Perception Of Death In The Play “Everyman&Quot; Essay

Perception of Death in the Play “Everyman" Essay
In the play "everyman" death is depicted as something that is terribly feared as no one seemed ready
for it, death is perceived as something that takes one away from the pleasures of this world.
Everyman is a classic play written in the 15th century whose subject is the struggle of the soul. This
is a morality play and a good example of transition play linking liturgical drama and the secular
drama that came at the end of English medieval period. In the play, death is perceived as tragic and
is intensely feared. The protagonist; Everyman, is a person who enjoys the pleasures of life and
good company. When he is unexpectedly called by death to account to God for his actions on earth,
he is thunderstruck. He is filled with sorrow and ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Everyman's reaction is a statement that death is an individual journey on which nobody can
accompany another. It is also a statement that all your supposed allies cannot help nor save you
when death strikes.
The perception of death as a tragedy is also manifested in Kindred's and Cousin's reaction to
Everyman's plight. Being relatives, they rightly enquire Everyman's destination, promising to live
and die with him. Everyman informs them of God's summon through Death for him to go and give
an account of his deeds on earth. To Everyman's disbelief, they turn down his request. Kindred says:
"Take good heart to you, and make no moan.
But one thing I warn you, by Saint Anne:
As for me, ye shall go alone". (Frohnman 19)
Cousin says: 'No, by our Lady! I have the cramp in my toe'. (Frohnman 19). In the moment of death,
a person may bank on relatives for consolation, but Kindred's and Cousin's reaction is a testament
that not even relatives can save anyone from the stark reality of death. Good's reaction to
Everyman's summon by death further lend credence to the premise that death is perceived as a
tragedy and is feared. Everyman informs Good's of his imminent journey to heaven and requests
him to accompany him on the journey to heaven. Everyman thinks he can bribe God. He says: "For
it is said ever among,
That money maketh all right that
... Get more on HelpWriting.net ...

Confusion In Macbeth
Macbeth, one of the most famous plays of Shakespeare was written in 1606. The play is inspired by
the real Macbeth who reigned over Scotland in the eleventh century. He died in 1056, ten years
before the conquest of England by the Normans. !
Ancient writers mention the hatred of Lady Macbeth for the family of King Duncan. They say that
Macbeth was killed by Macduff, but ignore the character of Banquo. According to historical sources,
Macbeth was a great king who suppressed the nobility, protected the people and enriched Scotland.
Instead, Shakespeare took it upon himself to alter Macbeth's qualities, transforming him to be the
villain of the story. Shakespeare did this by combining the different themes of confusion, illusion
and disorder.! ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
!
!
!
The first appearance of disorder involves the supernatural attributes irrupting throughout the play. It
comes to disturb the ordinary course of life, it destroys the peace. Shakespeare is the master of the
dramatic device of these disruptive events. Between life and nightmare, reality and hallucinations, it
is pushed to a fleeing inner truth. When something from beyond interferes in the lives of men and in
doing so opens an abysmal outlook on the dark forces.!
In the natural order, from the start "thunder", "lightning" and "rain" are the images of the unleashing
of infernal powers attached to the loss of mankind. This threatening darkness, fire, terrifying skies
shows a nature that no longer obeys its creator.!
Upon its beginning, Lady Macbeth raises the terms of the age–old conflict between order and
disorder, justice, and falsehood, reality and appearance, truth and deception. The buried preexisting
forces were unleashed. Their appearance is threatening for the system and the values of this early
medieval society. It is in compliance with such aristocratic values that the Knight built the grandeur
of its service, and can become a "perfect man" of royal blood (Act 1, Scene

Hamlet, Prince of Denmark
Hamlet, Prince of Denmark
By William Shakespeare
Submitted by: Tariq Khan
Dated: Monday, 24th September, 2012
Hamlet as a Tragedy by William Shakespeare
1.1. Brief Introduction to Tragedy: Greek and English:
Elizabethan tragedy is traced back to Greek tragedy, since Greeks are said to have pioneered the
Western knowledge, be it Science, Arts, or Humanities–not necessarily Technology. The rich
contribution of Greek dramatists like Sophocles, Euripides, Aeschylus and Aristophanes, is
noteworthy, towards the development of both Roman and English Drama. Though Roman Drama
could not thrive much as to invite the attention of Western audience, but English Drama excelled in
Elizabethan Age (due to the royal patronage), with ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
On the other hand, Shakespearean tragedy radiates with strong characterization–round, of
course–"Character is Destiny". Sixthly, Pity and Fear for Catharsis are perhaps common in both the
tradition of tragedies. And, lastly, the role of chorus (highlighting the past and intimating the future–
pivotal to the plot), being common in Greek and English Tragedies, make them closer to each other.
1.2. William Shakespeare's Hamlet:
Hamlet by William Shakespeare is believed to be the Crown of Tragedies because of its thematic
heterogeneity, stylistic features, rich characterization and appeal to Human Heart. A heart rending
tragedy that overwhelms with revenge, filial love and introspection–explicitly exposed in four major
Soliloquies by Hamlet, the prince. The said drama is equally fascinating to the students of history,
philosophy, psychology, literature and perhaps many more. Though, it has flaws in its plot being
unsystematic and less causative for the fulfilment of Organic Whole, yet the overall/final effect is
quite impressive from artistic and literary viewpoints.
Speeches of Polonius, Ophelia, Horatio, Claudius, and particularly the Hamlet's glorify the drama;
better illustrates and beautifies the tragedy, fulfilling the fundamentals of tragedy. Every character
contributes, shares and cares, and above all, involved in the main action–action being the soul of
drama! Internal and External Conflicts

Types Of The Middle Theater : FAQ About Medieval Theater
FAQ about Medieval Theater
1 Q: What type of plays were the most popular and who was the most popular play writer?
There were three types of plays that were the most popular. One of them being Mystery plays, which
were stories used from the Bible. One play had the priests and monks that were actors and there
were four or five different scenes/acts. Another popular type was The Miracle play, which was about
a saints life and their actions. And lastly is the Morality plays which taught people about life as told
by the rules of the church (Donn). One of the most popular play writers was a woman named
Hrosvitha. She made many plays that were popular in the Medieval Times (McDonald–Miranda).
2 Q: Where and how were performances performed?
There were two main areas that plays were typically held. One of them being Mansions, which aren't
the mansions we know today. Theses mansions were small scenic structures, for example, a throne
may be the palace of Pilate. Another main area they were held was a Platea, which is a general
acting area, neighboring a mansion. The mansion and platea were loaned from the church services
(Trumbull, 2007).
3 Q: What did the costumes, sets, and specials effects look like?
There were two different kinds of stages the plays were performed on, fixed and moveable.
(Trumbull, 2007). Churches provided the costumes for the actors. Actors in liturgical dramas wore
church clothing, but this slowly converted overtime. Actors often wore masks, which came in

