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Dramatic literature > Overview > Flashcards

Overview Flashcards

1
Q

The Provincetown Playhouse

A

Location of first production of Trifles
Glaspell was a cofounder
Eugene O’Neill (first work produced), John Reed, and Edna St. Vincent Millay all helped start it
National theatre dedicated to artistically innovative and political drama reflecting the explosive arrival of modernism in the US
Due to financial, practical, and philosophical reasons, the plays performed were one act (like trifles)
One act plays were modeled after the Irish Players and the Abbey Theatre. Cook (husband) pushed for this in the playhouse

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2
Q

George Henderson (County Attorney)

A

Antagonist
Young
sexist

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3
Q

Henry Peters (Sheriff)

A

Middle aged

Doesn’t really do much to advance the story

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4
Q

Lewis Hale

A

neighboring farmer
Middle aged
Does little to advance story

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5
Q

Mrs. Peters

A

Mrs. Hale’s partner in crime
Thin woman with a nervous look
Never really knew Mrs. Wright, and barely knew Mrs. Hale

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6
Q

Mrs. Hale

A

Protagonist
Larger and more comfortable looking
Knew Mrs. Wright before she got married

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7
Q

Mrs.Wright (Minnie Foster)

A

The wife who killed Mr. Wright. Never seen.

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8
Q

Trifles setting

A

Early 1900s in the kitchen of the Wright’s abandoned farmhouse
Messy abandoned farmhouse.

The men comment that she must have been a poor wife to keep such a dirty home. Home is a metaphor for their relationship.

Very cold in the house— maybe like the coldness in the relationship

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9
Q

Trifles: Important Visual Images

A

Bird Cage
Found in cupboard
Broken, door ripped off (most likely by Mr. Wright to kill bird)
Symbolizes the bad marriage and low chance escaping

Dead Bird
Found in sewing box
Dead, its neck was wrung (Mr. Wright)
Mrs. Wright used to sing a lot before she was married, bird sings
Sweet and pretty like Mrs. Wright used to be
Husband’s neglect silenced the bird just like the wife

Quilt
Men make fun of the women for observing it (quilting or knotting)
Unfinished by Mrs. Wright
At the end, Mrs. Hale says she was knotting it to the attorney, symbolism towards noose

Fruit Preserves
Men think the spoiled messy preserves were a nice mess
Women feel bad because of how much work she put into them
“Trifles” in title comes from Mr. Hale saying the mess was a trifle and bothered only women

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10
Q

Important Quotes

A

“Come to think of it, she was kind of a bird herself” -Mrs. Hale

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11
Q

Euripides

Medea, 431 BCE

A

Rivals to Aeschylus and Sophocles
As playwrights, all three were also responsible for composing the music, choreographing the dance and staging their plays. Historically, the playwrights were also actors, though Sophocles ended that tradition.

He made tragedies more realistic

He depicted gods and heroes to be more human
The earliest surviving musical document on papyrus is this excerpt from Euripides’ Orestes
The Apostle Paul quotes a line from Euripides in his “First Epistle to the Corinthians” in the Christian Bible.
He was not a fan off war, skeptical of religion, didn’t like fame

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12
Q

Context of Medea, 431 BCE

A

Location of production: Theatre of Dionysus built into side of The Acropolis
Performed during the Dionysia

5 day festival to celebrate the god Dionysus
Procession (parade) and revels (drinking and dancing)

3 Days Performances with a competition between 3 tragic playwrights with three plays and a satyr play.

Assembly
Publicly subsidized
Medea has been whitewashed by western civilization, at the time she would have been pictured as black/dark skinned. She was granddaughter of Helios (god of sun), and blacks were referred to as children of the sun

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13
Q

Characters

Medea

A

Medea
Protagonist
From Colchis, an island in the black sea (outsider in Corinth)
Used to be married to Jason, she has two kids with him

Jason
Antagonist
Engaged to Glauce, left Medea and the children for her

Creon
King of Corinth, father of Glauce
Exiles Medea but allows her to stay 1 extra day to prepare
Glauce
Daughter of Creon, engaged to Jason

