Theatre History
Throughout history, religion has played perhaps the most important role in the influence of cultural and societal trends. The ethics and values that a society holds dear are a direct result of the faith that binds that society together. Faith is something that governs, something that punishes, and when in jeopardy, it is something that people don't mind fighting over. Faith is a reflection of many things. Like literature, theatre has proven to be a reflection of faith. Both theatre and faith share common ground-they are both art forms of emotion, self-expression, and self-discovery. Faith influences society and society looks for an outlet of expression. Society often finds that outlet in theatre and despite restrictions, theatre has always had a way of outlining the best and worst of a society's faith. Before the widespread growth of Christianity over the last 2000 years, a majority of the world was polytheistic. In the Abydos Passion Play, possibly the earliest surviving evidence of theatre existence, Osiris, son of the supreme god, Geb, is murdered in a jealous rage and then later resurrected. After his resurrection, Osiris is unable to live on earth and goes on to live in the after
To polytheistic ancient Grecians, gods were merely a step above humans. They wanted things they could see, things they could touch. The writings of the Roman literary critic Horace tell us that Roman theatre was much more highly sensational and focused more on form than on substance. During the Middle Ages, the same peoples it once killed used theatre for missionary purposes. After the fall of ancient Greece, the theatre and it's implications began to get increasingly more political and as a result, more dangerous to be involved in. Other than the gods themselves, nothing else was more important to the people of ancient Greece than the concept of thought. Theatre was used to show Gods what it was like to be human. For this reason, Roman theatre tended to be less about inspiration and more about sheer entertainment. " Unfortunately, most medieval drama, both liturgical and vernacular remains anonymous and for the most part, is gone forever (94). For the first time in hundreds of years, the image of the theatre was gaining favor in the eyes of Christians. In other cultures, they were regarded as being one step above garbage men. In Elizabethan England, the theatre was quite popular. , a German nun named Hrosvitha began to write plays on Christian morality. We know of many other playwrights that were also honored but unfortunately their work has long since been lost. As in most art forms, the degree of respect (or lack thereof) given to playwrights is largely dependant upon the society that produces them.
Common topics in this essay:
Middle Ages,
Role Playwright,
City Dionysia,
Elizabethan England,
Theatre Throughout,
Jonson Despite,
Aeschylus Euripides,
Miracle Theophile,
Romans Greeks,
Roman Empire,
ancient greece,
ancient rome,
faith theatre,
theatre ancient,
art forms,
middle ages,
theatre it's,
theatre faith,
human experience,
vernacular drama,
medium please gods,
theatre ancient greece,
relationship faith theatre,
theatre ancient rome,
people ancient greece,
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Acceptance Essays
