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The Development of

Drama 

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Beginnings • sprung up in the late 10th century

• religious plays: biblical themes

• amateur actors

– priests, choir boys• later on: guilds

– men only

• comical elements mixed in• cycles of plays

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Transition: Morality Plays 

• from c. 1420-100• allegorical plays, didactic purpose

• religiously inspired:

– conflict !ood " #$il– tempus fugit " memento mori

– alienation from god

• important: %ritten in $erse, acted byprofessional actors, comic figures

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Parallels to later drama 

• impressi$e stage techni&ues

• theatre in the round

• male-only cast

• stoc' characters (sterotypes)

• lit interest in drama

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Everyman • most famous morality play

• atypical

• based on earlier *utch play

• +etrical form:

– 21 $erse lines

– irregular form and metre• 1 characters, mostly allegorical

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Everyman: Plot 

• main character summoned by death• abandoned by !oods, /riends and

/amily, eauty, etc.

• repents: turns to no%ledge and!ood *eeds

• changes into garment of contrition

and goes to his gra$e

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Further Development • eformation

– at first: censorship

– 134: 5enry 6777 bans religious plays

– leads to the de$elopment of secular drama• The Four Ps, 8ohn 5ey%ood

• 9cademic or chool *rama

• ;he <ni$ersity =its

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Academic or School Drama 

• started out in the 1340s and 30s

• plays %ritten and performed at #ton, >xford,?ambridge, +iddle ;emple, t. @aulAs B

• !ammer !urtonAs Ceedle– first performed at ?ambridge

– =illiam te$enson

– comedy of chaos– doggerel $erse

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Ralph Roister Doister • first #nglish comedy

• Cicholas <dall• #nglish setting and characters

• classical influence

– @lautus, ;erence

– three unities

– fi$e acts

– dramatic de$ices

• also %ritten in doggerel $erse

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The Stationers Register 

• ban on religious plays lifted under +ary 7– could be used for political propaganda

– @rotestant undertones needed to be chec'ed

• royal charter granted to publishers and boo'sellers• had to enter e$ery title in the tationerAs egister

• manuscripts chec'ed at the tationerAs >ffice

• early form of copyright• pro$ides record of dramatic acti$ity

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!or"oduc • B or the ;ragedy of /errex and @orrex

• /irst #nglish tragedy• ;homas Corton D ;homas ac'$ille• @erformed by la% students before the Eueen

• +a'es use of– dumb-sho%s and minor allegorical characters– epic monologues and a chorus– the re$enge-moti$ and horror, bloodshed and torture

• +odel: eneca– 3 acts, symmetry– little action, mostly tal'

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Development in the #$%&s 

• 132: +iracle and +orality @lays forbiddenby @arliament

• demand for plays ans%ered by professional

acting companies• /irst theatres built

– 8ames urbage: A;he ;heatreA, A;he ?urtainA

– later on: A;he oseA, A;he %anA, A;he !lobeA– attac'ed by @uritans FG outside city %alls