M E D I E VA L , C O M M E D I A D E L L ’ A RT E , E L I Z A B E T H A N

THEATRE HISTORY

MEDIEVAL THEATRE

Medieval period was from about __________to __________.

Christians used theatre to worship and __________ the gospel.

Performances began as simple __________ by priests but

gradually became more elaborate.

They were called __________ and __________ plays.

Miracle and Mystery plays are based on saints’ lives and Bible

__________.

MORE ON MEDIEVAL…

__________ plays are based on the last week in the life of Christ.

__________ plays are more concerned with the __________ taught by

Christianity rather than Bible stories.

Despite the religious content, there was still __________ and horseplay

(Tower of Babel!)

Audiences also loved the __________ elements.

Trap doors, __________ to fly in angels, and __________ which took 17

men to operate, were all huge hits.

RENAISSANCE THEATRE

The __________(rebirth) began early in the 14th century.

Most famous contribution of the Renaissance was the

___________________________.

It had a basic __________, subplot and stock characters.

The rest was __________.

It incorporated dancing, __________, acrobatics, mime, and

juggling. Actors had to be skilled AND intelligent and talented.

COMMEDIA DELL’ARTE

Plays were performed by __________ companies with portable stages.

Actors played __________ characters—they were always the same character and

were identified by their masks and elaborate costumes.

Young __________ were usually the main plot. The heroine was the inamorata and

her hero was the inamorato (beautiful clothes, no masks.

__________—fontesca. Giggly and a flirt. Often one bright, one clumsy. All the

servants played a role.

__________—heroine’s father. Overbearing and sneaky.

__________—braggart soldier who was actually a coward.

ELIZABETHAN THEATRE

__________ was the center of the Renaissance theatre explosion.

Three playwrights stand out: Marlowe, Jonson, and __________.

Theatre companies were supported by __________ noblemen.

__________ were not permitted to act—it was considered unladylike and unsuitable for women.

Young __________ played women’s parts.

MORE ELIZABETHAN THEATRE

__________ plays were bawdy. Later plays were more intellectual.

Civil War eventually broke out in 1642, and theatre was __________ by the Puritans.

Elizabethan playhouses were __________ with scenery and a partial roof.

Christopher __________—introduced blank verse. Rival of Shakespeare. Stabbed just before his 30th b-day in a tavern brawl.

Ben __________—1st real English comic. Lack of higher education. Bitter. Imprisoned several times.

William __________—greatest playwright ever. Wrote 37 plays and 154 sonnets. All plays published after his death.