General Introduction: Eight Great Tragedies
General Introduction: Eight Great Tragedies
In Greek the word "tragedy" means "goat song", but the connection between tragedy and goat song
is obscure. Perhaps a goat was the prize at some sort of early singing contest in Greece, or perhaps
the dancers wore goat skins. One medieval writer ingeniously suggested that tragedy is called goat
song because it begins prosperously, as a goat is abundantly hairy in front, and ends wretchedly, as a
goat is bare in the rear. Dante Alighieri, whose Divine Comedy proves him to be the greatest poet of
the Middle Ages, offered the engaging idea that tragedy is so called because its story is unpleasant
and smelly as a goat. The American public does not greatly approve of goat songs. We are an ...
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While one can never say with certainty why something did or did not happen, nevertheless we may
hazard the suggestion that some cultures have never produced tragic drama because their ethical
systems stifle it. Among tragedy's basic assumptions is the value of the individual's life. Societies
(such as some in the Orient) which believe in reincarnation seem to worry very little about suffering
in this life, especially because suffering may merely be payment for immoral behaviour during a
previous existence, and in any event, the soul goes through so many physical bodies that the
conflicts of any particular incarnation are, in the long view, trivial. In India Shakespeare's tragedies
seem superficial, for the dominant creeds in the East suggest that "Life is an infinite Paradise. They
who write tragedies are not yet enlightened." On the other hand, most Westerners feel that the
Indians lack sufficient respect for the body and for human life. In their quest for purity, the Indians
appear to us to be insufficiently interested in man as we know him. The Bhagavad–Gita (Song of
God), for example, is a sacred Hindu text that justifies war on the grounds that death is unimportant.
The Orient, we are told, easily sympathize with Shakespeare's Claudio in Measure for

Justice And Judgement In Christopher Marlowe's 'Doctor...
Part A: Question
How is justice OR judgment addressed in ONE of the primary texts from the drama module?
Christopher Marlowe's 'Doctor Faustus' is found to be both a Christian morality and a classical
tragedy. Whilst the drama leans towards the Christian message of avoiding sin and repentance,
towards the end it sways more towards a tragedy as Faustus is eventually damned to hell. Therefore,
the theme of judgement is exemplified from a religious perspective. Also, Faustus appears to be
somewhat of a renaissance man in that he chooses to disobey medieval ideologies of religion. Here,
Marlowe attempts to engage the reader into making their own judgement and coming to a
conclusion about Faustus. Whilst the play employs many differing themes, the Christian ideology
and the clash between medieval and renaissance ideologies are most prominent.
The Christian theology is evident in the drama and most of the content of the play is in line with it,
and the idea of being judged is ever present. As 'Doctor Faustus' is a Christian drama, it evidently
has themes which are in line with the Christian faith (Hackett 82). In Christian theology, sin is an act
that goes against the will of God. In the play, Faustus commits what may be considered as the most
unforgivable sin by going into an agreement with Lucifer, considered the prince of the devils, and in
turn relinquishes his obedience to God. However, in accordance with the Christian faith, even the
worst of sins may be forgiven by Jesus

How A Story Changes During Recycling
How a Story Changes During Recycling
Dôjôji in setsuwa, illustrated scroll and Noh play
9N135551 MaoYing
Devastated by a young monk who refused to have a relationship with and ran away from her, a
woman turned into serpent, chased the monk into a temple and finally destroyed him even though he
hid himself carefully under the big temple bell . This is the summary of the Dōjōji legend, a story
which has been recycled many times through history. Being one of the most popular themes in
Japanese arts and literature, it appeared in numerous versions and has been adapted to a wide variety
of media. In this paper, I will look into three of them – Setsuwa, illustrated scroll and Noh play –
and make some comparisons. I will try to demonstrate how ... Show more content on
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On the other hand, the woman is depicted as evil, lustful, and furious when rejected. In her essay,
Susan Blakeley Klein attributes this extremely negative view of women to one possible function of
the setsuwa: a cautionary tale specifically addressed to monks and priests to persuade them to avoid
women and exclude them from the realm of the spiritual .
The Dôjôji Engi Emaki
The Dōjōji Engi Emaki is an illustrated narrative scroll which was made in the Muromachi period
based on the earlier versions of the Dôjôji story. It is now a national treasure in the possession of
Dôjôji temple, Wakayama. This kind of illustrated scroll was often used in a medieval performance
art called etoki 絵解き, in which a performer displays the scroll to his/her audience while explaining
the illustrations and narrating the story. Even today, you can still enjoy a live performance given by
monks in the Dôjôji temple, though the scroll they use is a variant of the Engi Emaki produced early
in the twentieth century.
Although being based on the earlier setsuwa versions of the Dôjôji story, the Dôjôji Engi Emaki is
more like an independent work. It consists of four major parts: illustrations that depict the story;
Monogatari, the opening part that designates the time, places, actors and backgrounds; serifu, the
lines of speech uttered by the characters themselves; etoki lines, the narrations given by the
explainer. The verbal narration is

Zeami Motokiyo : An Art Form
Zeami Motokiyo was a Japanese actor, playwright, and theorist of the Noh theatre. Today, he is
widely acclaimed as one of the most innovative thinkers in the history of the stage. According to
Shelley Fenno Quinn and her book Developing Zeami, Noh theatre is "an art form that depicts the
life of the emotions in a synthesis of dramatic, musical, and choreographed elements" (1). While
known for his acting and plays, Zeami is also known for his use of images in nature as a continuous
metaphor. For example, the hana or flower is both an aesthetic principle and the soul of the actor of
the character or play. It is also beyond that, a spiritual quest. This metaphor is used to evoke a sense
of the spiritual and special qualities found in Noh theatre. According to Quinn's book, "an actor who
possesses the flower is one who has cultivated both the sensibility and the technical virility to read
his audience to adjust his performance accordingly" (3). While the flower is used to symbolize the
soul which every actor should take on, it also important to realize the physical and psychological
cross–bordering. In Noh theatre, the physical and psychological cross–bordering is important and
allows the audience's emotional involvement. Although Zeami mainly focused on the actor and the
flower, I believe the flower can also relate to the audience. Through this aesthetic movement, the
audience can also be perceived as a flower. In the medieval Noh theatre, the word "body" goes
beyond the

The, Or The Nightingale, By Marie De France
The definition of a classic is a hotly debated topic in literature. For literature a classic has to have
certain characteristics to make is a classic; such as it must stand the test of time, have a universal
appeal, and make connections with the audience. Laustic, or the Nightingale, by Marie De France is
a classic in its own right due to the fact that students are still reading the literary work that it creates
a lasting impression on the reader. Marie De France, author of Laustic, created a memorable and
complex courtly love triangle that is dynamic when analyzing essential elements, such as irony,
understatement, spirituality, and symbolism.
In the story, Laustic or the Nightingale, Marie de France manipulates similarity and contract to
produce a more intense and stimulating story. Marie introduces her story by describing the two
young knights, who "had strong house" and "from the goodness of the two barons the city acquired a
good name (De France, 11–12)." Marie depicted the husband and the neighbor, or soon to be lover,
very much alike as to show the audience that they are equals, socio–economically and morally
(Murray). The similarity between the two characters add an element of relatability because the "wife
essentially falls in love with the same man all over again (Murray)." Marie then uses contrast by
detailing the husband's change of character from the beginning of the story to the end. From the
introduction of Laustic the author emphasizes the good nature of the

