Discouragement as lower classes hear Latin dramatist (10)
I believe the answer is:
deterrence
'discouragement' is the definition.
(deterrence is a kind of discouragement)
'lower classes hear latin dramatist' is the wordplay.
'lower classes' becomes 'de' (I've seen this in other clues).
'hear' shows a homophone (sound like).
'latin dramatist' becomes 'terence' (Roman playwright).
'terence' sounds like 'terrence'.
'de'+'terrence'='DETERRENCE'
'as' is the link.
(Other definitions for deterrence that I've seen before include "Eg, possession of nuclear weapons" , "What discourages" , "The use of fear to dissuade" , "Powerful dissuasion" , "Role of nuclear weapons" .)