1. Hellenistic, Roman, and Byzantine Theatre (Historical Context)
Theatre spread throughout the Mediterranean world during the time of European empires.
During the Hellenistic period ( BCE) theatre spread all the way to India.
During the years of the Roman Republic and Roman Empire, theatre spread to the west as far as England.
After the fall of Rome, the Byzantine Empire did not encourage the development or spread of theatre, but DID preserve much of the information and some of the traditions.
This allowed Western Europe to rediscover classical theatre during the Renaissance!
A Roman mosaic depicting theatrical masks, and possibly an aulos-like instrument!
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2. Hellenistic, Roman, and Byzantine Theatre (Historical Context)
Between 336 BCE and his death in 323 BCE, Alexander the Great (ruler of mainland Greece) conquered the Persian Empire and extended his realm to present-day India and Egypt.
The entire eastern Mediterranean area was “Hellenized” as a result.
Athens lost its democracy in 322 BCE, but remained a major cultural center.
Alexander the Great’s empire disintegrated after his death.
Rome took over mainland Greece in 146 BCE, then Egypt in 31 BCE (when they defeated the forces of Cleopatra).
This marked the end of the Hellenistic states.
Alexander the Great’s empire at the time of his death.
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3. Hellenistic, Roman, and Byzantine Theatre (Dramatic Theory)
During the 4th Century, Greek thought became increasingly more secularized (less religious).
During this time philosophers inquired into every aspect of Greek life, including theatre.
Aristotle (SUPER IMPORTANT PHILOSPHER!!!!!) argued for censorship and strict control over drama.
He feared drama’s powerful influence.
Aristotle’s most important work with reference to theatre is his Poetics.
It contains the oldest surviving history of dramatic forms.
He supposedly compiled a record of the plays and winners at all the festivals; only fragments of this list now survive.
Aristotle!
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4. Hellenistic, Roman, and Byzantine Theatre (Dramatic Theory)
Aristotle’s Poetics states that every drama has six parts. The first three are:
Plot (mythos)
Key elements are reversals, recognition, and suffering.
The best plot should be “complex,” involving a change of fortune.
Actions should be logical and flow naturally from what precedes them.
Character (ethos)
Tragedy should happen to a hero due to a mistake he makes, rather than things that might happen anyway.
The character should support the plot: personal motivations connect to the cause-and-effect of actions.
He should be: good, appropriate, consistent, and “consistently inconsistent.”
Thought (dianoia)
Spoken reasoning of human characters can explain the characters or story background.
Jay Gatsby fits much of Aristotle’s description for a tragic hero.
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5. Hellenistic, Roman, and Byzantine Theatre (Dramatic Theory)
Aristotle’s Poetics states that every drama has six parts. The last three are:
Diction (lexis)
Refers to the quality of speech in tragedy.
Speeches should reflect character – the moral qualities of those on stage.
Music (melos)
Can also be translated as “music-dance,” since it refers to the chorus and describes what the chorus actually does.
The chorus should be regarded as one of the actors and should share in the action.
The chorus should contribute to the unity of the plot.
Spectacle (opsis)
The set, costumes, and props – anything the audience can see.
Aristotle calls this the “least artistic” element because it is “least connected with the work of the poet.”
Modern theatre, especially musicals, rely much more on spectacle than Aristotle would prefer.
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