Othello, By William Shakespeare Essay
The Dramatic play entitled Othello is an unusual story full of jealousy, dark misunderstandings, lies,
and regrets. Following Aristotle 's definition of a true tragedy, where does the tale of Othello fall? Is
Othello too dramatic too be considered a tragedy or does it barely fall along the lines of tragic?
Shakespeare 's innovation with poetry and dramatic plays have been recognized by critics and
playgoers throughout the centuries (Lee,1899). The Bard 's play entitled Othello, is among some of
the most acknowledged pieces of the medieval ages. It is the consuming and destructive power of
passion that marks the superiority of Shakespeare 's work over that of his fellow writers, according
to Crawford in his article on Shakespearean dramas(Crawford, 1916). A consuming and destructive
power is quite prevalent throughout the drama of Othello. It is the destruction of lies.
The play is comprised of many characters, but Shakespeare mainly keeps his audience 's attention on
three people: Othello, Desdemona, and Iago. Othello, of course, is the main character and the
husband to Desdemona. Othello also has a history of being a general in the venetian military. It is
this history of militia that connects his acquaintance with Iago. Apparently, Othello did not grant
Iago with a promotion which in–turn, causes Iago to have his "turn upon him"(Shakespeare,1604).
Iago 's plan for revenge begins to take form once he discovers Othello 's marriage to Desdemona.
Iago plans to convince

Medieval And Renaissance Theatre : Overview Of Medieval...
Overview of Medieval and Renaissance Theatre Throughout the early Middle Ages, the theater had
suffered some underdevelopment and ultimately diverged a great deal from the Greek ritualistic
theater. The Middle Ages ranged from the 5th century to the 15th century A.D. and theater during
this time is split up into two parts. During the early age, (5th to 8th) it was a time where there was
essentially no major progress in the field and everything learned seemed to have been forgotten. The
activities that were going on at the time made theater a simpler version of what everyone looked up
to. It was a time where theater really struggled to survive. By the end of the age (9th to 15th), the
theater got out of its failing state and once again began prospering and contributing for the new
generations. In hindsight, it is surprising theater survived this period due to disinterested people.
Early this period, the interest for the theater was at it all time nadir amongst the Western world and
the only attentive viewers were the royal families. Bearing in mind this vigorous demographic,
theatrical plays performed prominently for the French and Anglican kingdoms (Walker 188). It is
stimulating to note that theater was not only performed in small groups it was also regarded as the
same type of entertainment as the ones of mimes, acrobats, dancers, jugglers, storytellers, and
wrestlers (Walsh 375). One would think that it would have been highly regarded even during these
dark

Greek Theatre Research Paper
During the 5th century, only men were able to participate and act in plays. Greek and Medieval
Theatre both did play during special occasions. Greek and Medieval Theatre had playwrights,
themes, actors, produced worldwide theatre, both were located in a type of amphitheater, costume,
staging, and a type of genre. Both had their first play during the 5th century. Greek Theatre has a lot
to do with Greek mythology, like god and goddesses as well mystical heroes. The Medieval Theatre
presented epic hero sometimes dealing with demigods and normal people that challenged the gods.
It also portrays to Marcuity plays.
Ancient Greek theatre performed when there were special occasions also known as festivals.
Ancient Greek theatre actors were played ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
During Greek and Medieval theatre, only men were apart of theatre productions even teenage boys.
They had women actors, but they were dressed as teenage boys sometimes men. Men were looked
as more distinguished over women. Currently in modern theatre the front row and seats that are in
the front are more expensive than the cost of seats during ancient theatre. During ancient theatre
interacted with their audience more. If the audience was not enjoying the play they would throw
rotten food on stage. Modern theatre had more advanced technology compared to ancient theatre.
Theatre performances are more of a formal

Ancient Greek Theatre Analysis
Theatre History Ancient Greece In ancient Greece the Theatres were split in 3 major parts. The
Orchestra, The Skene or stage, and then the main theatre segment which was called the Koilon. The
Orchestra was placed in the middle of the theatre in a circular pattern. They had a Thymeli placed in
the middle of the Orchestra, the Thymeli was used as an altar and later was were the chorus stood.
The side of the Skene faced the audience serving as a background. The Skene had as many as three
entrances for actors. Ib between the Skene and the seats, there are two entrances, one on the right
and left which was called the Parodoi. The roof of these ancient greek theatres was flat and it was
called the Theologian. The auditorium of the theatre was shaped in a semi circle which was divided
in two Diazoma, upper and lower. The indoor theatres were called Odeia. The Athenian Theatre
plays were focused on the god Dionysus the god of wine, fertility, and agriculture. The Greek theatre
had loud music, bright colors, and extensive dancing. These plays showed violence and daily life,
social and ethical plays, war, murder, lust, and betrayal. Many playwrights were Sophocles who was
born in Athens the year of 496 B.C. and he wrote over hundred plays for Athenian theatre and only
seven have survived to this day. Another man who wrote plays was a man named Aeschylus, he was
born in the city of Eleuis and was born in 525 B.C. and wrote about 90 plays, and once again he too

Death Of A Salesman By Arthur Miller
What is the correct definition of tragedy anyways? Many people would define tragedy as a disaster,
but according to the book The Cambridge Guide to World Theatre by Martin Banham, the word
tragedy is "a word whose meaning changes with time and place" (1002). In Medieval times,
"tragedy came to mean the downfall of a person of high degree" (Banham 1002), but in recent times,
the meaning of the word tragedy has many definitions. According to Banham, "realists refused to
limit tragedy to privileged protagonists" (1002). Two famous tragic plays that I found to have a
genre of tragedy are Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller and Eurydice by Sarah Ruhl. In both of
these plays, the downfall was not of a person of high degree but there was a ... Show more content
on Helpwriting.net ...
Willy probably might have felt guilty about borrowing money from Charley each week just to show
his wife that he is making plenty of money. He was unsatisfied with his earning and lied to his wife
by bringing home extra cash from his neighbor. By borrowing money and not earning enough from
his job, certainly causes him to suffer.
Another example of Willy's sufferings was when he lost his job. For instance, Willy is dissatisfied
with his career and decides to ask his boss Howard to work in the town instead of traveling for work
from New York to New England every two weeks. Howard ends up saying "there just is no spot here
for you" (Miller 56) and ends up firing him. Although Willy had a long career with the company and
was very productive, Howard let him go. Willy defends himself by saying "I put thirty–four years
into this firm, Howard, and now I can't pay my insurance!" (Miller 57). Howard fires Willy at a time
when he was most desperate. This shows the "change in the hero's fortunes" (Nardo 73). Regardless
being fired from his job, Willy still had hopes for his sons Biff and Happy to start a new business.
Things did not go according to the plan and the business ends up not happening which causes Willy
to suffer even more. Willy goes through financial troubles which prevent him to achieve the
American Dream, keep his job, and provide for his family. These are all signs of disappointment and

