greek & elizabethan theater

GREEK & ELIZABETHAN

THEATERENG 110 – QVCC

Spring 2010

THE GREEK THEATER

Athens in the Golden Age

ATHENS IN THE GOLDEN AGE 5th Century BC Competition of dramatists Celebration of Dionysus Acropolis

ThespisSingle speaker drawn out from chorus

Aeschylus & SophoclesAdded second and third actors

No more than three characters on stage at a time

Thespis Aeschylus Sophocles

CHARACTERISTICS OFGREEK TRAGEDY Masks Elevated shoes Elevated platform Scene building Orchestra Chorus Stichomythia Brief and concise

SOPHOCLES & OEDIPUS REX Musical, military and political experience Search for truth Human vs. religious concerns Audiences would have already been

familiar with Oedipus and his fate For original audiences, the

entertainment is not in the plot twists and reveals, but in the relentless tragedy

ELIZABETHAN THEATER

Shakespeare & the Age of Elizabeth

LONDON & QUEEN ELIZABETH I Late 16th century London’s place on international stage Strong artistic outpouring Literary output particularly desirable for

wide appeal

ELIZABETHAN STAGECRAFT Similar to Greek theater, but expanded

themes of tragedy and comedy Simplicity was key Verse

ELIZABETHAN THEATERS Playhouses accommodated fewer

audience members as opposed to Greek amphitheatersOnly about 2300 people plus 800

groundlings Smaller space meant actors could

project without masks and platforms Subtleties in acting (voice, facial

expression) Multi-level performance areas Curtains/trapdoors

THE GLOBE THEATER

WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE Born in Stratford-upon-

Avon, 1564 Basic education, but

no university experience

Experience as both writer and actor

Work most famous for:Revelation of human

characterRichness of language