How does drama differ from narrative prose in terms of stage directions and dialogue?

• A. Drama relies on dialogue and stage directions to convey action; readers infer setting and conflict; narrative prose provides exposition and internal thoughts
• B. Drama presents extensive internal monologue; prose minimizes dialogue
• C. Drama exclusively uses verse; prose is strictly prose
• D. Drama has no structured setting or conflict; prose does

Answer: (A)

In drama, action and what’s happening are shown mainly through what characters say and do, with stage directions guiding entrances, movements, and the setting. Since there isn’t a narrator revealing inner thoughts, readers infer the setting and the conflicts from dialogue and the physical cues on stage. Narrative prose, by contrast, can provide background information, motives, and characters’ inner thoughts directly through exposition and narration. So the best description is that drama relies on dialogue and stage directions to convey action, while narrative prose provides exposition and internal thoughts to reveal setting and conflict. The other options misrepresent drama: it isn’t defined by extensive internal monologue or by being verse-only, and drama does have structure in setting and conflict, unlike what one choice suggests.