Theater History Roman Theater

Roman Heritage The Roman’s tried to conquer and control everything – the world, architecture, even themselves.

The City Center An acropolis (Greek: ἀκρόπολις; from akros or akron, "highest", "topmost", "outermost" and polis, "city"; plural in English: acropoles, acropoleis or acropolises) is a settlement, especially a citadel, built upon an area of elevated ground— frequently a hill with precipitous sides, chosen for purposes of defense.

Roman Theater

Stock Characters A series of stereotyped characters, which the audience could easily identify. The roman audiences could quickly identify the characters and anticipate their behavior and reactions, regardless of playwright, play, or actor.

Examples of Stock Characters The servant – Usually the motivating force The Young Man The Girl The Braggart --a person who boasts about achievements or possessions. The old man The Smart / Dumb Servant Parasite / Leech

The Great Roman Playwrights

Plautus (254 – 184 B.C.) The Comedy Errors The Braggart Warrior The Haunted House ( inspired A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum )

Terence (195 – 159 B.C.) The Brothers, The Woman of Andros He was only 36 when he died. One wonders what other great works he would have brought forth! 

Stoicism The philosophy that true happiness is achieved through development of logic and inner peace. an ancient Greek school of philosophy founded at Athens by Zeno of Citium. The school taught that virtue, the highest good, is based on knowledge, and that the wise live in harmony with the divine Reason (also identified with Fate and Providence) that governs nature, and are indifferent to the vicissitudes of fortune and to pleasure and pain.)

Seneca (4 B.C. – A.D. 65) New versions of: Medea and Oedipus Greatly influenced Shakespeare, Marlowe, Kyd, and Renaissance writers.

Facts to Remember The Roman’s used and reused Greek plays, rewritten for a Roman audience. Roman’s gave play with untraditional values Greek setting so they wouldn’t offend their audiences. Roman’s excelled at Comedic theater. Roman’s had more realistic scenery.

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