In the 13th century Middle Ages, controversial comedy was in the hands of the lower class and was permitted despite the fact that Christianity dominated the lives of both peasants and the nobility, and thus most forms of entertainment. The Church was considered the highest institution in medieval society because it represented God. All social classes, from kings/queens to serfs and peasants, had to respect and obey the omniscience of the church and what it embodied. Although most of the performances in the church were serious and devotional, an element of buffoonery crept into some plays, usually around Christmas and New Years. One of the festivals that was run by the sub deacons, commonly called the Feast of Fools, was important in the development …show more content…
The difference lies in the fact that Italian comedy does not harbor any particular political goals. Renaissance theatre revived the classics, including the masked, improvised comedy of Roman Atellan farce. Commedia dell'Arte introduced professionalism to comedy due to the increasing cultural and intellectual endeavours of the renaissance. It focused more on the manner of performance than the subject matter of the play and marked the advent of improvisation, creating the impression of spontaneity. The stock characters in Commedia were fixed with certain attributes and costumes, some fools and some lovers. The unmasked roles were those of the young lovers, who usually served as a norm against which emphasized the peculiarities of the other characters. They were usually witty, handsome, naive, not too bright, and dressed in fashionable garments of the day. The masked roles included the masters and servants, who provided the comedic relief. The masters were middle aged or elderly merchants who were both intelligent and egoists. The servants (zanni) were typically young and coarsely witty, always ready for intrigue. These characters interacted with each other and the audience in a way that was innovative and humorous. The audience was in a sort of fantasy while watching a performance with romance and comical relief. Commedia dell'arte trended and traveled in various parts of the world due to their growing demand and popularity (Brockett
Motion pictures from Hollywood had taken Broadway’s place as the king of entertainment. The main reason behind this was that because it was culturally relevant and coming out with new flashy techniques such as Todd-AO and Cinerama.
The most effective form of comedy for me personally, especially in the film rendition of Arsenic and Old Lace, is farce comedy. The best example of this is the character Mortimer, played by the actor Cary Grant. His reaction to the aunt’s actions were hysterical. The reason behind this is the fact that his reactions were over the top, but still justifiable. I felt as though I could still connect with Mortimer, especially given the circumstance that he found himself in. This makes it more relatable to the average person, which is important in comedy. Mortimer’s very exaggerated facial expressions and actions put his character over the edge to be considered farce comedy. I think I agree with the majority of the class (based on
The first question is why use "commedia dell' arte" as a training tool for modern actors at all, since drama and the business of acting has hopefully moved on since the Italian Comedians finally left Paris. The fact remains, however, that the dominant form of acting today that both exists as the aspiring young actor's performance role model and as a category of performance in itself is T.V. naturalism. We are lucky in that something both inspirational and technical has survived from those heady times. When contemporary acting technique does not provide all the answers that actors may be looking for, it is not surprising that they look towards the past for inspiration. It is in this grey area between researching historical certainties and reconstructing guessed at acting technique that we must look. These Martinellis and Andreinis were the superstars of their day and the question that most often gets asked is "how did they do it?"(Oliver Crick).
'What were the functions of popular festivals, etc. in Early Modern Europe? And why did the authorities, civil and ecclesiastical seek to control or suppress them?'
Commedia Dell’ Arte was a distinctive form of stage art in the 1600’s and the famous playwright Moliere furthered its acceptance and import throughout his life. Originating in Italy, the popular art form spread quickly with the aid of traveling troops. One area that was greatly affected by this form of theater was France. The French people adored this theater and made it fit in with their culture. This can be seen in an essay by Gustave Lanson when he states, “In Paris Italian farce had replaced French farce.” The success of Commedia Dell’ Arte during the reign of Charles IX is well-known” (Lanson, 137). This effect can be seen through one of the country’s most famous playwrights, Moliere. Moliere was a renowned playwright and actor that continues to be well-known today. He was greatly influenced by Commedia Dell’ Arte. “Well-known definitions of the Commedia Dell’ Arte are that it was a semi-literary form of theatrical performance based primarily upon effective gestures and lazzi, and involving a limited number of generally accepted types who in their contrasting relation provide the setting for a light and flimsy action linked somehow by the eternal theme of love”( 704). His showing of the art form can be seen through his three most famous plays Tartuffe, The Misanthrope, and The Imaginary Invalid. As Lanson stated, “From soiling the noble and pure conception of comic genius given to us by The Misanthrope and Tartuffe” (Lanson, 134). With the progression from an earlier play to his final play, we can see where Moliere used aspects of Commedia Dell’ Arte and where he veered away to fit his own personal tastes and that of France’s. Moliere was born Jean-Baptise Poquelin in 1622 to a father who was an upholsterer for th...
Elizabethan times in the 1600s was a progression for the world of the theater. A period named after Queen Elizabeth I of England, it is from this period that modern day society has its foundation for the entertainment industry. From the violence that was prevalent because of the Black Death, people turned to the theater for its poetry and romance. During this time period, there were two types of theatrical performances that were available for the people’s viewing, comedies or tragedies. These two genres were never really intertwined until the time of William Shakespeare. His play, Romeo and Juliet, is an example of both a comedy and a tragedy. It starts off as a comedy with Romeo weeping like a baby because of his love Rosaline, who did not love him back and ends as a tragedy when Romeo and Juliet, a pair of star crossed lovers, commit suicide because the lost of each other. It was also during Shakespeare’s time that writer were finally acknowledged by the people. Before this time, writers were not considered upper classman. Another group of people that began to rise into a higher social class were the actors. Actresses were not present back then because women were not allowed on stage. It was considered unladylike to have a female actor. Men played all the parts. Theater owners were dependent on actors to make them a profit. Rehearsals for the plays were fairly short, only lasting for about a week. The performances themselves would only show for three to four days.
