During the Renaissance, there were three main categories of theatre: popular theatre for common people, humanist theatre based on Greek/Roman drama, and liturgical drama based on biblical stories. Italian influence included Commedia dell'arte with stock characters and conventions like slapstick. Aristotle's writings on drama were rediscovered and emphasized the three unities of time, place and action. Perspective scenery was developed in Italy. Major playwrights included Lope de Vega and Calderon in Spain, and Marlowe, Jonson and Shakespeare in Elizabethan England. Puritans objected to theatre and eventually closed theatres during their rule. French theatre featured playwrights like Corneille, Racine and Moliere.

1. Chapter 15
The Renaissance
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2. Three General Categories of Theatre
 Popular Theatre
 Simple comedies and dramas for the common
people
 Humanist Theatre
 Based on imitating the ancient Greek and
Roman drama
 Liturgical Drama
 Based on Biblical stories and church traditions
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3. The Italian Influence
Commedia dell’arte
 Characters
 Harlequin or Arlecchino
 Pantalone
 Scapino
 Innamorata and
Innamorato
 La Ruffiana
 Conventions
 Slapstick
 Masks Erich Lessing/Art Resource, NY
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4. Classical Correctness
(Slide 1 of 2)
 Aristotle (Rediscovered)
 First complete edition of his writings was
published in 1531
 The Poetics
 The Three Unities
 Unity of time—Action of the play takes place within 24
hours
 Unity of place—Settings of the play can be reached
within 24 hours
 Unity of action—Comedy and tragedy should not take
place within the same play
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5. Classical Correctness
(Slide 2 of 2)
 Declamatory Acting Style
 Based on their interpretation of how they
think the Greeks performed their plays
 Delivered lines directly to the audience in a
presentational style
 Other scholars believed that ancient Greek
plays were entirely sung, which led to a new
type of theatre at the end of the sixteenth
century called opera
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6. Italian Perspective Scenery
(Slide 1 of 2)
 In 1414 De Architectura, an encyclopedic
text by Roman architect Vitruvius, was
rediscovered
 Filippo Brunelleschi (1377-1446) is credited
with inventing perspective painting
 Proscenium arch
 Raked stage
 Upstage
 Downstage
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7. Italian Perspective Scenery
(Slide 2 of 2)
Uses converging lines
and a vanishing point
to create the illusion of
depth, or a three-
dimensional reality on
a flat, two-dimensional
surface
PavelSlavko
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8. Spanish Theatre
(Slide 1 of 2)
 Religious dramas called
autos sacramentales
 Spanish drama was still
being performed on crude
platform-stages called
corrales
 Lope de Vega (1562-1635)
 The Sheep Well (1614)
 Dog in the Manger (1615)
WilliamMissouriDowns
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9. Spanish Theatre
(Slide 2 of 2)
Pedro Calderón de la Barca (1600-1681)
 Life Is a Dream (1635)
DonaldCooper/PhotostageLtd
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10. Elizabethan Theatre
 Secular Theatre
 University Wits
 Thomas Kyd and
Christopher Marlowe
 Boy Companies
 Professional organized
companies
 Puritans
 James Burbage
 “The Theatre”
 Blackfriars
DonaldCooper/PhotostageLtd.
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11. The Rose Theatre
The remains of the Rose
Theatre were discovered in
London in 1989. Only after a
prolonged protest were
archeologists from the Museum
of London allowed a few short
weeks to excavate the theatre.
Today, you can view part of
the remains in the basement of
The Rose Court, a massive
skyscraper built atop the ruins.
WilliamMissouriDowns
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12. The Globe Theatre
 Structure
 Stage with a pit and
gallery
 Advertisement
 Flags and trumpets
 Surroundings
 Bear baiting, prostitutes,
and gambling
 Verbal scene painting
 Scenographic elements
 Costumes
 Props
 Special effects
William Missouri Downs
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13. Rogues and Vagabonds
 Company of actors
 8-15 shareholders
 Hired per performance
 Apprentices
 Patronage
 The Lord Chamberlain’s
Men
 The King’s Men
 Women
 Mary Frith or Moll
Cutpurse
DonaldCooper/PhotostageLtd.
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14. Shakespeare’s Contemporaries
(Slide 1 of 2)
 Christopher Marlowe
(1564-1593)
 University educated, free
thinker
 Spy for England
 Best plays
 The Jew of Malta
 Tamburlaine
 Edward II
 The Tragical History of Doctor
Faustus
DonaldCooper/PhotostageLtd.
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15. Shakespeare’s Contemporaries
(Slide 2 of 2)
 Ben Jonson
(1573-1637)
 First Poet Laureate
 Marked felon
 Buried standing up!
 The Isle of Dogs
 Every Man in His
Humour
 Volpone
TheBritishLibrary/HIP/TheImageWorks
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16. William Shakespeare (1564 –1616)
(Slide 1 of 2)
 Biography
 Born in Stratford-upon-Avon
 Married Anne Hathaway
 3 children – Susanna, Judith,
and Hamnet
 Criticism
 Anti-Stratfordians claim
Shakespeare did not actually
write the plays attributed to
him
JohnQuincyAdamsWard,WilliamShakespeare,1870,NewYorkCity,NewYork.
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17. William Shakespeare (1564 –1616)
(Slide 2 of 2)
Coined the phrases
 “to catch a cold”
 “fair play”
 “foregone conclusion”
 “as luck would have it”
 “in one fell swoop”
 “cruel to be kind”
 “play fast and loose”
 “good riddance”
 “vanish into thin air”
20thCenturyFoxFilmCorp/EverettCollection
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18. Masques to Puritans
 Masques were the most popular form of theatre
at court
 Grand dances, extravagant costumes, lavish spectacle
 William Prynne (1600-1669)
 The Players Scourge
 Oliver Cromwell (1599-1658)
 Puritan leader who took over government
 Puritans ordered all theatres in London demolished in
1648; they would stay dark for the next 18 years
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19. French Theatre
(Slide 1 of 2)
 Theatres
 Hotel de Bourgogne
 Tennis courts
 Alexandrine Verse
 Each line had 12
syllables
Louise Leblanc Photography
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20. French Theatre
(Slide 2 of 2)
 Pierre Corneille (1606-1684)
 “The rule breaker”
 Le Cid
 Jean Racine (1639-1699)
 “The rule advocate”
 Phaedra
 Molière (1622-1673)
 “The risk taker”
 Tartuffe, The Doctor in Spite of Himself, The
Imaginary Invalid, Don Juan
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21. Curtain Call
Theatre during the Renaissance was
full of contradictions. It moved away
from its liturgical roots, yet it was now
rooted in rules even older than the
Church.
Some of the world’s greatest writers,
actors, and designers were honored
but were also forced to live on the
periphery of society.
However, a new age was coming—the
age of Enlightenment.
Comédie-Française,Paris,France.
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