Aegeus
King of Athens
Makes oath to house Medea after exile w/out knowing she will kill

Nurse
Caretaker of the house and Medea’s confidant

Tutor
Just watches the children and brings them from place to place

Messenger
Warns Medea to leave after the deaths of the king and princess

Chorus
Women of Corinth, basically narrators of the story, sympathize with Medea

Children
Children of Medea and Jason
2 of them, oblivious about what’s going on

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14
Q

Medea
Staging Elements
Amphitheatre

A

Theatron -Seeing place (the stands where they would watch)

Orchestra- Central to the performance where actors would perform in center circle

Parodos - Entrance and exit on either side of orchestra for actors and chorus members

Skene-A tent like structure. Behind the orchestra it would provide a backdrop to the actors housing the Mechane

Mechane- Machine structure used at the end to resolve plot by lowing a statue of a god onto the stage. The god would resolve the plot. Latin name is Deus Ex Machina (God from Machine).
Used for chariot in Medea, Euripides was famous for using it in unconventional ways

Ekkyklēma- Would have depicted the deaths off stage and would have been wheeled on as tableau

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15
Q

Medea Structure/Genre

A

Drama, Tragedy
Differs though from regular tragedies because Medea doesn’t get a Hamartia

Hamartia- A tragic flaw, or a mistake in judgement
This usually causes the downfall of the character
Euripides makes it seem like she has one, but in the end of the story she is the only one that is fine after the 4 deaths
The hamartia does not cause Medea’s downfall

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16
Q

Medea Setting

A

Corinth, Greece

In front of Jason and Medea’s home

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17
Q

Important Visual Images

Medea

A

The delicate robe and garland worked in gold
The poisoned presents given to Glauce
The Argo
Ship that Jason and his crew take to get the golden fleece

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18
Q

Fences

August Wilson

A

Born in Pittsburg 1945

1978 moves to Minneapolis becomes associated with playwrights center

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19
Q

Context
(Arthur Miller Crucible Death of a salesman) Tragedy of the Common Man, Tragedy is now about the every man instead of a god or hero, this makes it more relatable as in Death of a Salesman. (Democratized Tragedy)
Lorraine Hansberry wrote A raisin in the sun, went to wisconsin.
Both of these influenced fences. In home drama and democratization of Tragedy.
Examined the african american community by decade
Great Migration
6 Million African Americans migrate from the U.S. South between 1915-1970

A

Context
(Arthur Miller Crucible Death of a salesman) Tragedy of the Common Man, Tragedy is now about the every man instead of a god or hero, this makes it more relatable as in Death of a Salesman. (Democratized Tragedy)
Lorraine Hansberry wrote A raisin in the sun, went to wisconsin.
Both of these influenced fences. In home drama and democratization of Tragedy.
Examined the african american community by decade
Great Migration
6 Million African Americans migrate from the U.S. South between 1915-1970

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20
Q

Jim Bono

A

best friend of Troy
Looks up to troy and drinks with him every Friday (payday)
Troy and Bono work together on the sanitation truck
Bono leaves troy when he jeopardizes his marriage. His wife and Rose are friends. Also because Troy got a different position (driver)

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21
Q

Troy Maxson

A

Garbage Man
Wants to be promoted to drive garbage truck. He and Bono are garbage men
He is promoted but he and bono grow apart because of it.
Doesn’t want Cory pursuing football he could never play baseball because of his race.
Cheats on his wife with Alberta, she dies in childbirth
Signs Gabe into the hospital and takes the money

22
Q

Rose Maxson

A

Troy’s Wife

23
Q

Gabriel Maxson

A

Troy’s brother.
Damaged by the second world war, has a plate in his head

Adamantly believes he is the angel gabriel
Receives Disability benefits.

Troy puts him in an institution and takes half of his check
Often shook down by police for his wealth and abused by kids on the street.

