SPEECH AND THEATER ARTS

MODULE 2
THEATER HISTORY
PRE TEST
A.
1. C
2. A
3. C
4. B
5. C
6. ROLEPLAY
7. A
8. C
9. C
10. A

B.
1. Lea Salonga
2. Julie Andrews
3. Monique Wilson
4. Menchu Lauchengco
5. Pen Medina

LESSON 1
SELF ASSESSMENT ACTIVITY 2.1
1. Why was a tragedy so dear to the Greeks?
= Greek tragedy had a significant impact on Roman theater and is frequently seen as a continuation of
ancient rites performed in honor of Dionysus. According to Aristotle, tragedy purges the heart through
pity and terror, freeing us from our trivial worries and concerns by bringing to light the possibility of
nobleness in suffering. He referred to this feeling as catharsis.

SELF ASSESSMENT ACTIVITY 2.2

1. Discuss in your understanding the nature of acting in classical Greek Theatre.
= By simply switching out his mask and attire, each actor could switch characters quickly and easily. The
acting techniques used in Greek theater are not well known. The Greek theater lacked a fourth wall. The
actors could see the audience, just like the chorus, and would have acknowledged their presence and
addressed them directly. The chorus added to the atmosphere. Women were never permitted to mount the
Greek stage due to the festival of Dionysus' sacred nature. Due to the aforementioned, young men who
disguised themselves by donning masks and feminine dresses performed roles intended for women.

SELF ASSESSMENT ACTIVITY 2.3

1. List and discuss in your own words three conventions of the Greek theater.
= a. Subject matters of plays were drawn from history and popular myths.
- Utilizing well-known myths made it easier for the audience to follow along as the story developed
in front of them. Almost always, the audience would be familiar with the relevant stories. But they
attended the plays in order to be surprised, amused, and educated by the spectacle as well as to
hear the stories they were already familiar with.
b. Only three actors were permitted on stage to perform at once.
- Three actual people were allowed to play each of these roles under the strict application of the three
actors rule. This implies that the actors in a production were required to play multiple roles or parts in a
particular play. In any classical drama, all three actors had to play every part.

c. All actors, including the chorus, wore masks.

- Greek actors were all male. They performed both male and female roles while wearing masks. Several
masks could be worn by one character. The actor would don a mask that featured a smiling face when the
character was content.

SELF ASSESSMENT ACTIVITY 2.4

1. The great moralist who tested the philosophy of stoicism dramatically. Seneca
2. Frequently uses wordplay, alliteration and puns to deliver a series of devastating linguistically
acrobatics. Plautus
3. First of classical Athens’ great dramatists, who raised the emerging art of tragedy to great heights of
poetry and theatrical power. Aeschylus
4. An important influence on the development of the drama, most importantly by adding a third actor and
thereby reducing the importance of the Chorus in the presentation of the plot. Sophocles
5. He wrote in a simple conversational Latin, pleasant and direct. Terence
6. He overloaded his plays with moral sentiments about human behavior. Sophocles
7. He is the only extant representative of the Old Comedy. Aristophanes
8. Among his early works; “Oedipus the King” often considered his magnum opus from his middle
period. Sophocles
9. His greatness lies in the wittiness of his dialogue; his generally good-humored though occasionally
malevolent satire; in the brilliance of his parody, especially when he mocks the controversial tragedian
Euripides. Aristophanes
10. A Roman writer of comedy plays, specifically the fabulae palliatae, which has a Greek-themed
storyline. Plautus
11. He made use of rhetorical language and extensive use of violence in order to reveal the animalistic
tendency of man. Aeschylus
12. He was a notable participant in Athens’ major dramatic competition, the Great Dionysia, which was a
part of the festival of Dionysus. Aeschylus
13. He divided his plays into five-acts, and this was later to influenced Shakespeare and other
Renaissance playwrights greatly. Seneca
14. His famous dramatic quotation reads: “Homo sum, humani nihil a me alienum puto”, or “I am human,
and I think nothing human is alien to me.” Terence
15. Truly popular dramatist, whose comic effect springs from exaggeration, burlesque and often coarse
humor, rapid action, and a deliberately upside-down portrayal of life. Plautus

LESSON 2
SELF ASSESSMENT ACTIVITY 2.1
A.
1. The most popular of all the surviving morality plays. Everyman
2. French for ‘living picture’ which is a static scene containing one or more actors or models. Tableau
Vivant
3. Literally, in the middle, was usually an instructive play, discussing either the topic of the day or matters
of routine interest. Medieval Age
4. Face covering with exaggerated features and a mouth device to project the voice. Greek Mask
5. Show, exhibition; especially; an elaborate colorful exhibition or spectacle often with music. Pageant

B.
1. Significance of the mysteries, miracles, and morality plays on the growth of drama in the medieval age.
2. Trace the source of medieval drama.
= The Mystery Plays' primary goal was to exalt God. These plays were allegorical dramas that humanized
abstract concepts and moral principles in order to impart moral lessons. The Miracle Plays served as a
sort of living picture book for those for whom the Latin of the liturgy was incomprehensible in the early
days of Christian drama. The Moralities and Interludes gradually advanced as new developments, paving
the way for the earliest dramas. The Middle Ages' drama began as mimicry of religious history, in which
clergy and later laypeople acted out the incidents of Holy Scripture, God's interactions with His people in
the Old and New Testaments.

