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Theatre during elizabethan era
Interpretations of Aristotle's definition of tragedy
Theatre during elizabethan era
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The evolution of theatre conventions began with highly presentational Greek productions and changed through the Medieval and Elizabethan ages to the current conventions. Greek conventions included performances done on a mostly bare stage, the use of internal stage directions to indicate location, episodic play structure, and a chorus that served multiple functions including setting the overall mood, commenting on or explaining the action, and creating reflection intervals. Other conventions included an all-male cast, the “Three Actor Rule,” the presence of a tragic hero, and the plays typically served the purpose of teaching the public or making a political statement. Many of these conventions evolved to adapt to the time period of the performances. …show more content…
The chorus often represented a part of society which is the case in Antigone where the chorus represents Theban elders. The chorus in this play also acts as a council to Creon while also speaking to the audience in the stasimon. The function of the chorus in Greek theatre served multiple purposes such as setting the mood of the play and providing intervals of reflection for the audience. While later theatrical plays in the Elizabethan time period did not include a chorus that acted as its own entity, actors could act as a chorus. In Elizabethan theatre, characters would be part of the action but could also speak to the audience to comment on the action. This is similar to the chorus speaking to the audience during …show more content…
In the case of Sophocles, he voiced his concerns about the governmental change to a democracy through the polis and their control over funeral practices through the play Antigone. During the time of Sophocles, the government was moving away from an oligarchy towards a democracy with the polis as the ruling power. The play also dealt with the debate during the time over whether or not citizens should be allowed to continue extreme mourning that the polis found to be excessive. This interfered with natural law because anyone who was not properly mourned was thought to be denied entrance into the underworld. During the medieval time period, morality plays were used to teach the masses the importance of good morals. One such morality play was Everyman which showed that the only thing that goes with someone to death is their good deeds and that it is a waste to place value on anything else above good deeds. Shakespeare’s Othello also featured a moral by warning of the dangers of
...number of people cast will also change. Additionally, the actors will speak and not sing the words. This is to ensure a flow of dialogue in a plausible manner that people today would believe. The actors will be instructed to emulate the words and body language typical of Greeks from the set era. The stage will be set to ascertain visibility to every member of the audience, with Lysistrata standing on a raised platform while addressing the women. All these aspects combined will ensure everyone understands and enjoys the play.
Sophocles' famous play, Antigone, can be perceived as a conflict between individual conscience and state policy. Yet the issue of the play goes beyond that conflict and touches the universal conditions of suffering, religion, and loyalty. Through Antigone's character--which represents the spheres of family loyalty, divine law, and human suffering, Sophocles conveys the idea that a law of man that violates religious law is not a law at all. He expresses this idea by having Antigone dutifully bury her brother's body although it is against King Kreon's ruling. Antigone's action is not only an act of family loyalty but is an act of piety demanded by the gods.
“You will remember what things I suffer, and at what man’s hands, because I would not transgress the laws of heaven” (228). The play Antigone by Sophocles displays many themes and tragedies. Antigone starts with a girl just trying to do what god says is right by bringing burial to her brother, but takes a turn for the worse with everyone ending their lives. Creon, the king, sets laws that don't correspond with god and as the literature develops the readers can tell he is making a mistake. The themes that are most significant are family love, loyalty and standing up for what you believe.
The Tragic Play Antigone by Sophocles has a Conflict between religious morals and loyalty to the state and its laws. This struggle is displayed through the characters Antigone and Creon. Antigone’s life meets a tragic end in the play, but her death makes her a martyr leading to the citizens to follow her view of religion.
The group of characters named as Chorus in both Sophocles' Antigone and Aeschylus' Prometheus Bound witness the rebellion of the titular characters against their respective authorities. In both plays, the Choruses (heretofore distinguished as Chorus A for Antigone and Chorus P for Prometheus Bound) recognize the ruling powers as both dangerous and tyrannical and are sympathetic to the plights of Antigone and Prometheus. However, the similarities between the two groups end at this point. While the actions of Chorus A are understandable given that their maturity has made them keenly aware of their own mortality, they appear mundane and self-serving in comparison to the noble selflessness of the youthful Chorus P.
