Dramatism
Encyclopedia
Dramatism, introduced by rhetorician Kenneth Burke
, made its way into the field of communication in the early 1950s as a method for understanding the social uses of language and how to encounter the social and symbolic world of a drama (Brock, Burke, Burgess, Parke, and Simons 1985). Dramatism is the belief that language is a strategic, motivated response to a specific situation (Griffin 2006). It views language as a mode of symbolic action rather than a mode of knowledge (Burke 1978). Kenneth Burke's view was not that life is like a drama, but that life is a drama: that humans by nature see and interpret situations as drama. Dramatism theory has the layout of a play, complete with agents (actors), acts (plots), scenes (settings), agencies (tools, instruments, or means) and purposes. These five elements form the dramatistic "pentad." Dramatism comprises identification
, dramatistic pentad
, and the guilt-redemption cycle.
"All the world's a stage", and Burke's career-long engagement with Shakespeare's plays. These connections might offer some insight into his theoretical approach. Kenneth Burke has been highly influential in the field of communication and his work is widely embraced. Many scholars have argued over the past fifty years how dramatism should be viewed: The two world views are argued 1) An ontological system which offers literal statements regarding the nature of the human beings as a symbol user and the nature of language as an act, or 2) an epistemological system which assumes but one way of viewing human beings and human activities, such as the usage of language. Burke’s dramatism has been continuously compared to Aristotle
’s Rhetoric
(Overington 1977). Scholars have studied dramatism as a method and how it addresses the empirical questions of how people explain their actions to themselves and others, what the cultural and social structural influence on these explanations might be, and what effect connotational links among the motivational terms might have on these explanations and on the action itself (Overington 1977). Dramatism has covered complex studies, but it offers simplicity; the basic dramatic form allows consideration of the full range of activities it intends to study (Crable 2000).
is the common ground that exists between the speaker and audience. Without identification there is no persuasion (Griffin 2006).
Burke also developed ten ratios of the pentad. An example of the scene-act ratio is the Supreme Court
deciding that emergency measures are admissible because they have determined that there is a state of emergency. The scene, the state of emergency, determines the act, emergency measures (Benoit 1983). This is a causal statement.
. The term guilt covers tension, anxiety
, shame
, disgust
, embarrassment
, and other similar feelings. Guilt is created through symbolic interaction. Guilt comes when we are estranged from the natural world or estranged from others in our world. Guilt serves as a motivating factor that drives the human drama (Miller 2005).
Kenneth Burke
Kenneth Duva Burke was a major American literary theorist and philosopher. Burke's primary interests were in rhetoric and aesthetics.-Personal history:...
, made its way into the field of communication in the early 1950s as a method for understanding the social uses of language and how to encounter the social and symbolic world of a drama (Brock, Burke, Burgess, Parke, and Simons 1985). Dramatism is the belief that language is a strategic, motivated response to a specific situation (Griffin 2006). It views language as a mode of symbolic action rather than a mode of knowledge (Burke 1978). Kenneth Burke's view was not that life is like a drama, but that life is a drama: that humans by nature see and interpret situations as drama. Dramatism theory has the layout of a play, complete with agents (actors), acts (plots), scenes (settings), agencies (tools, instruments, or means) and purposes. These five elements form the dramatistic "pentad." Dramatism comprises identification
Identification in Burkean rhetoric
Identification is a key term for the discussion of rhetoric in Kenneth Burke′s A Rhetoric of Motives. He uses it to evaluate the traditional perception of rhetoric as persuasion. Burke suggests that whenever someone attempts to persuade someone else, identification occurs, because for persuasion...
, dramatistic pentad
Dramatistic Pentad
The dramatistic pentad forms the core structure of dramatism, a method for examining motivations that the renowned literary critic Kenneth Burke developed. Dramatism recommends the use of a metalinguistic approach to fiction that investigates the roles and uses of five rhetorical elements common...
, and the guilt-redemption cycle.
History
Dramatism was Kenneth Burke’s favorite word to describe what he observed when people open their mouths to communicate (Miller 2005). Burke's theory might best be summarized as an elaboration of Shakespeare's Renaissance commonplaceCommonplace
Commonplace books were a way to compile knowledge, usually by writing information into books. They became significant in Early Modern Europe....
"All the world's a stage", and Burke's career-long engagement with Shakespeare's plays. These connections might offer some insight into his theoretical approach. Kenneth Burke has been highly influential in the field of communication and his work is widely embraced. Many scholars have argued over the past fifty years how dramatism should be viewed: The two world views are argued 1) An ontological system which offers literal statements regarding the nature of the human beings as a symbol user and the nature of language as an act, or 2) an epistemological system which assumes but one way of viewing human beings and human activities, such as the usage of language. Burke’s dramatism has been continuously compared to Aristotle
Aristotle
Aristotle was a Greek philosopher and polymath, a student of Plato and teacher of Alexander the Great. His writings cover many subjects, including physics, metaphysics, poetry, theater, music, logic, rhetoric, linguistics, politics, government, ethics, biology, and zoology...
’s Rhetoric
Rhetoric
Rhetoric is the art of discourse, an art that aims to improve the facility of speakers or writers who attempt to inform, persuade, or motivate particular audiences in specific situations. As a subject of formal study and a productive civic practice, rhetoric has played a central role in the Western...
