The Development of English Drama

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The Developmentof English Drama

Prisca Laurienne P. Wu

10-24-2014


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Introuction of Drama to

Englan Drama !as introuce to Englan from

Europe" an auitoriums !ere construcacross the countr# for this purpose.


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Liturgical Drama

ca. 10thto 1$thcentur#

During the %ile &ges learning !as largel# con'nthe clerg#" (ings an no)les )eing fre*uentl# una)lrea an !rite. +ince the ,hurch service !as con

in Latin" it !as unintelligi)le to the vast maorit# ofcommunicants. ,onse*uentl#" as earl# as the 'fthcentur#" perhaps earlier" the clerg# conceive ofpresenting ta)leau to eluciate the service an to)i)lical stories )efore their ignorant congregations


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Liturgical Drama

The ,hurch ritual !as full of ramatic possi)an a veste choir an ro)e clerg# !ere reahan. There !as the )lening of s#m)olic ac+criptural narrative" out)ursts of song. The )

stories lent themselves easil# to presentation

&t 'rst groups of clerics merel# presente taliving picturesto epict to the e#e !hat !)eing epresse in an un(no!n tongue to the

# the tenth centur# ialogue !as chante )choir.Action and esture em hasized meanin


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Liturgical Drama

English drama, like the Greek, had its beginnings inreligion. It inclue simple movement" costuming" an appropriat# 1200" liturgical rama gre! in length an compleit#.

The ,hurch )ecame too limite to accommoate the cro!s that !attracte )# these pla#s. The space surrouning it !as use net" )

ecite spectators accientall# espoile graves !hile cro!ing ar!atch. Then street corners !ere appropriate" an the farther a!agot from the ,hurch" the control of the priests lessene. ther peoto )ecome involve. In the seculari3ation" consiera)le humor aninto the pla#s e.g." po(ing fun at 5ero" Pilate" 6uas" 7oah8.


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%eieval Perio

# the meieval perio" the mummers9 pla#s haevelope" a form of earl# street theatre associa!ith the %orris ance" concentrating on themesas +aint :eorge an the Dragon an ;o)in 5oo

These !ere fol( tales re-telling ol stories" anthe actors travelle from to!n to to!n performithese for their auiences in return for mone# anhospitalit#.


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%ummer


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%ummerguisers> performers in isguise8 ctrace )ac( at least to the %ile &ges" though !the term >mummer> appears in meieval manuscris rarel# clear !hat sort of performance !as invol

(e# element !as visiting people in isguise at,hristmas.

In the ro#al courts" special allegorical pla#s !ere!ritten for the mummers each #ear.


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I. %#ster# an %iracle Pla#s

+ometimes istinguishe as t!o i=erent forms )ut sometime useinterchangea)l#.

Mystery playsramati3e )i)lical tet. The# !ere usuall# hel summer festivals !ith )oth civic an religious value.8

Mystery playsfocuse on the representation of i)le stories in

churches as ta)leau !ith accompan#ing antiphonal song.

Miracle playsramati3e the lives of the saints.

These )i)lical pla#s i=er !iel# in content. %ost contain episoetheFall of Lucifer" the Creation and Fall of Man" Cain and Abel"NFlood"Abraham and Isaac" theNativity" theRaising of Lazarus" than theResurrection.


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II. %oralit# Pla#s The moralit# pla# is a genre of %eieval an earl# Tuor th

entertainment.

The pla#s !ere most popular in Europe uring the 1?th ancenturies.

These pla#s evelope great Aei)ilit# in staging

The theme !as al!a#s the same thefall and redemption of In their o!n time" these pla#s !ere (no!n as >interlues>"

term given to ramas !ith or !ithout a moral theme.


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II. %oralit# Pla#s

%oralit# pla#s are a t#pe of allegor# in !hich theprotagonist is met )# personi'cations of various mattri)utes !ho tr# to prompt him to choose a :ol#over one of evil.

+ince life is a continual strife )et!een goo an evil" the plcame to epict that strife. The# sho!e that man has choicma(ing plain the result of !rong choosing" moral lessons co)rought more forcefull# home than the# coul in normal seThus" the morality concerns itself with Christian cond


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II. %oralit# Pla#s

The +omon#ng of Ever#man The +ummoningEver#man8" usuall# referre to simpl# as Everis a late 1?th-centur# English moralit# pla#.

Ever#man eamines the *uestion of ,hristiansalvation )# use of allegorical characters" an%an must o to attain it. The premise is that tgoo an evil ees of one9s life !ill )e tallie:o after eath" as in a leger )oo(.


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;enaissanceB Eli3a)ethan an

6aco)ean Perios The perio (no!n as the English ;enaissance" approim

1?001@@0" sa! a Ao!ering of the rama an all the ar

During the reign of Eli3a)eth I 1??C-1@0$8 an then 6am1@0$2?8" in the late 1@th an earl# 1th centur#" a Lon

centere culture" that !as )oth courtl# an popular" progreat poetr# an rama.

The English pla#!rights !ere intrigue )# Italian moelconspicuous communit# of Italian actors ha settle in L


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6aco)ean Perios The 'rst permanent theatre in Englan !as locate in

%ilese" ust outsie the !alls of Lonon.

The Theatre" as it !as calle" !as create )# 6ames urfather of ;ichar ur)age" the famous actor. There is litt

irect information a)out the appearance of The Theatre.ismantle in 1?FC an its tim)ers !ere carrie to an(south of Lonon across the Thames ;iver. When it !asreassem)le in 1?FF it !as calle The Globe. What is (a)out The :lo)e pro)a)l# applies to The Theatre as !ell


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6aco)ean Perios The earliest Eli3a)ethan pla#s inclues :or)ouc 1?@18 )#

+ac(ville an 7orton an Thomas G#9s 1??CF48 revenge trThe +panish Trage# 1?F28" that inAuence +ha(espeare9s 5

William +ha(espeare stans out in this perio as a po

pla#!right as #et unsurpasse. +ha(espeare !as not a man oletters )# profession" an pro)a)l# ha onl# some grammar seucation. 5e !as neither a la!#er" nor an aristocrat as the>universit# !its> that ha monopoli3e the English stage !hestarte !riting.