Everyman
The Parable of the Talents therefore refers to the metaphor "life is a precious possession." If you
have many talents, you must "invest" them wisely––use them as you should use material goods, in a
charitable way. If you have a few talents, you must invest them wisely as well. Even if you have
only one talent, you must invest it wisely and do good in the world with that talent. In an
important way, the play Everyman demonstrates the ways in which a person who does have talents
(Good Deeds that are trapped in the ground) wastes them, like the servant who buries his one talent
in the ground and is cast into the dark, the "place of wailing and grinding of teeth." According to the
play's allegory, what forces in everyday human life ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
All in good faith, fellowship said goodbye and apologized to Everyman as he leaves. 
Scene 3: After Everyman's first rejection, he stoops low enough to ask Kindred and his
cousin to go with him. At first his cousin says "yea , Everyman and to us declare If ye be disposed to
go any whither; For, wit you well, we will live and die together." Later in the scene Cousin and
Kindred change their minds and reject Everyman. The say that Everyman is committing a selfish act
by asking them to go with him. Everyman is still alone. Scene 4: Goods.
Everyman wants Goods to go with him to the afterlife. Goods does not go because materials are not
what make a person. The idea of heaven or hell is to see what kind of a person that you were in your
life. Goods to do not decide what sort of a person someone is. Goods does not care about going with
Everyman because goods can just be passed on to someone else. Goods is rejected to accompany
Everyman. Scene 5: Everyman asks good Deeds to go with him to the
afterlife. Good Deeds refuses because Everyman has not done very many good deeds in his life.
Good Deeds, hence the name, does a good deed and leads Everyman to Confession. 
Scene 6: Everyman meets up with Knowledge, Good Deed's cousin. Knowledge
accompanies Everyman to Confession where he is joined by Five Wits, Beauty, Strength, and
Discretion. Everyman confesses all of his bad deeds

The Spectacle Theatre Costumes
There are several elements in a play that make it successful. These elements consist of the writer's
plot, theme, characters, dialogue, music and the "Spectacle". The Spectacle refers to the visual
elements that make up a play: sets, costumes and special effects. Although costumes are only one
small component in a play, I believe they are very imperative for the overall feel of the audience.
The costumes worn by the performers portray the personality of the character along with the period
of time of the play. According to a Canadian designer, Judith Bowden, "The main job of costume
design in a production is to provide physical and emotional support to every actor through the
clothing he or she will wear to enhance characterization" ("The costumes designers role"). There is
an extensive history of Costume design in Theater, an each century has importance.
Theatre design has believed to be created from the ancient Greeks. There costumes varied because
of how they grew up living in a ritualized style of theatre. Their costumes consisted of face masks,
face painting's, and even full body paintings. They wore these design's to ... Show more content on
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The clothing will accurately reflect the clothing of the appropriate time in history. Costumes are
created for movement. Allowing actors to raise their arms without moving the entire costume or
being able to kick without ripping a seam. The costumes are constructed to be strong enough to
endure the enormous amount of performances for months or even a year. Costumes today are made
from natural fibers like cotton, linen, silk and wool. Styles of costumes design will continue to go in
and out, however, the principle behind costumes remains endless. As Robert Edmond Jones wrote in
1941, " A stage costume is a creation of the theater. Its quality is purely theatrical and taken outside
the theater it loses its magic at once. It dies as a plant dies when uprooted"

The Second Shephers Play Themes
Divided into three distinct classes, the estate system of early Britain provides little opportunity for
self–advancement, invoking impure religious proclamation to assert anchor–fast mobility upon
peasantry. To this working class, little option remains in place but to hold fast clergy doctrine,
begrudged to wait out their bondage by conception until release by cessation. As a diversion from
daily ails and renew religious fervor, guilds present mystery plays, bible–based skits determined to
capture an audience from hardened, uneducated workers. In the mystery play, The Second
Shepherds' Play, The Wakefield Master proclaims in three variations the qualities of Christ to
analyze and critique traditional class hierarchy, thereby challenging early Britain's warrior–estate
ideology of religion and citizenship with a disputable emphasis on individuality. Masking a
controversial theme with the guise of scripture for entertainment, the Wakefield Master employs
continuous ambiguity of the shepherds along with the unity of their address to Christ regarding his
attributes to conversely develop the theme of individuality in religion and accentuate hierarchal
corruption. In a play focused around deceit and disparity in intent, the shepherd's address to the
Christ–child marks a turning point at which the author weaves lines together in harmony so to assert
a truth. These lines, "Hail, comely and clean!" (1023), "Hail, sovereign saviour," (1036), and "Hail,
darling dear," (1049), invoke

Greek Theatre Research Paper
Along with tragedy, Greek comedy was also renowned form of theatre art of Ancient Greece.
Leading playwright of the period was Aristophanes. His works laid a sarcasm about philosophers
and politicians of age. Mainly men were the professional actors, singers, and dancers of the time,
and played both human and non–human characters through costumes and extremely decorated face
masks. Due to limited number of performers, each performer was equipped with multiple roles
which involved quick changing of costume and the use of identifiable character masks. All plays
were performed in an open–air theatre.
According to Babiak the medieval period of theatre (in England) is considered to extend from the
Fall of Rome, around the year 410 C (Babiak). It

The Role of the Artistic Director in a Theater Production
Artistic director: An artistic director is responsible for the artistic end of theater production. He or
she is in charge of creating and executing the artistic vision of the play. The artistic director is
considered to be a creative or interpretive artist as they interpret another person's work. Production
Meeting: A production meeting is when the music director, choreographer, set, light, sound, and
costume designers meet with the artistic director to discuss and create the production concept.
Dramaturg: The dramaturg goes out to different cities and reads plays. He or she also tries to locate
translations of the play, writes articles on the play, and writes articles on dramaturgy. Development
director: The development director is responsible for developing a plan for fundraising and he or she
pays special attention to various sources of fundraising such as corporations. Mission statement: The
mission statement serves to address the theater company's purpose, values, and goals. The mission
statement is written by the board of trustees and is then sent to the IRS in which it receives a status
of 501[c] [3]. Technical director: A technical director handles the technological aspect of theater.
This includes lights, sounds, and various equipment that is to be used for the play. He or she is part
of the production concept and works with the set designer. Director's concept: The director's concept
refers to what the play means to the director. This is based on

Elizabethan Era Cinema
What were theatres like?
The beginning of theatres was very similar to how they are today. For example, they still had a large
audience watching performing actors who have scripted and learnt a set play. They also had teared
seating as well.
The beginning of theatres was in 500 B.C. and back then going to the theatre was a big event. All of
the women use to get their slaves to do their hair especially nice and choose out the best dress they
owned.
One of the reasons this event was so big was because it was occasional– unlike today when we can
book a theatre production all year around, back in 500 B.C you had to wait because the Theatre
group only visited a few days every year.
Another difference was that to go and watch this theatre group ... Show more content on
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During the summer of 1851, there was a count of theatres, and there were 19 theatres in London.
Stage managers were introduced. Their jobs were the equivalent of modern–day directors and
producers. Because of stage manager, a lot of backstage confusion was stopped and chaos was
reduced.
Who were the audiences?
The theatres were not restricted to certain classes of society. This is because they had improved the
transportation system so the streets were far safer to travel along (especially at night). This meant
that plays could run longer into the night without people having to worry about how they were going
to get home safe. Therefore, theatres produced more money and consequently produced better plays.
Which plays were performed?
The main type of play was 'comedy'. This was a combination of high and low comedy. Plots based
on coincidence and/or mistaken identities The characters usually puppets of fate. They were usually
unable to get married because they were too poor or too rich. They would also suffer a loss of
identity due to an accident. Another popular plot was where twins were separated and then they are
unaware as to their double.
Some of the techniques used as well were:
Slapstick
Loud noises
Physical

