This study is a discourse analysis of two selected plays of Getnet Enyewrnnamely, Etege Taytu (Empress Taytu) and Wubetn Flega (Quest for Beauty). Itrnaims to demonstrate how frameworks from pragmatics and discourse analysisrncan be used to study dramatic conversation. With this purpose in mind, thernstudy attempts to show how it is possible to study dramatic characters throughrntheir conversational behavior. To this end, the conversational principles ofrnpoliteness and co-operation are used as frameworks to study the dramaticrncharacters in the selected Amharic plays.rnPragmatic theories and principles of conversation lay down ground rules as tornhow participants' conversational behavior should be designed. Applying thesernconversational theories while studying dramatic dialogue, is believed to be sornyielding in that it reveals much about the characters and their relationshiprnwith one another. In support of this idea Akalu (1997) states that through thernsocial theories of conversation suggested by principles of co-operation andrnpoliteness it is possible to study the characters.rnTo this end carefully selected conversational extracts will be examined in lightrnof the selected frameworks of analysis to demonstrate as to how characters canrnbe approached through their conversational behavior.rnThe study has shown that pragmatic principles are resourceful means ofrnstudying dramatic dialogue. Using the selected frameworks from pragmatics anrnattempt is made to demonstrate how it is possible to study dramatic charactersrnthrough their conversational behavior. The analysis has shown that the changernin characters' personality trait is implicated by the change in theirrnconversational strategy. Moreover, it has been shown that characters' attituderntowards one another, how they exploit one another in conversation and the sortrnof power relationship between them is inferable from their conversationalrnbehavior.