directions, theme will be highlighted, otherwise, an entirely different message
might be conveyed.
In the play’s Act 4 Scene 3, after Juliet drunk the poison after her
Poison Monologue the stage direction goes like this: [She falls upon her bed,
within the curtains]. The direction clearly emphasized the effect of the poison
to Juliet, which contributed to the play’s theme.
7. Atmosphere. Refers to the literary technique the writers use to give
readers/audience a certain type of feeling based on the details from the story
such as setting, backgrounds objects and foreshadowing. Mood can be used
in establishing atmosphere.
In the play, a contrast of moods is presented. The mood created by the
love between Romeo and Juliet is bright, happy, and romantic while that of
Verona is ugly, harsh, and cruel, as evidenced in the needless conflict between
the Capulets and Montagues and the action of those touched by the conflict.
The death of Romeo and Juliet creates a mood of tragedy and despair. All of
these contributed to the development of the play’s theme.
Guided Practice:

A. Theme Analysis. From the options given, choose the theme that is clearly
expressed in each of the following passages.

A. power and corruption B. war C. coming of age

D. individual vs. society E. courage

1. From “War and Peace” by Leo Tolstoy. Napoleon's invasion of Russia

and its impact on five Russian families.
Based from the descriptions given on the passage, the theme should
be “war”. Assuming that the story’s message would be about war and its
effect to people.
2. A group of unemployed people in a support group trying to keep each
other’s spirit up while their desperation level rises up.
The theme here is “courage”. The passage gives a positive
characterization to characters who are under a negative situation.
3. Huckleberry Finn finds it hard to fit into society, so runs away from home
to have his own adventures.
The theme conveyed here is “individual vs. society”. The passage talks
about a character who finds it hard to fit into the society.
4. Shakespeare's “Macbeth” is the tragic tale of the title character seeking
power for its own sake, and dealing with the consequences of his own
ambition.

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 Based on the passage, Macbeth’s message would be about the negative
effects of power and greediness to it. The appropriate theme here is “power
and corruption”.
5. Holden Caulfield, a sixteen-year-old boy dealing with teenage angst and
rebellion in the 1950s. (From ‘The Catcher in the Rye”, by J.D. Salinger)
The correct answer here is C, coming of age. The passage talks about
a young boy and how he deals with his angst and rebellion as part of growing-
up and maturity.
B. Elementals. Identify what element of one-act play is emphasized in the
following passages. Unscramble the letters given before each to reveal the
correct answers.

TLOP 1. A young man hoping to get his slot in that famous TV

contest which he considers will be his stepping stone towards his dream of
becoming a famous singer.
The element emphasized here is PLOT. This can be a climax of a play
which can be used to underscore a theme on courage.
CILTFNOC 2. Kyla was supposed to be hired but the company suffered
financial losses due to COVID19 and closed.
The element of a play here is CONFLICT. This can be used to develop a
play with a theme that centres on ingenuity.
TERRACHAC 3. Mrs. Stevenson is an invalid confined to her bed and her
only life-line was the telephone.
The description of the CHARACTER, Mrs. Stevenson contributed to the
development of the theme of isolation in the play, “Sorry, Wrong Number”.
HERESOMATP 4. During the whole of a dull, dark, and soundless day in the
autumn of the year, when the clouds hung oppressively low in the heavens, I
had been passing alone, on horseback, through a singularly dreary tract of
country, and at length found myself, as the shades of the evening drew on,
within view of the melancholy House of Usher.” (From “The Fall of the House
of Usher” by Edgar Allen Poe)
An atmosphere of darkness and melancholy is used to emphasize the
theme of madness and insanity.
GATES RECDITION 5. Romeo and Juliet Balcony Scene: [Enter Romeo to
courtyard. Lights on in the Capulet’s window.](Romeo and Juliet by Shakespeare)
This is a sample STAGE DIRECTION used in “Romeo and Juliet” which
helped to highlight the theme of love in the play.

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 Remember:

Theme is one of the most important elements of one-act play. Other

elements of one-act play namely; setting, character and characterization, plot,
conflict, dialogue, stage directions and atmosphere can effectively contribute to
its development. .

ACTIVITIES

Activity 1
Complete the definition of one-act play by giving the right word suggested by
the jumbled words below. Read the given clue for each item.
A one-act play is a play with only one ((tac) 1. An____ is a part
of a (pyla) 2. ______defined by (lementes) 3. _________such as plot,
(racchater) 4. __________ and (logiuead) (5) ___________.

Clues:
1. a division or unit of drama
2. a dramatic performance
3. the simplest or the essential parts
4. one who plays a major or minor role in a play
5. the lines delivered by the characters
(
( Almonte, Liza R., et.al, A Journey through Anglo American Literature 9 (Philippines: Vibal Group, 2014), .350.)

(http://hdwords.co.uk/whats-in-a-name/romeo-juliet-balcony-scene/)

Activity 2
The following are taken from the radio play “Sorry, Wrong Number” by
Lucille Fletche. Arrange the events and use letters A-E to form a logical
summary of the play. Write your answers on the blanks provided before each
number.
______ 1. Her conversation with Sgt Duffy made her realize the description of
the crime scene and victim.

