Every new field of investigation requires a guiding scheme or frame. Its purpose is to provide a heuristic for discovery and a structure for organizing information. Neither the World Health Organization's public health nor a biosocial model of violence are adequate for providing a protoscientific frame for conceptualizing violent acts. This essay suggests a master metaphor—Burke's Dramatism—through which to deepen and expand our knowledge of violence and what must be done to reduce its toll. An illustrative example is presented. (Herbert Krauss)