(Overington 1977). Scholars have studied dramatism as a method and how it addresses the empirical questions of how people explain their actions to themselves and others, what the cultural and social structural influence on these explanations might be, and what effect connotational links among the motivational terms might have on these explanations and on the action itself (Overington 1977). Dramatism has covered complex studies, but it offers simplicity; the basic dramatic form allows consideration of the full range of activities it intends to study (Crable 2000).
Identification
IdentificationIdentification in Burkean rhetoric
Identification is a key term for the discussion of rhetoric in Kenneth Burke′s A Rhetoric of Motives. He uses it to evaluate the traditional perception of rhetoric as persuasion. Burke suggests that whenever someone attempts to persuade someone else, identification occurs, because for persuasion...
is the common ground that exists between the speaker and audience. Without identification there is no persuasion (Griffin 2006).
Features of Identification
- Substance describes a person’s traits, personality, beliefs, values, and occupation.
- More overlap of substance with speaker and listener - greater identification.
- Identification flows in both communicative directions.
- Unity and Division. Unity occurs when individual's interests are joined, and simultaneously are divided.
Dramatistic Pentad
Using the pentad to analyze our social situations can communicate to us which aspects of the situation were more important than others. The pentad is made up of the five elements of human drama.- Act: what was or will be done.
- Scene: generally thought of as where and when; context of act.
- Agent: entity that could be construed as performing an act.
- Agency: the methods or tools used to perform the act.
- Purpose: goal of the act; entelechy.
Burke also developed ten ratios of the pentad. An example of the scene-act ratio is the Supreme Court
Supreme court
A supreme court is the highest court within the hierarchy of many legal jurisdictions. Other descriptions for such courts include court of last resort, instance court, judgment court, high court, or apex court...
deciding that emergency measures are admissible because they have determined that there is a state of emergency. The scene, the state of emergency, determines the act, emergency measures (Benoit 1983). This is a causal statement.
Guilt-Redemption Cycle
Guilt-Redemption Cycle is considered the plot of the whole play and human drama or the root of all rhetoric (Griffin 2006). In this perspective, Burke concluded that the ultimate motivation of an agent is to purge ourselves of our sense of guiltGuilt
Guilt is the state of being responsible for the commission of an offense. It is also a cognitive or an emotional experience that occurs when a person realizes or believes—accurately or not—that he or she has violated a moral standard, and bears significant responsibility for that...
. The term guilt covers tension, anxiety
Anxiety
Anxiety is a psychological and physiological state characterized by somatic, emotional, cognitive, and behavioral components. The root meaning of the word anxiety is 'to vex or trouble'; in either presence or absence of psychological stress, anxiety can create feelings of fear, worry, uneasiness,...
, shame
Shame
Shame is, variously, an affect, emotion, cognition, state, or condition. The roots of the word shame are thought to derive from an older word meaning to cover; as such, covering oneself, literally or figuratively, is a natural expression of shame....
, disgust
Disgust
Disgust is a type of aversion that involves withdrawing from a person or object with strong expressions of revulsion whether real or pretended. It is one of the basic emotions and is typically associated with things that are regarded as unclean, inedible, infectious, gory or otherwise offensive...
, embarrassment
Embarrassment
Embarrassment is an emotional state of intense discomfort with oneself, experienced upon having a socially unacceptable act or condition witnessed by or revealed to others. Usually some amount of loss of honour or dignity is involved, but how much and the type depends on the embarrassing situation...
, and other similar feelings. Guilt is created through symbolic interaction. Guilt comes when we are estranged from the natural world or estranged from others in our world. Guilt serves as a motivating factor that drives the human drama (Miller 2005).
Choice of the Speaker
Victimage: Relieving guilt- Mortification-purge guilt through self-blame, admit they are wrong, ask for forgiveness.
- Scapegoating-blame problems on someone else, lash out on who people fear, designating an external enemy, a scapegoatScapegoatScapegoating is the practice of singling out any party for unmerited negative treatment or blame. Scapegoating may be conducted by individuals against individuals , individuals against groups , groups against individuals , and groups against groups Scapegoating is the practice of singling out any...
. - Ignorance-simply don't address the problem, pretend it doesn't exist; neither accept responsibility nor blame others.
Utilization of theory
- Ideas studied by scholars in a variety of fields, including English, communication, political science, psychology, sociology.
- Analyze public address (why a speaker selects a certain strategy to identify with audience, like a Malcolm XMalcolm XMalcolm X , born Malcolm Little and also known as El-Hajj Malik El-Shabazz , was an African American Muslim minister and human rights activist. To his admirers he was a courageous advocate for the rights of African Americans, a man who indicted white America in the harshest terms for its...
speech). - Religious themes.
- Political advertising and political campaigns.
- Corporate realm, business influence on federal policy agenda (Berger 2001).
- Used in writing courses to help students understand how language produces knowledge, professional communication, case studies (Fox 2002).
- Examine the nature of texts and narratives (Manning 1999).
- Study to test and compare other Burkeian methods (Hamlin and Nichols 1973).
- Diplomacy as an example of stagecraft (Adams 1963).