1. The History of Drama

2. I. Before the Theater

3. A. When and Where 1. Greece 2. Prior to the 6 th c. B.C.

4. B. What 1. Oral tradition - narration 2. Stories of legendary heroes 3. No acting

5. C. Who 1. Greek rhapsodist – a professional who went from place to place reciting stories of legendary heroes 2. Homer a.Greek poet who lived during the 9 th or 8 th c. B.C. b.Wrote the two most famous epic poems that were recited by the rhapsodists i.Iliad ii.Odyssey

6. D. Why 1. Entertainment 2. A way of spreading ideas

7. II.Greek Drama

8. A. When and Where 1. 6 th c. B.C. 2. Athens, Greece a.During ceremonies to honor the Greek god Dionysus b.Later during theatrical competitions 3. Amphitheaters

9. B. What 1. In the beginning a.Chorus – a group of fifty men and boys who danced and chanted lines in unison b.Called a goat-song or tragos which is the basis for the word tragedy 2. Later a.Thespsis i.stepped out from the chorus and engaged them in dialogue ii.Became the first actor – (thespian – actor) b.Mostly tragedies

10. C. Who 1. Aeschylus a.Increased the number of actors b.Reduced the size of the chorus c.Considered the “father of tragedy” 2. Sophocles a.Refined the plot structure to create a more unified work b.Allowed his characters to question fate and the wills of the gods c.Wrote Oedipus Rex (considered by Aristotle to be the ideal tragedy)

11. C. Who (cont.) 3. Euripides a.More interested in people’s lives than in the religion of those days b.Emphasized human relationships c.Became a master of pathos – human sorrow and compassion 4. Aristophanes a.Skilled satirist – a style of comedy that presents humorous attacks on accepted conventions of society, holding up human vices and follies to ridicule b.Mocked the leaders of Athens and the gods c.Wrote Lysistrata an attack on war

12. D. Why 1. Religious worship 2. To show humanity’s place in the world and the consequences of individual actions

13. III.Roman Theater

14. A. When and Where 1. 3 rd c. B.C. 2. Roman Empire 3. Amphitheaters a.State-financed & free to the public b.Most famous – the Colosseum

15. B. What 1. An imitation of Greek drama a.All classical Roman tragedy was based on Greek plays  Example: Seneca’s Oedipus was in essence Sophocles’ Oedipus Rex with the addition of a ghost scene. b.Roman comedy derived from Greek New Comedy 2. The majority of original Roman dramas… a.Were comic representations of daily life b.Focused on comical business rather than the development of plot or character c.Contained plots that were concerned with mistaken identity, clever servants, young lovers and old men with complaining wives

16. C. Who 1. Plautus a.Roman comedian b.Helped develop the stock character – a stereotypical character whose behavior, qualities, or beliefs conform to familiar dramatic conventions 2. Terence a.Praised for creating a smoother, more elegant work than Plautus b.Also helped to develop the stock character 3. Seneca a.Beginning in the 1 st c. A.D. b.Wrote closet dramas – plays that were meant to be read rather than acted

17. D. Why 1. Entertainment a.To gain favor with the Roman mob b.Theater was later replaced with gladiator fights, wild-beast shows and chariot races in the Roman empire. 2. To prevent the decay of the empire

18. IV. Medieval Drama

19. A. When and Where 1. From the 5 th to the 13 th c. A.D. a.Began with the decline of the Roman Empire b.Ended at the dawn of the Renaissance 2. Europe a.Churches b.Pageant Wagons

20. B. What 1. Liturgical plays a.A question-and-answer song performed by monks on Easter b.Sung in Latin c.Later included priests, choirboys and nuns d.Later translated into the vernacular e.Later performed on Christmas and other religious holidays 2. Miracle plays or saint plays a.Based on the legends of the saints and their lives b.Performed in the vernacular c.Began to be performed outside of the church

21. B. What (cont.) 3. Mystery plays a.Based on biblical history b.Example: Passion Play – addresses the last week of Christ’s life 4. Morality plays a.Allegories b.Dealt with right and wrong, usually in the context of the devil and God battling for souls c.Presented by the church outside of the church d.Not associated with a specific holiday celebration e.Example: Everyman

22. C. Who 1. Monks 2. Priests, choirboys and nuns 3. Church members 4. Secular drama companies associated with the church 5. Secular drama companies supported by the nobility

23. D. Why 1. To help church members understand and relate to the Bible 2. To show the consequences of human actions 3. Entertainment

24. V. Renaissance Drama

25. A. When and Where 1. Beginning in Italy in the 13 th c. 2. Spread to the rest of Europe in the 15 th c. 3. Playhouses  Example: the Globe Theater

26. B. What 1. Italian Drama a.Began as weak imitations of classical plays with cheap obscenities and poorly constructed scripts b.Theater architecture and stage equipment became more developed c.Colored and perspective lighting was introduced d.Operas i.An attempt to revive the simplicity and humanism of ancient Greek drama ii.Introduced music to drama, emphasizing the words with a solo vocal line and simple instrumental accompaniment

27. B. What (cont.) 2. English Drama a.An expression of the soul of the nation b.Became a vital force in the lives of the people

28. C. Who 1. Christopher Marlow a.Introduced blank (unrhymed) verse b.Wrote Doctor Faustus about a man who sells his soul 2. Ben Jonson a.A master of English comedy b.Paid much attention to the humors 3. William Shakespeare a.Considered the greatest playwright of all time b.Wrote Romeo and Juliet and Julius Caesar c.The Globe Theater

29. D. Why 1. Entertainment