Download Medieval Theatre

Medieval Theatre
Starter:
Name one type of Technical device used
during the Greek or Roman time period.
Medieval Theatre
 Secular theatre died with the fall of Rome
 Theatrical performances were banned by the
Christian Church  barbaric and evil
The Roman Catholic Church controlled
religion, education, and politics
Most Roman theatre had been spectacle
rather than religious drama
Roman Spectacle
Gladiatorial combats
Naval battles in a flooded Coliseum
“Real-life” Animal hunts
Decadent, violent and immoral
All theatrical events were banned by the
Church when Rome became Christianized
Religious Vernacular Drama
 Vernacular: language spoken by the people
Foundation for Modern language being formed
 To reach the commoners, the clergy began to translate the
liturgical plays into vernacular languages
 As the plays became more elaborate, they were moved
from the altar of the church to the church yard.
Once again women are not allowed to participate in theatre
The 3 M’s of Religious
Vernacular Drama
 Mystery plays: Biblical stories
Miracle plays: Saints’ lives
Morality plays: Allegories
Mystery Plays
 Mystery: Also known as Passion Plays or Cycle Plays
 In England, these Biblical plays were produced in cycles: a
series of plays depicting Biblical history from the
Creation to the Last Judgment.
 The cycles were usually performed at the religious festival
of Corpus Christi -- in the spring or early summer.
Staging the Plays
 PROCESSIONAL
 Pageant wagons would
 travel
a set route and
perform at several
locations: like a parade or
 would be set up around a
town square and would
travel from down a set path
to see the next to see wagon
 STATIONARY
Mansions or a series of
stages would be set up
around the town square
and people would move
 Anchored at either end
by Heaven and Hell
 Elaborate special effects
such as floods, flying and
fiery pits were very
popular
Miracle Plays
 Miracle plays were similar to mystery plays in
dramatic techniques
 Dramatized the lives of Roman Catholic saints
( in order to become a saint, a person had to
perform 3 documented miracles)
Morality Plays
 Theme: Right vs. Wrong or Good vs. Evil
 Allegory:
 A story told on two levels: the literal and the
symbolic
 Plot: a journey through life or to death
 Emphasis switches from Biblical and saintly
protagonists to the common man: Everyman,
Mankind
The decline of the Middle
Ages
Decline of religious theatre occurred due to
the weakening of the church as a source of
political power
The Protestant Reformation was largely
responsible for the decline of religious
material and for the movement toward
secular theatre.
The Renaissance is born!