Roman/ Midevil Flashcards
The roman audiences were
Drunk and loud
What changes did the Romans make to the orchestra, parados, and the face of the skene?
Orchestra- more of a semicircle, parados-built a covered walkway called a volmatorium, skene- bigger; added carvings of Dionysus life
What type of plays were popular among the roman audiences?
Comedies- performed on the streets for the commons
Who is Plautus?
Low brawl comedy; stock characters
Who is Terrance?
High brawl comedy for the upper class
Who is Seneca?
Closet tragedies; first to give revenge and ghost
Mystery plays were
Cycle plays that tell the stories from the bible.
Miracle plays were
About saints or Christ
Morality plays were
Good v evil; fictionalization of bible stories; battles over souls
Passion plays were
The passion of the Christ
What are the structures used in the medieval play when theater took place inside the church?
Mansions, holes in the floor, etc
Where was the hell hole located in the church?
The left to the priest
What was heaven in the church?
The right of the priest
What was earth in the church?
The middle
Describe the special effects used for the hell mouth and heaven
Heaven- machines; hell- trap doors, smoke
What are the structures used for medieval plays produced in town squares and courtyards?
Little mansions
The significance of the ceiling and the floor?
Ceiling- heaven floor- hell
What are vices in morality plays?
Evil characters; the 7 deadly sins
What are virtues in the morality plays?
Good characters
Liturgy-
Worldly; outside the church
Allegory-
Having to do with the church
How mansions and pageant wagons differ?
Mansions- used in church’s; pageant wagons- used on streets
Explain the connection between the guilds and the mystery plays?
Guilds promoted mystery plays when they started performing outside the church; advertising
What was the great chain of being?
Established an order that can’t be broken
What was the philosophical nature of mid evil man?
The wealthy were better
Describe common mans plight in the dark ages
An animal
How does the common mans illiteracy contribute to the rise of theater
It was the only was to get the stories from the bible to them, since it was only communicated though Latin