What Made Up Theater During The Middle Ages
"There is that smaller world which is the stage, and that larger stage which is the world," –Isacc
Goldberg. These are important words, because theater is valued in our world today, and was
especially important during the Middle Ages. The church was the main source of order and security
during this time. Going to heaven was the only thing the people really lived for because they had
nothing else. Theater was one of the few things the people of this time could find entertainment in.
Theater helped the people escape from the unexciting and rough world they lived in, and allowed
them to be placed in an exciting new world. There were many different types of plays during the
Middle Ages: traveling performers, liturgical dramas, vernacular plays, cycle plays, and morality
plays. All of these made up theater during the Middle Ages, and helped it to grow and change into
what it is today. The Middle Ages, ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
These plays took place in Middle Ages between 1200–1350. Miracle plays were one type of
vernacular drama. They had the same concept of liturgical plays, but were more focused on the
saints. Mystery plays were also a type of vernacular drama, and were very close to liturgical plays.
These plays were usually acted by churchmen ("Vernacular"). As the church's control over the plays
decreased, cycle plays came in. Cycle productions were made up of several short plays. Unlike
liturgical drama, these plays did not have to be religious. Depending on the type, cycle productions
could be relatively short, or they could take days to finish. Three hundred actors were not unusual
for these plays (Robinson). Just like with other parts of society during the Middle Ages, women
were not in theater. All of these plays were impacted or controlled by the church. The plays were
always reviewed by the church, and they could disapprove a production. The churches' impact on
theater declined the most in the 14th

Analysis Of Neil Fraser 's ' The Golden Age '
Theatre History Explained Neil Fraser outlines the history of theatre from Greek and Roman times,
all the way through the twentieth century. Fraser makes a claim that theatre truly began in Greek
culture with even the Roma's looking upon that time as "the golden age". "The Romans looked back
on Greek theatre of circa 600BC as a golden age, and we can still make a case for the great plays of
that period as having never been bettered." (Fraser, 2004, pg.5). Some of the more important
highlights of this book include the transformation of theatre as we view it today from what it
originally looked like. It's roots in Greek religious ceremonies progressing from a chorus of priests
speaking all together in unison to a solo voice being used as an ... Show more content on
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These "pageants" gave birth to a new type of play called "mystery" or "miracle" cycles (Fraser,
2004). From there Fraser concludes that the medieval theatrical genres eventually became
"outmoded – or rather, grew and developed into new ones." (Fraser, 2004, pg.45). From Medieval
we turn to the Elizabethan stage which is what most everyone thinks of in regards to theatre and
performance art. In this stage we begin to see a form of censorship and theatre becoming less and
less involved with the church (Fraser,2004). We also begin to see a change from outdoor theaters to
the indoor theaters with audience seated in front of a large rectangular stage and balconies to hold
more affluent patrons (Fraser, 2004).
The Shakespearean Stage 1574–1642 In the Elizabethan era, also known as the Shakespearean era,
we see less and less of plays drawing from the church and more of the strolling entertainers that
roamed from place to place performing. From strolling minstrels we move to professional
entertainers in repertory companies with significant financial backing (Gurr, 1970). "The statute of
1572 required each company to be authorized by one noble or two judicial dignitaries of the realm:"
(Gurr, 1970, pg.19). These companies were employed by the royals and their their major aim was to
pease the

Greek Theatre And Medieval Drama
Greek Theatre and Medieval Drama: Distant Siblings Greek theatre and medieval drama were both
very popular artistic events in their own periods of performance. However, from ancient Greece to
the renaissance, time has set them apart in terms of methodology; their practitioners use a creative
process based off of different mindsets. Therefore, the significant time lapse between the two genres
has had an evident impact on the way theatre was perceived and presented. In comparing aspects
such as religious motivations, conditions of violence and character development, the distinct
theatrical natures of Greek theatre and medieval drama will be made apparent. Though both genres
of theatre are closely tied to religion, Greek theatre and medieval drama have different religious
motivations that impact the ways in which the theatrical event is utilized. In Greece, theatre was
used to entertain or please the Gods, more specifically the God Dionysus, during the most important
of the four Athenian festivals: the Great Dionysia. The first known Greek playwrights, such as
Thespis and Euripides, were chosen to compete in the festival and submit three tragedies and one
satyr play to be performed in front of approximately 15,000 spectators. In classical Greece, theatre
was the center of citizenship and society; religious ideologies towards Dionysus were not only
realized by performances, but strongly encouraged by the state. For example, if a citizen could not
afford to attend the

Commedia Dell Arte Research Paper
The Influence of Commedia Dell'arte on Le Barbier de Séville ou la Précaution inutile and Il
Barbieri di Siviglia
Introduction
Commedia dell'arte played a crucial role in the history of Western theater, "its underlying satire and
irony ultimately shaping the development of comedy on the dramatic as well as the lyric stages,"
(Fisher 17). This paper will discuss, first, commedia dell'arte's satirical performances, their
circumstances, and their original audience, and tell how this theatrical form became well–known
throughout Western Europe. It then will discuss two enduring popular stage works: Sterbini and
Rossini's opera buffa Il Barbieri di Siviglia, and Beaumarchais's satirical comedy Le Barbier de
Séville ou la Précaution inutile of ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Furthermore,.Moliere had embedded the scenario in a much more complex story, one with many
players and plot talk worthy of romantic comedy, Beaumarchais, however, adopted the entire
commedia dell'arte trope, with the only modification, mentioned above, of the young nobleman
being incognito, creating a straight comedic satire. He wrote, "As the play opened, an old man, in
love with his ward, arranges to marry her the next day. A young suitor, who is cleverer than he, foils
his plan and marries the girl, today, under the guardian's nose and in his own house" (Bermel

The Italian Renaissance And Theatre's Contributions To...
Italian Renaissance
Introduction
The Italian Renaissance is the "rebirth" of new ideas based on classical teachings. The Italian
Renaissance gave birth to many innovations in theater architecture and scene design, including the
proscenium arch stage, painted–flat wings and shutters, and Torelli's mechanized pole–and–chariot
system. In addition, the Italian Renaissance saw the development of the neoclassical rules of
dramatic structure, and of opera and Commedia dell'arte. Between the 14th and 16th centuries
Renaissance drama developed in Italy, marking an end to medieval practices and a release of
traditional Roman ways of presenting drama. (Web.) The three major Renaissance contributions to
Theatre were one, Neoclassical ideal in playwriting and criticism, two, Italianate staging and
architecture, and three, Commedia dell'arte. By 1600, this rebirth had moved to other parts of
Europe. It remained dominant for over 200 years, especially among upper classes.
It is generally agreed that the Italian theatre has its origins in the liturgy of the Catholic Church as it
was recited on holy days and particularly, at Carnival time. It was at first a simple prolongation of
the religious rites in Latin, but subsequently was gradually transformed into an independent
spectacle. There were members of church–sponsored lay confraternities which engaged in extreme
forms of penance as well as in prayer and in the singing of songs called laude. Although usually
lyrical or narrative in nature,

