1. HISTORY OF DRAMA:
ANCIENT DRAMA
MEDIEVAL DRAMA
RESTORATION
18TH-CENTURY DRAMA
2. ANCIENT DRAMA
Origin of western drama in the Greek Athens
Acc. Of this period is inadequate / insufficient
(Lack of information)
THEPSIS- developed a “new musical form”
1. Impersonate a single character (impersonator in
w/c they pretend)
2. Engage in dialogue w/ the chorus of
singer/dancer(e.g. Moulin Rouge)
3. First composer (person who write music)
Soloist (who perform a solo)
First dramatist (playwright/writer of plays)
Actor (who act on stage play)
Play (dramatic composition/peace)
Known as “Tragedy”(tradition of drama who
play a unique/important role to invoke
audience)
He became a “Father of drama”
• On the “hundred” playwrights of Greek tragic,
only “32” plays are survive by the 3 MAJOR
INNOVATORS:
▫ Sophocles
▫ Aeschylus
▫ Euripides
4. AESCHYLUS- created the possibility of
developing the “conflicts” between the
character and 2nd actor
“7 surviving play”, 3 of w/c
constitute(create/compose) the only
extant(exist) trilogy (e.g. Persian & Oresteia)
Are richly ambiguous(several meaning) into
the paradoxical(contradiction)
Relationship between human and cosmos
(people made an answerable fort their acts)
Trilogy- A group of 3 related things
Described as the Father of Tragedy
5. MEDIEVAL DRAMA
A new creation rather than a rebirth
Any form of theater: The Christian theater
LITURGY: Interpolated(introduced) by the bits of chanted(short)
dialogue in the Easter and Christmas service
Called TROPES(word/music into the plainsong settings of the roman
catholic liturgy)
PRIESTS(impersonating biblical figures)
Acted out of minuscule(short) scene from the holiday stories
6. Quem Quaeritis
refers to four lines of the
medieval Easter liturgy that
later formed the kernel of the
large body of
medieval liturgical drama.
7. RESTORATION
Theaters- established in the wake of
Charles II.
Restoration monarchy – England in
1660
English monarchy was restored
when Charles II of england became
king in 1660.
Intended to serve the needs of
socially, politically, aesthetically
homogenous class,
“refined”- French influence sensibility
8. The themes , language, dramaturgy of
Shakespeare play were now consider
out of date.
During next 2 centuries, the work of
england’s greatest dramatist- never
produced intact
William Shakespeare is the greatest
English poet and dramatist and an
undisputed world figure in
literature. Although his works (37
plays, 154 sonnets and two long
poems) are well-known all over the
world, we know little about his life.
9. Moliere- the English comedy of
manners
Was typically a witty(humorous),
brittle satire of current mores,
especially of relation between the
sexes.
Jean-Baptiste Poquelin-
known by his stage name Molière
was a French playwright and actor
who is considered to be one of the
greatest masters of comedy in
Western literature.
Best - known comedies of manner
A French playwright
10. Leading Example:
She would if she could(1668)-
The man of code(1676)- by George Etherege
The country wife(1675)- by William Wycherley
The way of the world(1700)- by William Congreve
The recruiting officer(1706)-
The Beaux Stratagem(1706)-by George Farquhar
One of the best comedy is The way of the world(1700)- by William
Congreve.
Like most restoration comedies it’s centered on the relationship
between the 2 sexes
It reflect the court vision of life, lack of ideas, and dissoluteness of the
upper class.
Had an immediate success as “the most promising young writer” of the
day.
11. 18th CENTURY DRAMA
A farcical comedy in england
The comedy of manners and the domestic drama
SATIRE-Henry Fielding and John Gay enjoyed the Brief revival of
satire
“satire can be funny, its aim is not to amuse, but to arouse contempt”
Henry Fielding and John Gay- the Beggar’s opera in 1728 met w/ a
phenomenal success.
Their wit (the talent of using unexpected words or ideas to make a clever
humorous effect) was too sharp for the government w/c retaliated by
imposing strict censorship laws in 1737.
Censorship- an official who examines books, plays, news reports,
pictures, radio and television programs, letters,etc.,
Purpose- to suppressing parts deemed
objectionable on moral, political, military, or other grounds.
12. Henry Fielding
was an English novelist and dramatist
known for his rich earthy humors
and satirical prowess.(e.g. Tom Jones)
13. John Gay
was an English poet and dramatist.
He is best remembered for The
Beggar's Opera (1728), a ballad
opera. The characters, including
Captain Macheath and Polly
Peachum, became household
names.
Hinweis der Redaktion
is a comic novel by the English playwright and novelist Henry Fielding.