Dramatistic Pentad

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The Dramatistic Pentad is a method of explaining motivations developed by renowned literary critic Kenneth Burke.

Contents 1 Overview 2 Rhetorical elements 2.1 Act 2.2 Scene 2.3 Agent 2.4 Agency 2.5 Purpose

[edit] Overview

Dramatistic Pentad recommends the use of a metalinguistic approach to literature that investigates the roles and uses of five rhetorical elements common to all narratives, each of which is related to a question. This approach is related to Burke's theory of dramatism.

By evaluating which of the five elements is given emphasis over the others, Burke argues, a critic, reader, or (in the case of a television series or a motion picture) viewer, can determine which element can best be understood as providing the motive for the character--usually the protagonist--treated in the literary work.

A character's stressing of one element over the others suggests his or her world view.

[edit] Rhetorical elements

The dramatistic pentad comprises the five rhetorical elements:

[edit] Act

Act, which is associated with dramatic action verbs and answers the question "what?" or "whom?", is related to the world view of realism.1. Act: What happened? What is the action? What is going on? What action; what thoughts?

[edit] Scene

Scene, which is associated with the setting of an act and answers the questions "when?" and "where?", is related to the world view of determinism and minimal or non-existent free will.

[edit] Agent

Agent, which is associated with the agent and answers the question "what?" or "whom?", reflects the world view of philosophical idealism.

[edit] Agency

Agency, which is associated with the person or the organization that committed the deed and answers the question "how?", implies a pragmatic point of view.

[edit] Purpose

Purpose, which is associated with meaning and answers the question "why?", indicates that the character seeks unity through identification with an ultimate meaning of life.