Conflict and Setting in Drama

Drama develops through opposing forces, characters, actions and the circumstances in which those actions occur. Two ideas are especially important when studying dramatic texts: conflict and setting.

Conflict creates tension and helps move the plot forward, while setting establishes the time, place and socio-cultural background in which the dramatic action takes place. Understanding both helps you explain not only what happens in a play but also why the story develops as it does.

1. What Is Conflict?

Conflict is the presence of two opposing forces within or among characters.

Conflict provides crucial tension in a story and helps drive the narrative forward. It can reveal deeper meaning in a narrative while highlighting characters’ motivations, values and weaknesses.

Because conflict creates tension and uncertainty, it also helps hold the audience’s attention throughout a play.

2. Why Conflict Matters in Drama

Imagine a story in which nothing stands in the way of the characters and no important problem needs to be resolved. There would be little reason for events to develop.

Conflict creates the pressure that produces action. Characters must respond to opposing forces, make choices and deal with consequences. These developments help the plot move from one event to another.

Conflict can therefore:

• create tension;
• drive the narrative forward;
• reveal deeper meaning;
• highlight characters’ motivations;
• reveal characters’ values;
• expose characters’ weaknesses; and
• hold the audience’s attention.

3. The Two Main Types of Conflict

There are two main types of conflict in drama:

1. Internal conflict
2. External conflict

Type	Meaning
Internal conflict	A struggle that takes place within the mind of a character who is torn between opposing feelings or goals.
External conflict	A struggle in which a character faces an outside force.

4. Internal Conflict

Internal conflict exists within the mind of a character who is torn between opposing feelings or goals.

The opposing forces are therefore inside the character. The character may have to choose between competing desires, responsibilities, loyalties or goals.

The material gives the example of Ato in Ama Ata Aidoo’s Dilemma of a Ghost, where Ato is torn between his wife and his family.

How to Recognise Internal Conflict

Ask:

• Is the struggle taking place inside the character’s mind?
• Is the character torn between opposing feelings or goals?
• Does the character have to make a difficult choice?

If the main struggle is within the character, you are dealing with internal conflict.

5. External Conflict

External conflict exists when a character struggles against an outside force.

The outside force may be another person or another force beyond the character.

The material gives Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar as an example of conflict between one person and another.

6. Forms of External Conflict

The material identifies examples of external conflict including:

• Man against man
• Man against society
• Man against nature or fate (divine force)

Form	Nature of the Struggle	Example in the Material
Man against man	A character struggles against another person.	Julius Caesar by Shakespeare
Man against society	A character struggles against society.	Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe
Man against nature or fate	A character struggles against nature or fate, including divine force.	The Gods Are Not to Blame by Ola Rotimi

7. Internal and External Conflict Compared

The key difference is the location of the struggle.

In internal conflict, the opposing forces are within the character’s mind. In external conflict, the character struggles against something outside the self.

A character can also experience both types of conflict in the same dramatic text. An external problem may create an internal struggle, while an internal decision may influence how the character responds to an external situation.

8. Conflict and Character

Conflict helps us understand characters.

When a character faces opposition, the character’s motivations, values and weaknesses become more visible. The choices made in response to conflict can reveal important aspects of character.

Therefore, when studying conflict, ask not only “What is the conflict?” but also “What does this conflict reveal about the character?”

9. Conflict and Plot

Conflict is closely connected to plot because it helps drive the narrative forward.

A conflict introduces a problem or opposition. Characters respond to it, and those responses lead to further events. The resulting sequence of events develops the plot.

This can be represented simply as:

Conflict → Character Response → New Events → Further Development of the Plot

The precise events will differ from one drama to another, but the principle remains: conflict creates conditions for the story to move.

10. Using Evidence to Identify Conflict

When identifying conflict in a dramatic text, do not merely name a category. Use evidence from the text to support your interpretation.

A strong response should identify the conflict, classify it and explain how the textual evidence supports the classification.

PEE Format

A useful way to organise a response is Point, Evidence, Explanation.

Stage	What to Do
Point	State the type or nature of conflict.
Evidence	Identify relevant evidence from the text.
Explanation	Explain how the evidence demonstrates the conflict and contributes to the plot.

11. Model PEE Response

Point: The conflict is internal.

Evidence: The character is torn between opposing feelings or goals.

Explanation: Because the struggle occurs within the character’s mind, the character must decide between the competing forces. That struggle creates tension and can lead to further events in the plot.

The response is stronger because it does not stop at naming the conflict. It explains how the conflict works.

12. Conflict Can Be Examined in a Written Drama

When reading or developing a written drama, identify the conflicts present in the text and consider how they move the plot forward.

For each major conflict, ask:

1. Who or what is involved?
2. Is the conflict internal or external?
3. What evidence reveals the conflict?
4. What does the conflict reveal about the characters?
5. How does the conflict move the plot forward?