History of Theatre Lesson Notes Essay
Lesson 1: Origins of Theatre Learning objectives: List the performance elements and understand
their role in both ritual and theatre: time, place, participants (players, audience), scenario
(agenda/goal/text/rules), clothing (uniform, costume, mask, makeup), sound (speech, music),
movement (gesture, pantomime, dance), and function or purpose. Can be clock or fictional time,
places vary (designed to meet needs), rituals might take place in one space or they might involve a
procession with portions of the ritual being performed at various places along the way, elements can
be combined, ritual and theatre employ the same basic elements as other human activities do but
have diff purposes in mind and choose the particular form needed 4 each ... Show more content on
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Egyptians maintained an advanced civilization for some 3k years and never developed theatrically
beyond ritualized performances, repeating the same ceremonies year after year for centuries. Theirs
was a society that resisted changes that might have led to an autonomous theatre. Define the
vocabulary terms and state their significance to theatre history: performance elements–activities
which encompass most human transactions and make use of a number of common elements: time,
place, sound, etc. How they are treated and for what purpose, distinguishes one kind of transaction
from another. Ritual–a religious or solemn ceremony consisting of a series of actions performed
according to a prescribed order (theory that theatre originated from this, stories arise from these and
this leads to reenactments of them). Cultural Darwinism–theory about evolution of biological
species that theorists who came up with the ritual origination extended to include cultural
phenomena–and consequently they assumed that human institutions including theatre, evolved
through a process in which there was a steady development from the simple to the complex. They
also assumed that societies that had evolved such autonomous arts as theatre were superior to those
in which the arts had not been separated from ritual. They also believed that, since all societies
evolve through

William Shakespeare 's Morality Play Essay
Throughout medieval times, many religions taught their beliefs and ideals by means of putting on
plays for the commoners, who often could not understand the languages in which their beliefs were
taught in churches and religious settings. Two distinct plays emerged over the medieval time in
which religious beliefs were on display in some form for the common people: morality plays and
mystery plays. A morality play is a didactic, religious, allegorical play that is not explicitly in
regards to a biblical story, but rather tells the audience how they should act and how they should
think; a morality play is sponsored by a church or religious group. Everyman is a morality play that
emerged in the medieval time period, while The Second Shepherd's Play is a mystery play that
existed in the same time period. A mystery play is one that tells a biblical story, but is not a religious
mystery; in contrast, a mystery play is not sponsored by a church or religious group. A mystery play
is sponsored by the community and is in a language that the common people know and understand.
When considering which of the two plays is more successful at teaching the Christian doctrine, I
would argue that both Everyman and The Second Shepherd's Play both successfully teach the
Christian doctrine; while both plays have different religious aspects and uses of biblical themes and
biblical stories, each of the plays are successful in teaching the Christian doctrine. However, The
Second Shepherd's Play is

Literature in No Drama Essay example
By nature, Japanese No drama draw much of their inspiration and influence from the classics. Many
are based on episodes from the most popular classics, like Atsumori, based on the Tale of Heike, or
Matsukaze, which was actually based on a collage of earlier work. Even within these episodes do we
find references to yet more classic works of literature, from the oldest collections of poetry to
adopted religious texts. That isn't to say that No is without its own strokes of creativity–the entire
performance is a unique adaptation, and the playwrights had to be both highly educated in the
classics, yet geniuses at the creative aspect of weaving song/poetry, dance, religion and literature
together into a heart–wrenching spectacle. It might ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
However, Matsukaze's story is not based on any single work of literature, although there are many
allusions to the chapter of Tale of Genji when he is exiled to Suma. The location is crucial, because
it was in his exile at Suma that Genji took up with the Akashi Lady, and left her his hunting cloak,
just as Yukihira did for the sisters. Besides Tale of Genji, Yukihira, the lover who left the two sisters
behind in the No play, was a popular heroic character for storytelling, as he was the renowned poet
Narihira's older brother and a poet himself. He was a character in the play "Shiokumi," which has
not survived into the modern era, but what is known of this play is that it did have a great influence
on Zeami's Matsukaze. Yukihira appeared in this play, and it is about the lives of saltmakers, which
the sisters are supposed to be. Also, in one story in the "Senjusho," Yukihira is an exiled heroic
character who stumbles across a diver's daughter and is enchanted by her. While Zeami's sisters
Autumn Rain and Pining Wind are his own creations, they have similar

How Did Monzaemon Influence The World
Each period in human civilization there was a great personality who has shaped the world and has
made it to what is known today. William Shakespeare was from the Elizabethan era, who wrote
plays and sonnets, became praised by the Victorians after his era. Shakespeare is considered one of
the best writers of the world. Anton Chekhov, an important playwright of Russia has influenced
many American novelists such as Ernest Hemingway. Of all these great people who has shaped the
literature world, Chikamatsu Monzaemon has influenced each great writers, playwrights and
dramatists after his era. Monzaemon has influenced and impacted the theater world through creating
the sewamono, changing mediocre art to major drama and becoming the foundation for modern arts.
Monzaemon's birth name was Sugimori Nobumori. He was born in 1653 in Fukui Japan and he dies
in the 1725 in Amagaski.(Keene 1). As a child he loved Japanese poems and books. His love for the
arts grew as he became older. Monzaemon was born into a family of samurais. Shortly after his
birth, Monzaemon's father left his samurai duties to pursue ... Show more content on
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His first play he wrote for the puppet theater was called Yotsugi Soga or The Soga Heir or in some
other cases, The Soga Successor. Many who watched the play thought it was juvenile but as time
progressed it became a success and a masterpiece. The play called Shusse Kagekiyo or Kagekiyo
Victorious was written for the most famous of all chanters, Takemoto Gidayū (Keene 1). No one in
his period wrote simply for a kabuki chanter. They only wrote for the sake of the puppets. Thus
when Monzaemon had done such astonishing deed, many others also had began to write for kabuki
chanters. By only writing for Takemoto Gidayū exclusively, Monzaemon had began an entire new
revolution in the puppet theater (Keene