SELF ASSESSMENT ACTIVITY 2.2

Why is the Renaissance considered a complex era?
= Art, science, and culture underwent a new change during the Renaissance. With first the rediscovery of
classical philosophy, literature, and art, as well as the new discoveries in travel, invention, and style, it
altered the way the citizens thought. Following the Middle Ages, Europe experienced a fervent period of
cultural, artistic, political, and economic "rebirth" during the Renaissance. The Renaissance, generally
regarded as occurring between the 14th and the 17th centuries, promoted the rediscovery of classical
philosophy, literature, and art.

SELF ASSESSMENT ACTVITY 2.3

Why is William Shakespeare regarded as history’s greatest playwright?
= William Shakespeare is regarded as the greatest playwright and English language author of all time. In
addition to many other works, he produced over 39 plays, 154 sonnets, and three lengthy narrative poems.
More than any other writers from his era or any other era, his plays give us the clearest understanding of
the worth of human life, how people live, how people love, and the significance of human relationships.
He had an exceptional talent for choosing the appropriate words and putting them together to create
accurate illustrations of reality in all of its forms, both material and immaterial. His ability to use
language was nothing short of amazing.

SELF ASSESSMENT ACTIVITY 2.4

Trace the development of English drama in the Elizabethan Period.
= Great poetry and drama were produced by a London-centered culture that was both courtly and popular
in the late 16th and early 17th centuries, under the rule of Elizabeth I and then James I. The Italian model
piqued the interest of English playwrights: a noticeable community of Italian actors had emigrated to
London. Much of the Italian language and culture was introduced to England by the lexicographer and
linguist John Florio, whose father was Italian, who served as a royal language tutor at the Court of James
I and may have known and influenced William Shakespeare. Montaigne was also translated by him into
English. Early Elizabethan works include Thomas Kyd's revenge tragedy The Spanish Tragedy and
Sackville and Norton's Gorboduc, which had an impact on Shakespeare's Hamlet. Other significant actors
in Elizabethan theater include Francis Beaumont, John Fletcher, Thomas Dekker, Christopher Marlowe,
and Thomas Dekker.

SELF ASSESSMENT ACTIVITY 2.5

Explain why did the English audience of the Restoration period reject classical-inspired plays?
= Early restoration drama had a classical aesthetic, so only aristocrats attended. However, because
Shakespeare and other Elizabethan playwrights' works have been distorted, modern audiences,
particularly young men in public, no longer take plays with classical influences seriously. They sought
plays that would depict English society's degeneration.

LESSON 4
SELF ASSESSMENT ACTIVITY 4.1
Discuss two factors that led to the birth of the modern theatre.
= The Theory of Dialectical Materialism - Karl Marx is credited with having a negative view of
capitalism and advocating its replacement. Marx contends that socialism will promote each person's
ability to reach their full potential.

The World Wars - The first and second world wars nearly destroyed the foundation of the western world's
great civilization, traumatizing it in the process. Thinkers were forced to reevaluate the long-held belief
that a man is a rational being as a result of human and material waste. This radical idea gave rise to the
theater of the absurd.

POST ASSESSMENT
A.
1. B
2. A
3. B
4. C
5. B
6. B
7. B
8. A
9. C
10. C

B.
1. Comedy
2. Tragedy
3. Tragedy
4. Comedy
5. Comedy
6. Historical
7. Tragedy
8. Comedy
9. Tragedy
10. Tragedy

REFLECTION
What effect has drama and theater had on your interests as a Speech and Theater Arts student?
How can your work as a Speech and Theater Arts student be impacted by your knowledge of the
development of drama as a literary art?

Theater has helped me gain the self-assurance I need to speak with clarity, lucidity, and
thoughtfulness. I learn how to speak confidently in front of large crowds while performing onstage, and
some of my theatre classes will give me additional practice doing so. I use theater to express myself and
to share stories about my own and other people's lives. It aids in my ability to infuse my personal
narratives with meaning. Theater has an impact on how I feel and think about my own life, making me
reflect on my own beliefs, morals, and actions.
Students' capacities to reason critically, communicate intelligently, and express themselves
creatively are fostered by the Speech Communications and Theatre Arts program. Speech arts helps
students become more critical and creative thinkers, more empathetic world citizens, and it encourages
them to explore and express their creativity because it uses the tools of literature and theatre to practice
good vocal and performance habits. The way a performer creates characters and tells a story through
speech, gestures, and movement are considered performance elements.