William Shakespeare, the myth, the man, the legend. Shakespeare was born April 23rd, 1564 in Stratford-upon-Avon. Shakespeare lived a favorable life during the Elizabeth era. William was the fourth child of eight children. His parents were a wealthy business family and they could afford Shakespeare an exceptional education. . Shakespeare’s father worked as an alderman and which attained the family’s income because it was worthy job. Rather less what’s the story behind this splendid man?
A key factor in the power of her speech is Antigone’s consideration for her audiences. The first of these audiences is Creon the king of Thebes. Creon is receiving this argument as an explanation for Antigone’s defiance of his law. Creon’s statement, “And yet you dared defy the law,” evokes this response, in which Antigone says, “Your edict, King, was strong,” (“Antigone” 1035 Line 56-59). This confirms that her argument is directed towards the king. The second audience is the people of Thebes. In the play, the chorus represents the citizens of Thebes. They are almost always present when the king speaks, and this scene is no exception. Anitgone forms her argument to appeal to the thoughts and emotions of the citizens.
The play “Antigone” is a tragedy by Sophocles. One main theme of the play is Religion vs. the state. This theme is seen throughout the play. Antigone is the supporter of religion and following the laws of the gods and the king of Thebes, Creon, is the state. In the play Creon has made it against the law to bury Antigone’s brother, something that goes against the laws of the gods, this is the cause of most conflict in the story. This struggle helps to develop the tragic form by giving the reader parts of the form through different characters.
In one of the greatest plays in history Sophocles creates a setting that causes his audience to really think about the society they live in. For the most part Sophocles allows the members of the audience to decide who is right or wrong; hero or villain. He does give one stern reminder to his fellow Greeks. Which is to honor and obey the Gods.
Antigone, a play written by Sophocles, became a classic due to its timeless subject matter. In this play, the Greek dramatist reflected mainly on civil disobedience. Antigone believes in individual rights over state rights. Creon, however, strongly believes in putting state over religion. The play not only revolves on these two political and religious issues, but it also deals with the battle of the sexes.
My understanding of the culture of Greek plays, Greece, and the story of Antigone was deepened through the interactive orals our class had on the play Antigone (Sophocles). I learned through the interactive orals that Greek plays are driven by morals, and that conflicts between characters are really a conflict of ideals. This impacted my understanding of the text in that I was able to better comprehend the motive behind each character’s actions because of their beliefs, and not simply to create conflict. For example, Creon believes that a person in power should always be respected and followed, and since he is King he has all the power and can never be wrong. However, Haimon argues that a ruler must be flexible, listen to his people, and must
In the Greek theatre they take on a significant role of emphasising the storyline by groups speaking in unison rather than one single actor trying to reach the ears of around 17,000 listeners. They were after all a very natural part of Greek theatre and their absence would certainly reflect an unorthodox presentation. They also keep the emotion running as any scene changes can be done during their narrative sections. In a 20th Century production, the chorus performs a seemingly less essential role. As there would be ample amplification of sound, the chorus could be projected to the role of town folk who would fit into the structure of the play neatly.
Greek and Elizabethan theatre, while similar in some respects, had a few large differences. The Greeks believed in a certain unity of theme, which was prevalent throughout the production. Greek plays were often drawn from myth or of historical significance, so it seems that only ki...
There are many approaches one could take to analyze a specific work. One of these critical approaches is called biographical criticism. This is the belief that authors reflect events and feelings from their own lives into their writing. By taking this approach, a reader can find out more about the author through the work of literature. They can also have more insight into the story by seeing the true meaning behind it and seeing the author's intent. Of the dramas we have read in class, Tennessee Williams' “A Streetcar Named Desire” was a play that really captured the essence of biographical criticism. After researching Williams' life, it is clear that he echoes his own personal experiences throughout the course of the play.