24
Q

Alberta

A

Troy’s mistress
Has Troy’s kid
Dies in childbirth

25
Q

Lyons

A

Troy’s son
34 years old
Musician

26
Q

Fences
Structure/Genre
Drama
Modern Tragedy

A

Structure/Genre
Drama
Modern Tragedy

27
Q

Fences Setting

A

Story begins in 1950’s but ends in the year 1965
In Pittsburg like all of the plays in the series with the exception of one.
Maxon’s dirt yard/porch, infers that they are poor

28
Q

Actions and Motivations of Central Characters

Troys hamartia

A

Troy dedicates himself to a course of action that he thinks is right, despite mounting evidence to the contrary. Troy misses the mark by doing the wrong thing for what he thinks are the right reasons

29
Q

Important Visual Images/ Symbols

Fences

A

The fence
Rose- build it to keep people in (loved ones)

Troy- builds it to keep things out
Death

Cory (after their fight)
Blue
Troy’s dog when he was young
In a buncha songs

Baseball
Serves as a symbol for the exclusion of blacks from the country’s social and cultural institutions

Troy played and was excluded from major leagues due to color

Gabe’s old trumpet
Carries around, plays at end and no sound comes out so he dances opens up heaven’s gate

Raynell’s Garden
Nothing grew in the garden yet
Symbol towards Troy’s shadow?
After death, Raynell is seed, she will grow
Baseball Bat

Cory uses to attack Troy
Struggle over it, Troy takes it away, Cory moves out

30
Q

Atsumori,

Zeami

A

Son of famous playwright Kanami
He took noh in a poetic direction
Yugen- sad, elegant, mysterious beauty
Use of ghosts
Infuses haiku
Actor, head of his dad’s old acting troupe, and playwright
Became buddhist monk towards the end of his life
Banished to remote island of Sado by shogun

31
Q

Atsumori Context

A

Noh was performed at Shinto festivals

Intertextually related to tale of the Genji (Rensho) vs Heike (Atsumori)

32
Q

Atsumori Characters

A 
Shite: Atsumori/Grasscutter
 Act 1 grasscutter unmasked, Act 2 Atsumori masked
One who asks Protagonist
Waki: Kumagai/Rensho 
One who watches Counterpart or foil of the Shite
Killed Atsumori in battle
Kyogen: A local man
 Kyogen preformed interludes
Companions
Two or three other maskless grass cutters
Chorus
8-10 members
Seated stage left
Musicians 
A flute and two hand drums
Seated back of the stage
Attendants
Seated back of the stage, stage right
33
Q

Atsumori Plot/Subplot

A

Act One: The story is inferred, referenced.
Interlude: The Kyōgen tells the story
Act Two: The story is relived by Atsumori and Kumagae.

34
Q

Staging Elements

Atsumori

A

Mirror room hidden where actors would prepare and change costume
Bridge to main open stage
Backdrop of tree on stage
Drums and Flute in back and Chorus to the side of the stage
Audience sits stage right and in front
Stage is roofed
Backstage left– small door where actors/chorus exits

35
Q

Structure/Genre

Atsumori

A

Kyogen is a comedic interruption Noh drama performed as an interlude

36
Q

Setting

Atsumori

A

Ichinotani- place where Atsumori is killed

Suma Bay

37
Q

Twelfth Night
William Shakespeare
Context

A

Theater had been deemed anti christian. Tertullian Human enjoyment is an offense to god, Catharsis is dangerous Theater goes underground.
Theater sinks into christian ritual by 800 and theater is resurrected through the church.
They perform a number of miracle plays which became particularly gore intense
Morality plays came about with allegorical plots Psychomachia pure medieval and christian allegory focusing on struggle between good and evil. Mankind is pushed and pulled by virtues.
Performed before the death of Elizabeth predicted the rise and revenge of protestantism on the theater.

38
Q

Setting

Twelfth night

A

Illyria- A fictional setting meant to be heavenly. Shakespeare could safely criticize the nobility.