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6aco)ean Perios The :lo)e Theatre !as a theatre in Lonon assoc

!ith William +ha(espeare. It !as )uilt in 1?FF )#+ha(espeare9s pla#ing compan#" the Lor,ham)erlain9s %en" on lan o!ne )# Thomas r

an inherite )# his son" 7icholas ren an gra+ir %atthe! ren" an !as estro#e )# 're on6une 1@1$. & secon :lo)e Theatre !as )uilt on tsame site )# 6une 1@14 an close in 1@42.


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6aco)ean Perios The open-air theatres coul accommoate auiences of 2$000 spectators. The inoor theatres !ere much smalleraccommoate $00 to 400 spectators.

The outoor theatres relie on natural light. The# usepropsan no stage sets in the moern sense of the-term

seeming limitations encourage several of the most )rillifeatures of Eli3a)ethan rama. The lac( of stage sets alloramatists to create rapid, extremely uid actions. +csucceee each other !ithout interruption" some!hat in manner of t!entieth-centur# movies.


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6aco)ean Perios The lac( of stage sets force the Eli3a)ethan

ramatists to create !hat might )e calle a theof imagination. +ince the scenes !ere notpresente visuall#" the# ha to )e e!oked by po

language. When !e spea( toa# of +ha(espearmagni'cent poetr#" !e are referring to an elemhis ramas that resulte from this a)sence ofscener#.


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;enaissanceB Eli3a)ethan an6aco)ean Perios

The Eli3a)ethan stage !as a thrust stagesurroune on threon all four8 sies )# the auience. There !as continuous contac)et!een the actors an the spectators. Ta(ing avantage of thi+ha(espeare an his contemporaries 'lle their pla#s!ith asides" anachronisms" topical allusionsan other eviallo!e the actor to spea( irectl# to the auience. The most )these evices is the +ha(espeareansolilo"uy" )ut a careful rea'n innumera)le other eamples throughout the pla#s. The glo+ha(espeare9s rama are thus irectl# relate to the character!hich the# !ere originall# presente.


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ut he !as ver# gifte an increi)l# versatile" an he sur>professionals> as ;o)ert :reene !ho moc(e this >sha(e-of lo! origins. 5e !as himself an actor an eepl# involverunning of the theatre compan# that performe his pla#s.

%ost pla#!rights at this time tene to speciali3e in" eithe

histories" or comeies" or trageies. )ut +ha(espeare isremar(a)le in that he prouce all three t#pes. 5is $C pla#inclue trageiesB 5amlet 1?FF-1@018 an Ging Lear 1@0comeiesB & %isummer 7ight9s Dream 1?F4F@8 an T!7ight 1@028H histor# pla#sB 5enr# I" parts 1 an 2.


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In aition" he !rote his so-calle >pro)lem pla#s>" or >)comeies>" that inclues" amongst others" %easure for%easure" Troilus an ,ressia" & Winter9s Tale an &ll9s that Ens Well.JK Though most of his pla#s met !ith suc!as in his later #ears" that +ha(espeare !rote !hat have

consiere his greatest pla#sB 5amlet" thello" Ging Lear%ac)eth" &nton# an ,leopatra" an the last pla# that he!ithout a colla)orator8 The Tempest c.1@118.

ther important pla#!rights of this perio inclue ,hris%arlo!e" Thomas De((er" 6ohn letcher rancis eaumoen 6onson" an 6ohn We)ster.


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1than 1Cth,entur#

During the Interregnum 1@4F1@@0" English theatres(ept close )# the Puritans for religious an ieologicreasons. When the Lonon theatres opene again !ith;estoration of the monarch# in 1@@0" the# Aourishe upersonal interest an support of ,harles II.

7e! genres of the ;estoration !ere heroic rama" parama" an ;estoration come#.

This perio sa! the 'rst professional !oman pla#!rigehn" author of man# comeies incluing The ;over


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1than 1Cth,entur#

;estoration come# is famous or notorious for itseplicitness" a *ualit# encourage )# ,harles II 1@C?8 personall# an )# the ra(ish aristocratic ehis court.

In the 1Cth centur#" the high)ro! an provocativ;estoration come# lost favour" to )e replace )#sentimental come#" omestic trage# such as :Lillo9s The Lonon %erchant 1$18" an )# anover!helming interest in Italian opera.


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1than 1Cth,entur#

Popular entertainment )ecame more ominant in tperio than ever )efore. air-)ooth )urles*ue anmusical entertainment" the ancestors of the Englismusic hall" Aourishe at the epense of legitimate

English rama. # the earl# 1Fth centur#" fe! English ramas !er

)eing !ritten" ecept for closet rama" pla#s inten)e presente privatel# rather than on stage.


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ictorian Era

& change came in the ictorian era !ith aprofusion on the Lonon stage of farces"musical )urles*ues" etravagan3as an co

operas that compete !ith +ha(espeareprouctions an serious rama )# the li(e6ames PlanchM an Thomas William ;o)er


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ictorian Era

The length of runs in the theatre change rapiluring the ictorian perio. &s transportationimprove" povert# in Lonon iminishe" an strlighting mae for safer travel at night" the num)

potential patrons for the gro!ing num)er of theincrease enormousl#. Pla#s coul run longer anra! in the auiences" leaing to )etter pro'ts improve prouction values.


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The Development of English Drama