Chapter 23 Dramatism

Chapter 23 talks about the basic idea that life is drama. When this theory was first explained to me I thought of my Art of Theatre class that I am currently taking. In that class we also talk about the idea that life is a drama in and of itself, and we are all the actors. In class we analyzed the 1984 apple commercial and compared it to this theory. After doing this I tried to think of other examples in my life that would show this theory. Burke talks about the idea of three interpretive lenses to help understand the drama, identification, dramatistic pentad and the guilt-redemption cycle. I found that the commercials for the U.S. Marines, provide a good example for this theory. The commercial connects with the audience first by relating it to them specifically, by showing a person that could be just like them. They then show this seemingly average person doing something extraordinary. This is the identification lens. They then bring in the dramatistic pentad by using the 5 different elements. The scene takes place both in the everyday life of this ordinary person, and then in the setting of the marine core on an obstacle course. The act is that average person going from his normal life to exciting and hard core the life of a marine. The agent is the man who is the "Average Joe". The agency is that man transforming himself from ordinary to extraordinary by becoming a Marine. The purpose of this commercial is to persuade and make people want to join the marine core.