Abstract
In the age of digital media, online short dramas have emerged as a novel storytelling format characterized by compressed narratives, emotional satisfaction, and fragmented viewing. Although these modern forms appear to deviate from the established norms of traditional theatrical art in terms of creation processes and expression styles, they share similarities in narrative aesthetics, which has not received much scholarly attention. Adopting a diachronic approach and using Gérard Genette’s narrative theory, this paper seeks to investigate the extent to which contemporary online short dramas retain the narrative principles of ancient Greek drama. It focuses on the five core narrative elements, i.e., order, duration, frequency, mood, and voice, in selected examples from both genres. It is found that thematic aesthetics, narrative structure, and narrative speed continue from the traditional theatrical art to contemporary online short drama, although some major transformations in art are also identified. The findings highlight not only the adaptability of classical narrative techniques in modern contexts but also the lasting psychological needs of the audience.
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