Tragedy, irony and modernism are only a few interpretations of the valued play The Taming of the Shrew by the respected writer William Shakespeare. However, one of the most intriguing and popular of these analyses is comedy. Shakespeare is recognized for writing several plays with comedic genres, a few of which include Much Ado About Nothing and The Comedy of Errors. Comedy, being a complex genre, is composed of many different concepts. This particular play can be interpreted as a Shakespearian comedy, a screwball comedy, a farce, or slapstick.
The main religion in medieval Europe is Christianity and every other religion is considered to be offensive and wrong. According to Herder, the environment and location plays a huge role in someone’s culture and mindset. As seen in popular culture analysis, it is understandable that because of the geographic region and the events that take place, it can easily manipulate a whole society. It is very hypocritical of the religious figures that publish the folklores full of demonic creatures and yet they’re the ones trying to suppress it. This calls for the ‘Triller Effect’ in which the elite are the ones controlling the content, but still showing supernatural elements to the public and trying to suppress and profit from it at the same time. The elite is trying to colonize the popular elements and form their version of normal civilization. Since religion is such a big factor in everyone’s lives regardless of social status, it becomes rather easy for the clergy to start controlling the situation. It seems clear that the church abuse their power throughout the course of history. As seen in The Play of Sacrament translated in Non-Cycle Plays And Fragments Non-Cycle Plays And Fragments could be considered as propaganda towards the hatred of Judaism. The pre-modern fascination of the play displays the evil and misfortune of Judaism. The use of The Play of Sacrament manipulates the social status and
The Roman Catholic Church had complete influence over the lives of everyone in medieval society, including their beliefs and values. The Church’s fame in power and wealth had provided them with the ability to make their own laws and follow their own social hierarchy. With strong political strength in hand, the Church could even determine holidays and festivals. It gained significant force in the arts, education, religion, politics as well as their capability to alter the feudal structure through their wealth and power. The Church was organised into a hierarchical system that sustained the Church’s stability and control over the people and lower clergy, by organising them into different groups.
Characters in comedy and tragedy are generally quite different. Comic characters are (or used to be) lower class individuals (Aristotle, Goldsmith). Indeed this is the case with t...
Both medieval theatre and that of the renaissance, in particular commedia dell’arte, had symbolic characters. In commedia, each actor would play a character who took on a stereotype of society; the Capitan was a egotistical forgein military leader who was actually a coward, the Zani embodied the many migrants who worked the land or sold at the market. In medieval morality plays, the lead character would meet personified versions of morals, allowing him to choose the church chosen path of God. These symbolic characters allowed those within the audience to understand the bigger picture, and see themselves within the play. These two different forms of theatre where also shown outside, with the morality and cycle plays (though beginning in churchs for the pilgrims) shown on large moving floats, allowing each set and scene to play out as it passed the onlooking crowd. Commedia would also show outside, usually in marketplaces or outside pubs. This was to gain the highest amount of viewers possible. Both times of theatre had traveling troupes of actors, and it was through medieval plays that those who travelled for commedia were able to
took on a role of a dumb blonde or a petite young women trying to please a man. Women were
Nevertheless, the question at hand is whether theatre will have a role in the society of the future, where cinema, digital television, and computers will continue to expand and grow. The answer to this question is yes. Heading into the 21st century, theatre will only be a fraction in a solid media industry. However, despite all the excitement technology brings with it, they will never replace theatre because it has something that can not be recreated or offered anywhere else. The cinema and its larger than life world appeals as an affordable alternative. Digital television provides digital interaction between the viewer and the producer. Theatre on the other hand, and its contents may take on a larger dimension, but we receive it directly in flesh and blood – one to one. The magical atmosphere between an actor and spectator who are constantly aware of each other and the theatre’s level of engagement is fundamentally more human and far more intimate.
A satirical comedy is an attempt to ridicule a certain aspect of government, religion, or another aspect of society to bring about change through the use of comedy to lighten the blow. Tartuffe is a prime example of a satirical comedy. Molière used this play to point out one of the biggest flaws of organized religion during his time, religious hypocrisy. Although he may not have directly intended it to be about the Catholic Church, it was interpreted by them as such so they made the king ban it for a period of time. By making it into a play, Molière was able to reach a larger audience. People tend to enjoy plays more so due to their quick, lively nature. Plays are always changing, and they are stories being brought to life. A reader may not be interested by a short story or novella, but a play could be the very thing to draw in their attention. Molière was able to reach more people by making this into a play, therefore making the problem of religious hypocrisy more widely
Theatre as we know it now was born more than two thousand years ago and has gone through many streams until it reached the current modernity. Among these streams is the avant-garde theatre. This theatre achieved a break in the traditional theatre and became the forefront of a new experimental theatre. Therefore it is necessary to ask how this theatre started, what impact it had on society and if this type of theatre is still common in our modern era.