13. What Is Setting?

Setting tells the time, place and socio-cultural background of a story or drama.

Setting is not simply a location. It includes the circumstances surrounding the dramatic action, including the time period and socio-cultural background.

Setting contributes to the atmosphere or mood of a story, play or novel.

14. Setting and Language

Setting can also contribute to the language of a story by influencing the choice of words used.

The material gives August Wilson’s Fences as an example. Because the story is set in an African American community, the material notes the use of Negro slang.

This illustrates how the social and cultural environment of a work can be connected with its language.

15. The Dimensions of Setting

Dimension	Question
Time	When does the story or drama take place?
Place	Where does the action take place?
Socio-cultural background	What social and cultural environment surrounds the action?

16. Setting Creates Atmosphere and Mood

Setting helps create the atmosphere or mood of a story, play or novel.

When examining a dramatic text, therefore, consider the emotional and experiential effect created by the setting.

Ask yourself:

• What kind of environment has been created?
• How does the setting affect the way the story is experienced?
• How might the atmosphere influence the action?

17. How Setting Supports the Play’s Action

The material identifies several ways setting contributes to dramatic development.

First, settings can complement the play’s action and help maintain the reader’s interest.

Second, a setting that mimics a realistic world can engage readers emotionally and intellectually.

Third, a setting that uses sensory details can paint a vivid picture in the reader’s mind.

18. Setting and Description

Careful descriptive language and attention to detail can make setting vivid.

A strong sense of place can help the reader imagine the world of the drama. This is especially important when a particular location contributes to the meaning or development of the story.

19. Setting and Themes

Setting can enhance the impact of a story and reinforce its underlying themes through careful use of descriptive language and attention to detail.

This means that setting can contribute to meaning rather than merely providing a background.

When analysing a dramatic text, ask:

How does this setting help reinforce what the drama is saying?

20. Specific Locations and Reader Connection

The material explains that specific locations such as cities, hospitals, villages and schools can create a deeper connection with the reader.

The location gives the dramatic action a recognisable environment and can make the world of the story more vivid.

21. Setting Influences Characters

Setting can also influence the behaviour of characters.

Characters act within particular social, cultural, temporal and physical circumstances. Changing those circumstances can therefore affect the way characters behave and the way the plot develops.

22. Setting and Plot

Plot and setting work together.

Events do not happen in an empty space. They happen at particular times and places within particular socio-cultural circumstances.

Changing the setting can therefore affect the development of the plot.

The weekly material specifically asks learners to consider adaptations such as village to urban and ancient to contemporary and discuss how such changes affect plot and characters.

23. A Setting Experiment

Imagine that a dramatic text originally takes place in a village. Now imagine moving the same story to an urban environment.

Ask:

• Would the characters behave in exactly the same way?
• Would the events develop in exactly the same way?
• Would the atmosphere remain unchanged?
• Would the plot be affected?

The purpose of the exercise is to recognise that setting is connected to character and plot rather than functioning as an isolated background.

24. Ancient and Contemporary Settings

Another useful comparison is between an ancient setting and a contemporary setting.

Changing the time period can alter the circumstances surrounding the characters and therefore affect their behaviour and the development of events.

When making such a comparison, focus on the relationship between the changed setting, the characters and the plot.

25. Setting, Character and Plot: One System

It is useful to see these three elements as interconnected:

Setting → influences circumstances → characters respond → conflict develops → plot moves forward.

This does not mean that every setting automatically creates conflict. Rather, it shows why setting can contribute to the circumstances in which dramatic conflict and action develop.

26. The Relationship Between Conflict and Setting

Conflict and setting can reinforce one another.

Conflict occurs within circumstances established by the setting. At the same time, the nature of the setting can influence how characters respond to their problems.

When analysing a drama, therefore, do not study conflict and setting as completely separate ideas. Consider how they interact within the development of the dramatic action.

27. Reading a Dramatic Text for Conflict

When reading a prescribed drama, begin by identifying the opposing forces.

Determine whether the struggle occurs within a character or against an outside force. Then classify the external conflict where appropriate.

Finally, explain how the conflict affects the sequence of events.

28. Reading a Dramatic Text for Setting

Next, identify the time, place and socio-cultural background.

Then examine how the setting contributes to atmosphere or mood, language, character behaviour, plot development and underlying themes.

29. Conflict Analysis Checklist

• What are the opposing forces?
• Is the conflict internal or external?
• If external, what kind of outside force is involved?
• Which characters are affected?
• What does the conflict reveal about motivations, values or weaknesses?
• How does it create tension?
• How does it move the plot forward?

30. Setting Analysis Checklist

• What is the time period?
• Where does the action occur?
• What is the socio-cultural background?
• What atmosphere or mood does the setting create?
• How does the setting influence language?
• How does it affect the characters’ behaviour?
• How does it contribute to the plot?
• How does it reinforce underlying themes?

