Actor – a person who portrays a character in a play Climax – the point in a plot where the interest, tension, and excitement are highest Conflict – the problem or struggle in a story Dialogue – speech between characters in a play Narrator – a person who tells a story; often spoken in the…
Theatre in the 16th Century England The theatre’s transition from the medieval to the Renaissance is more readily apparent in England than in Italy or France. As the rediscovered classics gradually found their way to England, English plays did begin to reflect their influence. Religious and political controversies and religious strife between Catholic and Protestant…
Drama and the Folk Ritual Drama had its earliest beginnings in the corporate life of the village, the predominant form of settlement that took place in England in c.450, with the coming of the Anglo-Saxons. The villagers had to undertake the communal task of plowing, reaping and harvesting, and clearing the wasteland. This pattern of…
Renaissance and its Implications The Revival of Learning denotes, in its broadest sense, the gradual enlightenment of the human mind after the darkness of the Middle Ages. The names Renaissance and Humanism are often applied to the same movement. The term renaissance, which was first used in England, only as late as the nineteenth century,…
In order to depict in a short space of time, a conflict that will hold the attention of the audience or reader, and evoke a progressively strong emotional response, a dramatist (or novelist) must plan the structure and the dialogue of his or her play (or novel) with great care. Every conversation, aside, soliloquy, action,…
“There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle.”Albert Einstein Director Agnieszka Holland has produced a thoughtful and thought-provoking film in The Third Miracle. It centers on the complicated character, Father Frank Moore. This troubled priest recently found…
Choral Drama (meaning more than one voice) was born out of Greek Theatre. Greek theatre evolved from ritual and dance with a strong choral focus. The choral parts in Greek theatre were used to emphasize the dramatic action. The ‘choric dithyrambs’ (choral songs) were originally about death and resurrection of Dionysus (god of wine and…
The Black Death – victims die in 2 to 4 days -rats fleas carried the disease -once the rats died out humans became new victims Symptoms of the Black Death Include – painful swelling – mental disorientation – vomiting – bleeding – high fever – desire to sleep (if they did, it was fatal) Began…