______ 2. She accidentally overheard a conversation between two men

planning a murder.

______ 3. Desperate to prevent the crime, she began a series of calls to the
operator, to the police and others.
https://www.goodreads.com/book/s
how/34685874-sorry-wrong-number
(Almonte, Liza R., et.al, A Journey through Anglo American Literature 9 (Philippines: Vibal Group, 2014), 252-253)

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______ 4. Mrs. Stevenson is an invalid confined to her bed and her only life-
line was the telephone.

______ 5. One night, while she was waiting for her husband to return home,
she picked up the phone and called his office.

Activity 3

Write a 10-sentence dialogue mini-script on your chosen one-act play

element. Make sure that the element emphasizes the theme you wanted to
convey.

Rubrics

Criteria Weight
Grammar and Mechanics 20%
Clarity 40%
Creativity 40%
Total 100%

WRAP-UP

Word Hunt. Important terms related to drama and one-act play are hidden
in the grid below. Find and encircle at least five elements of one-act play.
A O D R A M A T I C A G K S S C
B N H M C H A R A C T S R S U O
H E R O T H E M E B M T L T R U
D E C H O R U S I C O A M E V R
I A I N R S X Y O D S G N X I A
R C J S E T T I N G P E O T V G
E T R A G E D Y U E H H P E A E
C F P O S T I Z D E A T H R V Z
T P L P C U A A H E R O I N A T
O L O V E V L E A F E I Q A L A
R A T Q N C O N F L I C T L Y B
C Y K S E W G E L E M E N T S C
S T A G E D I R E C T I O N N X
D G L I N T E R N A L J R U V W

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 VALUING

“It is more blessed to Contemplate on the meaning of the given

give than to receive.” verse and try to elaborate it in 5 sentence
paragraph by answering the question
below.
Do you think this popular verse is
applicable in this time of COVID19
pandemic?
Acts 20:35

(https://www.crosswalk.com/slideshows/reasons-
why-it-is-more-blessed-to-give-than-to-receive.html)

__________________________________________
__________________________________________
POSTTEST ____________________________________

Matching Type: Match each sentence in column A with the appropriate pair
of one-act play element and theme in column B. Write the letter of your
answer on the blank provided for each number.

A B
____ 1. All throughout the play, we could
feel a sense of happiness among the A. character/characterization
members of the family. (From “Death of a - friendship
Salesman”, by Arthur Miller).
____ 2. The conflict happened between the
girl and the waitress wherein the waitress B. atmosphere- love among
confronted the girl, exposing her duplicity family members
to the young man. (From “While the Auto
Waits”, by O. Henry)
____ 3. Daisy and Hoke’s relationship gets
off to a rocky start but they gradually form
a close friendship over the years, one that C. conflict- pretensions
transcends racial prejudices and social
conventions. (From “Driving Miss Daisy”,
Alfred Uhry)

_____ 4. Romeo: O, she doth teach the

torches to burn bright! It seems she hangs

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 upon the cheek of night. Like a rich jewel in D. setting – violence
an Ethiope’s ear; Beauty too rich for use, for
earth too dear! (From “Romeo and Juliet”,
William Shakespeare)
_____ 5. “Tessie Hutckinson was in the
center of a cleared space by now, and she
held her hands out desperately as the E. dialogue – love
villagers moved in on her. “ It isn’t fair…’”
she said. A stone hit her on the side of the
head. (From “The Lottery”, by Shirley
Jackson)

(Almonte, Liza R., et.al, A Journey through Anglo American Literature 9 (Philippines: Vibal Group, 2014) 149-157, 327-338,352-358, 375-390, 454-495)

(Bradshaw, Claire. “10 Most Popular Literary Theme Examples.” Writer’s Edit. Accessed July 24, 2020. https://writersedit.com/fiction-writing/10-most-
popular-literary-theme-examples/.)
(Sweetland, Robert. “Elements of Story or Fiction - character, setting, plot, point of view, style, tone, theme.” Home of Bob. Accessed July 26, 2020.
http://www.homeofbob.com/literature/genre/fiction/ficElmnts.htm)

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 KEY TO CORRECTION

References

Almonte, Liza R., et.al, A Journey through Anglo American Literature 9

(Philippines: Vibal Group, 2014) 149-157, 252-253, 327-338, 350, 352-358,
375-390, 454-495.

Bradshaw, Claire. “10 Most Popular Literary Theme Examples.” Writer’s Edit.
Accessed July 24, 2020. https://writersedit.com/fiction-writing/10-most-
popular-literary-theme-examples/

Navarro, M. L. Eloquence 9 (Manila: St. Augustine, 2015) 37-38.

Rodriguez, L. C. Worktext in English I (Batangas: United Eferza, 2010,) 30.

Sweetland, Robert. “Elements of Story or Fiction - character, setting, plot,

point of view, style, tone, theme”. Home of Bob. Accessed July 26, 2020.
http://www.homeofbob.com/literature/genre/fiction/ficElmnts.html.

https://www.crosswalk.com/slideshows/reasons-why-it-is-more-blessed-
to-give-than-to-receive.html

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/34685874-sorry-wrong-numb

http://hdwords.co.uk/whats-in-a-name/romeo-juliet-balcony-scene/

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