31. Group Analysis Activity

Select a portion of a prescribed drama text and work through it with your group.

1. Identify the conflicts.
2. Classify each conflict as internal or external.
3. Where appropriate, identify the external form of conflict.
4. Use textual evidence to support each classification.
5. Explain how the conflict moves the plot forward.
6. Identify the setting.
7. Explain how the setting contributes to the development of the drama.

Present your findings using appropriate literary terminology.

32. Debate: Which Conflict Is Hardest to Resolve?

Consider the different forms of conflict presented in the lesson.

Which do you think is more difficult to resolve: internal conflict, conflict against another person, conflict against society, or conflict against nature or fate?

Build your argument around the nature of the opposing force and support your position with evidence from a dramatic text.

33. Problem-Based Learning: The Effect of Plot

Examine a prescribed dramatic text and investigate how conflict contributes to its plot.

Identify an important conflict, trace the events that develop from it and explain how those events move the narrative forward.

Keep the discussion focused on the text and use formal language when presenting your argument.

34. Practice: Identify the Conflict

Question: A character is torn between two opposing goals within the mind. What type of conflict is this?

Answer: Internal conflict.

Question: A character struggles against another person. What type of conflict is this?

Answer: External conflict, specifically man against man.

Question: A character struggles against society. What form of conflict is this?

Answer: External conflict, specifically man against society.

Question: A character struggles against nature or fate, including divine force. What form of conflict is this?

Answer: External conflict, specifically man against nature or fate.

35. Practice: Explain the Effect of Conflict

Question: Why is conflict important to the development of a dramatic plot?

Answer: Conflict creates tension and provides the opposing forces that drive the narrative forward. Characters respond to the conflict, and their responses generate further events that develop the plot.

36. Practice: Identify Setting

Question: What three broad aspects should you consider when identifying the setting of a drama?

Answer: Time, place and socio-cultural background.

Question: Mention two ways setting can contribute to a dramatic text.

Answer: Setting can create atmosphere or mood, influence language, enhance the impact of the story, reinforce underlying themes, create a deeper connection with the reader and influence character behaviour. Any two are acceptable.

37. Practice: Explain a Change of Setting

Question: Why might changing a drama’s setting from a village to an urban environment affect the plot and characters?

Answer: A change of setting changes the circumstances in which the characters act. Since setting can influence character behaviour and contribute to plot development, moving the action from a village to an urban environment can affect how the characters behave and how events develop.

38. Critical Thinking Task

Select an excerpt from a dramatic text and write a short analysis using the following structure:

Conflict → Evidence → Effect on Character → Effect on Plot → Setting → Effect of Setting

Make each claim specific and support your interpretation with evidence from the selected text.

39. Review Questions

Recall

1. Define conflict.

Answer: Conflict is two opposing forces within or among characters.

2. Mention the two main types of conflict in drama.

Answer: Internal conflict and external conflict.

3. Define setting.

Answer: Setting tells the time, place and socio-cultural background of a story or drama.

Conceptual Understanding

4. Explain the difference between internal and external conflict.

Answer: Internal conflict occurs within a character’s mind when the character is torn between opposing feelings or goals. External conflict occurs when a character struggles against an outside force.

5. Explain two ways setting contributes to drama.

Answer: Setting can create atmosphere or mood and can influence the behaviour of characters. It can also affect language, reinforce underlying themes and contribute to plot development.

Strategic Reasoning

6. How would you use PEE to analyse conflict in a dramatic text?

Answer: State the type of conflict as the point, identify relevant evidence from the text and explain how that evidence demonstrates the conflict and contributes to the development of the plot.

7. How can a change of setting affect a drama?

Answer: A change of setting can alter the circumstances surrounding the characters. Since setting can influence character behaviour and plot development, moving a drama to another time or place can change how characters act and how events unfold.

Extended Critical Thinking

8. Explain how conflict and setting can work together to develop a dramatic text.

Answer: Setting establishes the time, place and socio-cultural circumstances in which characters act, while conflict provides opposing forces that create tension and drive the narrative. The circumstances created by the setting can influence character behaviour and therefore affect how conflicts develop. Those conflicts then generate events that move the plot forward.

40. Final Synthesis

Conflict and setting are central to understanding dramatic development.

Conflict creates tension through opposing forces. It may be internal, occurring within a character’s mind, or external, involving an outside force. External conflict may take forms such as man against man, man against society, or man against nature or fate.

Setting establishes the time, place and socio-cultural background of the drama. It can shape atmosphere, language, themes, character behaviour and plot development.

The strongest literary analysis connects these elements rather than treating them as isolated definitions:

Setting establishes circumstances → Conflict creates tension → Characters respond → Events develop → Plot moves forward.

When studying a dramatic text, identify the conflict and setting, support your observations with textual evidence and explain how they contribute to the development of the drama.