39
Q

Olivia

A

Wealthy Illyria Nobel being courted by Orsino

Falls for Cesario or Viola disguised

40
Q

Orsino

A

A powerful Nobel in love with Olivia

Hires Viola as Cesario as his page

41
Q

Viola

A

Stuck in Illyria she disguises herself as Cesario a young man.
She quickly gains favor of Orsino and becomes his page.
She loves Orsino

42
Q

Malvolio

A

Steward to Olivia
He is lead to believe Olivia is in love with him
Dresses up fooled by maria and sir toby in yellow stockings and makes a fool of himself
Confined to dark room at end
A puritan used to mock protestantism in lower classes

43
Q

Sir Toby

A

Olivia’s uncle who along with Maria lives with Olivia

44
Q

Sir Andrew Aguecheek

A

Friend of Sir Toby asked to Court Olivia

Doesn’t stand a chance

45
Q

Feste

A

The fool who is often abused by the upset characters

He seems to be the wisest

46
Q

Sebastian

A

Viola’s lost twin brother.

Olivia Marries him upon his arrival thinking him Cesario

47
Q

The Importance of Being Earnest, 1895

Oscar Wilde

A

Influenced by Walter Pater
Controversial Oxford professor who was a renowned essayist, novelist, and an art and literary critic
Wilde fell under his influence at Oxford
Aestheticism that subverts the status quo and ideas of human progress.
The movement begins in France and is, again, associated with Gautier, as well as Baudelaire. Poetry, art and books alone can create new worlds. This is reflected in Wilde’s novel, The Picture of Dorian Gray, where the young protagonist has been “poisoned” by a book.
Salomé
First serious play
Stopped by British Lord Chamberlain
First premiered in Paris when Wilde was in jail

48
Q

Context

The Importance of being Earnest

A

Stage Revolution: Electric Lighting
Candle to oil
Oil to gas light
Gas to electricity
The Development of Restoration Drama, of which the Comedy is the most significant
Epigram- a rhetorical device that produces a succinct, intriguing, and surprising satirical statement.

49
Q

Characters

The Importance of being Earnest

A 
John Worthing (Earnest/Jack )
Algernon Moncrieff
Gwendolen Fairfax
Cecily Cardew
Jack’s 18 year old hot ward
Lady Bracknell
Algernon’s Aunt, Gwen’s mother
Miss Prism
Looks after Cecily with Jack
Finds out she lost Jack as a baby
Relationship with Rev. Chasuble 
Thomas Cardew
Takes in orphan Jack
50
Q

The Importance of being Earnest

Plot/Subplot Epigram

A 
Comic Conflicts:
Mistaken identity
Marriage
Conflict between generations
Comic Business:
Feasting (appetite)
Instant plot development
Inversion/sendup of societal norms
51
Q

The Importance of being Earnest
Staging Elements
Structure/Genre
Setting

A 
Staging Elements
Electric lighting 
Structure/Genre
Drama
Comedy
Satire
Setting
 London (Act I) 
Hertfordshire, England a rural county not far from London (Acts II and III)
19th century, Victorian Era
52
Q

Important Visual Images

The Importance of being Earnest

A

Ernest and Bunbury
Both fake people
Symbolizes the deciet of the Victorian Era (only thing that matters is class wealth and style)
“Earnest” was possibly a Victorian code word for homosexual. The Norton seems insistent, but this remains debatable. John Gambril Nicholson’s “Earnest” poem would have been known by Wilde.
Bunburying” was later adopted as a code term, but it is difficult to know how Wilde decided on it. But certainly it connotes disguise and deceit: two well-known survival mechanisms.
The handbag in the cloakroom at Victoria Station, the Brighton Line
The handbag has a recognizable scuff
Jack was left there by Mrs. Prism as a baby, found by Thomas Cardew
Food
Always source of conflict
Cucumber sandwiches
Bread and butter
Muffins
Cake
Cecily’s Diary and Miss Prisms 3 Volume Novel
Prism lost baby Jack trying to publish Novel
Jack’s Army list
Father’s name is Ernest

Dramatic literature (6 decks)

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