Scribd Logo
Upload

Welcome to Scribd!

  • 141 views

    History of Roman Theater

    Uploaded by

    murni
    The Romans borrowed extensively from Greek theater, adopting Greek forms like tragedy and comedy but making them their own with the inclusion of specifically Roman elements. Roman comedy was especially popular, with the works of Plautus and Terence being the only complete surviving plays from this period. Tragedy was adapted from Greek works by the likes of Seneca, who brought a focus on morality and graphic violence to the form. Overall, Roman theater left a lasting influence on Western drama through its development of these Greek foundations.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PPTX, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd

    History of Roman Theater

    Uploaded by

    murni
    141 views24 pages
    The Romans borrowed extensively from Greek theater, adopting Greek forms like tragedy and comedy but making them their own with the inclusion of specifically Roman elements. Roman comedy was especially popular, with the works of Plautus and Terence being the only complete surviving plays from this period. Tragedy was adapted from Greek works by the likes of Seneca, who brought a focus on morality and graphic violence to the form. Overall, Roman theater left a lasting influence on Western drama through its development of these Greek foundations.

    Original Title

    History Of Roman Theater.pptx

    Copyright

    © © All Rights Reserved

    Available Formats

    PPTX, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd

    Did you find this document useful?

    Is this content inappropriate?

    The Romans borrowed extensively from Greek theater, adopting Greek forms like tragedy and comedy but making them their own with the inclusion of specifically Roman elements. Roman comedy was especially popular, with the works of Plautus and Terence being the only complete surviving plays from this period. Tragedy was adapted from Greek works by the likes of Seneca, who brought a focus on morality and graphic violence to the form. Overall, Roman theater left a lasting influence on Western drama through its development of these Greek foundations.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PPTX, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pptx, pdf, or txt
    141 views24 pages

    History of Roman Theater

    Uploaded by

    murni
    The Romans borrowed extensively from Greek theater, adopting Greek forms like tragedy and comedy but making them their own with the inclusion of specifically Roman elements. Roman comedy was especially popular, with the works of Plautus and Terence being the only complete surviving plays from this period. Tragedy was adapted from Greek works by the likes of Seneca, who brought a focus on morality and graphic violence to the form. Overall, Roman theater left a lasting influence on Western drama through its development of these Greek foundations.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PPTX, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pptx, pdf, or txt
    of 24

    History Of Roman Theater

    On this page we consider the theatre of ancient


    Greece, the history of theatre as it migrated from
    Greece to Rome.
    • The Romans borrowed extensively from Greek
    theatre. Although Roman theatre may not be
    held in the same high esteem as that of the
    Greeks, 
    • We have inherited much from the influence of
    the Roman Theatre, including the word "play"
    itself, which derives from a literal translation
    of the Latin word ludus, which means
    recreation or play
    Roman Theater Form
    •  Roman theatre took two forms: 
    • Fabula Palliata 
    • Fabula Togata. 
    Fabula Palliata
    • Fabula Palliata were primarily translations of
    Greek plays into Latin, although the term is
    also applied to the original works of Roman
    playwrights based upon Greek plays.
    Fabula Togata.
    • Fabula Togata. The Fabula Togata were of
    native origin, and were based on more broadly
    farcical situations and humor of a physical
    nature. An author of some of the better
    examples of this type of drama is Plautus
    (c.250-184 B.C.)
    • The first permanent theater in the city of
    Rome was the Theater of Pompey, dedicated
    in 55 B.C. by Julius Caesar's rival, Pompey the
    Great.
    • Encompassed more than drama : acrobatics,
    gladiators, jugglers, athletics, chariots
    races, naumachia (sea battles), boxing,
    venationes (animal fights)
    • Entertainment tended to be grandiose,
    sentimental, diversionary
    • Actors / performers were called "histriones"
    • Held in honor of the gods, but much less
    religious than in Greece.
    • Became theatrical in 364 B.C.
    • Held in September (the autumn)and honored
    Jupiter.
    • Five others: Ludi Florales (April), Plebeii
    (November), Apollinares (July), Megalenses
    (April), Cereales (no particular season).
    • Performances at festivals probably paid for by
    the state a wealthy citizen, had free
    admission, were lengthy—including a series of
    plays or events, and probably had prizes
    awarded to those who put extra money in.
    ROMAN WRITERS
    • Livius Andronicus – 240 – 204 B.C.
    • – wrote, translated, or adapted comedies and
    tragedies, the first important works in Latin.
    Little is known, but he seems to have been
    best at tragedy.
    • Gnaeus Naevius – 270-201 B.C.
    • excelled at comedy, but wrote both
    • Both helped to "Romanize" the drama by
    introducing Roman allusions into the Greek
    originals and using Roman stories.
    Other forms of Roman Theatre:
    • Pantomime:
    • solo dance, with music (lutes, pipes, cymbals)
    and a chorus.
    • Used masks, story-telling, mythology or
    historical stories, usually serious but
    sometimes comic
    • Mime:
    • overtook after 2nd century A.D. Fabula raciniata.
    • Spoken
    Usually short
    Sometimes elaborate casts and spectacle
    Serious or comic (satiric)
    No masks
    Had women
    Violence and sex depicted literally (Heliogabalus, ruled
    218-222 A.D., ordered realistic sex)
    Scoffed at Christianity
    Roman Comedy

    • Comedy was most popular: Only two playwrights' material survives

    • Titus Maccius Plautus (c. 254-184 B.C.) 21 extant plays, 130 + total.


    • Very popular.
    Pot of Gold, The Menaechmi, Braggart Warrior -- probably between
    205-184 B.C.
    All based on Greek New Comedies, probably, none of which has survived
    Added Roman allusions, Latin dialog, varied poetic meters, witty jokes
    Some techniques: stychomythia – dialog with short lines, like a tennis
    match.
    • Slapstick
    • Songs
    • Publius Terenius Afer [Terence] (195 or 185-159 B.C.)
    • Born in Carthage, came to Rome as a boy slave, educated and
    freed
    Six plays, all of which survive
    The Brothers, Mother-in-Law, etc.
    More complex plots – combined stories from Greek originals.
    Character and double-plots were his forte – contrasts in human
    behavior
    Less boisterous than Plautus, less episodic, more elegant
    language. 
    Used Greek characters.
    Less popular than Plautus.
    • Characteristics of Roman Comedy:
    Chorus was abandoned
    No act or scene divisions
    Songs (Plautus – average of three songs, 2/3
    of the lines with music; Terence – no songs,
    but music with half of the dialog)
    Everyday domestic affairs
    Action placed in the street
    Roman Tragedy:
    • Lucius Annaeus Seneca (5 or 4 B.C. – 65 A.D.)
    • Nine extant tragedies, five adapted from Euripides.
    His popularity declined, suicide in 65 A.D.
    Though considered to be inferior, Seneca had a
    strong effect on later dramatists.
    The Trojan Women, Media, Oedipus,
    Agamemnon, etc., all based on Greek originals
    Probably closet dramas—never presented, or even
    expected to be.
    • Characteristics of Roman Tragedy (Senecan):
    • five episodes / acts divided by choral odes
    elaborate speeches – forensic influence
    interest in morality – expressed in sententiae (short pithy
    generalizations about the human condition)
    violence and horror onstage, unlike Greek (Jocasta rips open her
    womb, for example)
    Characters dominated by a single passion – obsessive (such as
    revenge) – drives them to doom
    Technical devices: 
    Soliloquies,asides, confidants
    interest in supernatural and human connections – was an interest in
    the Renaissance

    You might also like