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Developed by Kenneth Burke, and sometimes called the Pentad because of its five key terms, Dramatism offers a simple yet effective way to generate ideas. It resembles the Journalist's Questions and, like them, can be applied to many topics.
The Five Key Terms of Dramatism
| Act: |
What is happening? |
| Agent: |
Who is doing it? |
| Agency: |
What method is being used? |
| Purpose: |
What is the goal, intent, objective? |
| Scene: |
Where and when is it happening? |
These questions themselves are useful, but the true power of the Pentad comes when the key terms are combined to construct what Burke calls "ratios." These ratios yield a second layer of questions, often more interesting and penetrating than the first.
These ratios yield a second layer of questions, often more interesting and penetrating than the first.
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Act |
Agent |
Agency |
Purpose |
Scene |
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X |
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| Purpose |
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| Scene |
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X |
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The ratios of the Pentad can be used to create a master/subquestion pattern:
| Purpose: |
What was the purpose of Reconstruction? |
| Act/Purpose: |
How did the Acts of Reconstruction relate to this purpose? |
| Agent/Purpose: |
Who determined that this was necessary? |
| Agency/Purpose: |
Was this an effective means of accomplishing the purpose? |
| Scene/Purpose: |
Why was this goal considered important for the South at that time? |
Activity
1.11 Use the ratios of the Pentad to construct some master/subquestion combinations on a subject you're interested in writing about.
| Agency: |
___? |
| Agency/Purpose: |
___? |
| Agency/Act: |
___? |
| Agency/Scene: |
___? |
| Agency/Agent: |
___? |
Try one from scratch:
| __ : |
___? |
| __ /__ |
___? |
| __ /__ |
___? |
| __ /__ |
___? |
| __ /__ |
___? |
Remember, when using the Pentad or any other discovery aid, that the purpose is to help you open up and explore a subject. You want to find new insights and ideas. Don't let the mechanics of the system bog you down. Use the methods as springboards for your imagination.
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Discovering 