The Second Shepherd's Play Analysis
1. The Second Shepherd's Play, According to its preface, contained in The Norton Anthology of
Drama, was part of a cycle of plays performed as a celebration for the Feast of Corpus Christi, The
feast of the holy eucharist. This means that it was only one play out of about 32 other texts. It was,
like the other plays in this "Wakefield" cycle, written as a "Mystery Play." A "Mystery Play,"
according to a study guide put online by Dr. Debora B. Schwartz of the California Polytechnic State
University, is a dramatized version of the bible. A "Mystery Play" was used to demonstrate the
teachings of the Bible in a way that the peasants who didn't speak latin could understand. According
to the preface of this play, contained in The Norton Anthology ... Show more content on
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According to the preface of this play, contained in The Norton Anthology of Drama, this text would
have been performed as a part of a series, as a celebration, for the Feast of Corpus Christi. The Feast
of Corpus Christi was a "day commemorating the institution of the eucharist." This series of plays
would have been performed all together in the towns across England. According to Britannica
Academic Edition, an online encyclopedia,The second shepherd's Play was contained in the the
"Towneley Plays," named so for the family that preserved them. They are know as the "Wakefield
Plays" because they were famously performed in the town of Wakefield, England. The "Wakefield
Plays" were, according to the norton anthology, "performed at a single site over a span of one to
three days." This means that it was very possible that the same actors played in multiple plays in this
series, and the audience would have had a certain relationship with these actors based these
familiarities. According to the Anthology these plays were commonly performed in public places
using a wagon as the stage, theater, and dressing rooms. A production of The Second Shepherd's
Play in this wagon setting would have taken place after a long day of other productions, because,
according to the Encyclopedia Britannica Online this was "the greatest work of medieval English
drama" (britannica.com). This means that, while it was probably the headliner of this mini festival,
the costumes would have had to been

Commedia Dell Arte Research Paper
rom the mid–17th century through early 18th centuries, theatre was revived. Previously, theater had
been vested in medieval themes. Liturgical drama, namely morality plays, was common along with
other religious plays that seemed to have an air of mystery and was mainly fixated on emotions.
However, as a way to refrain from presenting drama in a traditional Roman way, neoclassical ideal
was formed in Italy and eventually spread throughout Europe. Dissimilar to previous eras,
neoclassicism focused on presenting drama as realistically as possible. Playwrights sought out the
truth and believed that the main reasons to produce a play was to not only entertain, but to teach
lessons as well. They wanted their characters to not only represent what was typically seen in
everyday life, but also to adhere to the social norms and traits of members of their social class. Two
major concepts from this time, verisimilitude and decorum, portray this.
Verisimilitude is the 'appearance of truth' or having all components in the play joining together to
ensure that the play is believable, which ruled out previously acceptable ... Show more content on
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It had begun in Italy prior to the start of neoclassical ideals, however it flourished in the 17th and
18th centuries. One of the most important contributions the Commedia dell'arte had on theatre is its
introduction of improvisation and stock characters, the zanni, vecchi, and the innamorati. The zanni
characters were seen as servants and had a variety of specific stock characters. The vecchi were the
masters or elders and the lovers were called the innamorati. Each stock character had a unique set of
attributes that became standard to the portrayal of the character. They each had a distinct speech and
tone, along with distinguishing gestures, props, and costumes. Performances were based on a
predetermined scenario or basic plot, however the actors improvised their

Of Mice and Men
The Drama
Based on Peter Szondi's studies, the Drama of modernity had its beginning in Renaissance. After the
collapse of the medieval worldview, an artistic reality in which a human being could fix and mirror
himself on the basis of interpersonal relationships was created. Man disclosed himself to his
contemporary world: nothing outside the interpersonal relationships was accepted in the drama.
Drama is absolute and unique for it is separate from everything outside itself and it is constructed by
dialogue, which is dominant. The author cannot appear anywhere in drama – referred to what is
spoken – but it belongs to him just as a whole and everything spoken cannot be out of context. Also,
the absoluteness of this artistic ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
He only obey orders without being able to think about what is his real role in society and every
action he does by his will ends in great trouble.
Curley, the boss' son, symbolizes the oppressive system. He many times acts irrationally and wants
to demonstrate his power by showing his physical strength – although minimal. This character could
be sometimes considered as stupid as Lennie, but the difference is that he is the son of the ranch's
owner, and knows the difference between evil and good, and that means he is conscious of his
wrong doings. Opposite to Curley, there are characters as George, Curley's wife, Crooks and Candy
that are victims of the system, but, at the same time, dream about changing their lives to a better
condition, even though the oppressive system hinders them to fulfill their dream. George dreams
about owning a land, Curley's wife desires to be a movie star but renounces it by marrying Curley.
Crooks wants to have his own mules and also hoeing a patch of garden on Lennie's farm one day.
Candy gets excited about George's idea to have a piece of land and wants to take part in it. All of
these dreams represent for these characters the possibility of real happiness, but the realization of
these fantasies is not tangible for them. These dreams are an allegory of the impossibility of
reaching the American Dream.
Such

Everyman
The Parable of the Talents therefore refers to the metaphor "life is a precious
possession." If you have many talents, you must "invest" them wisely––use them
as you should use material goods, in a charitable way. If you have a few talents, you must invest
them wisely as well. Even if you have only one talent, you must invest it wisely and do good in the
world with that talent.In an important way, the play Everyman demonstrates the ways in which a
person who does have talents (Good Deeds that are trapped in the ground) wastes them, like the
servant who buries his one talent in the ground and is cast into the dark, the "place of wailing
and grinding of teeth." According to the play's allegory, what forces in ... Show more content
on Helpwriting.net ...
The say that Everyman is committing a selfish act by asking them to go with him. Everyman is still
alone.Scene 4:Goods. Everyman wants Goods to go with him to the afterlife. Goods does not go
because materials are not what make a person. The idea of heaven or hell is to see what kind of a
person that you were in your life.
Goods to do not decide what sort of a person someone is. Goods does not care about going with
Everyman because goods can just be passed on to someone else. Goods is rejected to accompany
Everyman. Scene 5:Everyman asks good Deeds to go with him to the afterlife. Good Deeds refuses
because Everyman has not done very many good deeds in his life. Good Deeds, hence the name,
does a good deed and leads Everyman to Confession.
Scene 6:Everyman meets up with Knowledge, Good Deed's cousin. Knowledge accompanies
Everyman to Confession where he is joined by Five Wits, Beauty, Strength, and Discretion.
Everyman confesses all of his bad deeds to the priest. After Everyman is forgiven, he looses all of
his characteristics, but Knowledge and Good Deeds. Knowledge leaves. The priest releases
Everyman.
Scene 7:Everyman and Good Deeds descend into the grave. Knowledge hears the angels sing. The
angel welcomes Everyman and tells him his "reckoning is clear." Characters:Every
character represents a different characteristic of the main character, Everyman. The characters are
used as symbols.

Roles And Roles Of William Shakespeare 's ' The Revival Of...
7. With specific reference to ONE or MORE of the Quem Quaeritis tropes, discuss the role played
by the Church in the revival of theatre in Medieval Western Europe.
The relationship between Christianity and theatre was always a complicated one, however, it was
the Church that played a vital role in the revival of theatre in Medieval Western Europe. After a
drought of theatrical performance, the Church slowly evolved from presenting liturgical readings to
dramatic tropes. Quem Quaeritis tropes were not plays, but aimed to amplify the experience of
devotion to the commemoration of Christ. This being its purpose is what causes it to be interpreted
as drama. These tropes and other aspects of the Church's presentation became increasingly dramatic,
causing the Church to become a residence for theatre. However, theatre was banned within the
Church as acting or 'false truth' was seen as sinful. From there, theatre instead was performed
outside, developed further and spread around Medieval Western Europe.
Centuries passed in which theatre was scarce, hence theatre was 'revived' rather than 'continued' in
the Middle Ages. Previously, Greek theatre, from the sixth century BC, was vastly popular from
tragedies to comedy. Even in the third and second century BC, Roman comedy was a popular form
of theatre, influenced greatly by the Greeks. However, up until the 5th century, as the Roman
Empire thrived, popular performance taste had diverted its attention to other activities such as

Medieval Morality Plays Essay
Medieval Morality Plays Throughout time, there have been many books, plays, songs, pamphlets,
sermons, lectures, etc. written. These writings were all written with some kind of purpose to either
inform, persuade, entertain, or teach their audience. One such form of literature not too widely
known about is that of the medieval morality plays. These plays were not aimed to entertain, but to
teach morals and religion to the uneducated lower classes of people in medieval Europe. The
morality plays were also quite necessary to teach and inform the underclass people, through the
thoughtful persuasion of play entertainment. Morality plays, as said above, were most popular and
most widely present in medieval times. They were also found in ... Show more content on
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(1). There were many other cases when the characters of the morality plays were not abstract
qualities. These alternative roles were ones of angels, devils, priests, doctors, fools (found usually in
English writings), etc. (1). The morality plays focused on the "hero" or main character,
who’s flaws were pointed out through "diabolic forces", but the hero did have the option to
choose redemption and take help from figures such as the four daughters of god. (1). One commonly
used subject of the morality plays was that of the seven deadly sins. (1). The setup of the morality
plays were actually quite simple. In the early development of the plays they did not have much
technical structure to them. (Warren 2) Later on, they were usually played outdoors on moving
"scaffolds" with the normal usage of props. (1). When morality plays were first introduced, the were
often shown with miracle plays to get the audiences used to them and also to popularize them. (1).
Until the later period of the morality plays, they were performed by amateur actors who relied
wholly on public support. (Morality Play 1). When it comes to the plot aspect of morality plays,
there were four main story lines. The majority of the morality play plots consisted of debates or
conflicts. The three which did were the debate of heavenly graces, the debate of soul and body, and
the conflict of vices and virtues.

Satire In Humorous Acting
Rebecca is having a long day at the office. All she wants to do is go home and watch the latest
episode of The Big Bang Theory. Then she can relax, forget the stress of work, and laugh. Sitcoms
and other forms of humorous acting give people something to look forward to. It has provided an
escape venue for millenniums. Humorous acting is a fun pastime for both the actors and the
audience, with a lot more to it than meets the eye. The definition of theatre is a form of art that is
supposed to be entertaining and appealing for the actors and audience. Comedy has been practiced
in a recorded way since somewhere between 800 and 600 B.C. (Cassady). The Ancient Greeks
started one of the first organized forms of it. This was the first form ... Show more content on
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They are all vague and can be mixed around or put into the same show or play. Most comedies have
more than one of these tenets. The first tenet is farce. Farce puts characters in an absurd situation
that then makes the play funny. Most farce stems from Shakespeare, and it is the best documented
comedy form. Irony is a verbal tenet. When a play is ironic, sarcastic comments and retorts or
common, and the opposite of what is true is believed to be true. Irony often gets bad reviews and is
considered satire. Satire is a cross between irony and parody. It is defined as imitation with the
intention of wounding or correcting someone. It's the harshest type. Parody is similar to satire but
the intentions are not as severe. Parody is the most famous tenet. Pastiche is subtler but also similar
to parody. The purpose of the imitation is often to flatter. Pastiche is relatively benign, and lots of
humorous musicals incorporate it. Surrealism is when the actor presents a situation that isn't relevant
to the perceived plot and is therefore entertaining. Slapstick involves characters doing physically
funny things like falling down or hurting themselves in general. Slapstick is the most visual tenet of
comedy. The lines of the seven basic tenets blur together and are just

Characteristics of Drama
History of Drama
Ancient Drama
The origins of Western drama can be traced to the celebratory music of 6th–century BC Attica, the
Greek region centered on Athens. Although accounts of this period are inadequate, it appears that
the poet Thespis developed a new musical form in which he impersonated a single character and
engaged a chorus of singer–dancers in dialogue. As the first composer and soloist in this new form,
which came to be known as tragedy, Thespis can be considered both the first dramatist and the first
actor. Of the hundreds of works produced by Greek tragic playwrights, only 32 plays by the three
major innovators in this new art form survive. Aeschylus created the possibility of developing
conflict between characters by ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Subject matter was drawn from nature and "natural man" (such as the supposedly untouched Native
American). Perhaps one of the best examples of Romantic drama is Faust (Part I, 1808; Part II,
1832) by the German playwright Johann Wolfgang von Goethe. Based on the classic legend of the
man who sells his soul to the devil, this play of epic proportions depicts humankind's attempt to
master all knowledge and power in its constant struggle with the universe. The Romantics focused
on emotion rather than rationality, drew their examples from a study of the real world rather than the
ideal, and glorified the idea of the artist as a mad genius unfettered by rules. Romanticism thus gave
rise to a vast array of dramatic literature and production that was often undisciplined and that often
substituted emotional manipulation for substantial ideas.
Romanticism first appeared in Germany, a country with little native theatre other than rustic farces
before the 18th century. By the 1820s Romanticism dominated the theatre of most of Europe. Many
of the ideas and practices of Romanticism were evident in the late 18th–century Sturm und Drang
movement of Germany led by Goethe and the dramatist Friedrich Schiller. These plays had no single
style but were generally strongly emotional, and, in their experimentation with form, laid the
groundwork for the rejection of Neo–Classicism. The plays of the

Ancient Greek And Ancient Theater In Ancient Greece
Theater in Ancient Greece Back in ancient greece plays started out as a tribute honoring greece
gods, a god named Dionysia. Theater back then was very different from how it is for us today. Back
then only three people were allowed to perform onstage as time went on more silent acting parts
were being allowed. The limit of performers at a time was a real bummer for those looking to be
more involved in theater. Chous was becoming a lot more popular at the time because people were
looking for an alternative to somehow be involved in theater anyway they can. Audiences and
stadiums were so big at the time that in order to see an actor's face the masks that the actors wore
were very drastic. Mask making was a very clever art of its own because not only were they well
designed and exaggerated, but they were also made in such a way that the masks actually projected
the voice of the actors so people in the stadium could hear them. Now although this helped much the
stadiums were also cleverly constructed to project the actors voice as well as gestures, also made
very exaggerated so people could see. Medieval Time Plays In medieval times plays were very
different from today's standard play anyone can go see. There were also different kinds of plays
performed much like genres called today. There were different kinds of these genres one being
Mystery plays these were played specifically off of bible scripture. They were pretty clever on the
fact that they ended the play at a

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Perception Of Death In The Play “Everyman&Quot; Essay