Classic to Modern Drama

1. Classic to Modern Drama Classical drama – usually refers to literature written in ancient Greece or Rome Epic drama – refers to literature which has a grand or ambitions theme (Shakespeare and Marlow are part of the Early Modern Tragedy category and wrote epic dramas) Domestic drama – refers to drama set in a household (it does not have a grand or ambitions theme) L/O: to explore the way in which tragedy evolved into the 20th century (AO4)

2. Homework Chose a modern drama (TV or film) and apply Aristotle’s theories. To what extent have his ideas been used in modern forms of drama such as TV or film? How relevant are Aristotle’s ideas about the effect of tragedy for a modern audience? Challenge: consider the concepts of catharsis, hubris and hamartia. How relevant do you feel these are in the 21st century? Are there any high-status leaders in history, or media stars in the contemporary world, who we might apply these terms to?

3. The ‘new’ tragic hero • Greece: Aristotle’s protagonist (330 BC) = a man of high rank, power or fortune. They can be noble (of noble birth) or show wisdom (by virtue of their birth). • Rome: Seneca (45? AD) = continued the Greek tradition of tragedy (particularly the unities and the noble protagonist), but with far more spectacle and gore. Theatre became more for entertainment than for civic/religious ‘lessons’. • England: Christopher Marlow (1588-9) writes The Tragical History of Dr. Faustus – he sells his soul to the devil for infinite power (tragic flaw = ambition). • Not of noble birth, but has wisdom and academic abilities (hence, the DR.) • Despite several divine interventions, Faustus makes a pact with Lucifer (he is blind to his own salvation by ambition) and eventually is dragged to his place in hell (big time punishment!) • Dr. Faustus fits into a new type of tragic hero who is both a hero and a villain = anti-hero who embraces disorder by their actions, which are usually motivated by greed, jealousy, lust and ambition (enter the seven deadly sins…!). Such characters follow ‘nature’ too readily and tend to ignore ‘civilised’ behaviour. …one move away from order can lead to tragedy!

4. Using the type of behaviour described on your piece of paper – which side do you think you are on, Order or Disorder?

5. Part of the reason for writing tragedies, therefore, is to offer the audience a sense of what value systems are important to us as human beings, and which systems we should try to prevent from taking hold. Tragedy can educate and help society to change… if the audiences want to… Unfortunately, tragedy in mid-19th century became ‘watered down’ and only used to serve as spectacle; audiences wanted to be entertained and have the social order of their world reinforced and maintained.

6. Modern European Tragedy: the late 19th century • Konstantin Stanislavski created a ‘system’ which changed the face of acting forever. Rather than just ‘demonstrating’ on stage, actors were to explore the character inside and out so that their acting, as well as the drama, was more realistic on stage. • Naturalism = theatre which aims to depict human action and emotion in a ‘realistic’ way • Fourth wall = an imaginary wall which divides the stage from the audience in a box set (a realistic three-dimentional set with the 4th wall cut out) • Henrik Ibsen, August Strindburg (Scandinavia) and Anton Checkov (Russia) began to write more realistic tragedies in which real lives are depicted and would typically deal with taboo subjects – sexual disease, infidelity, female liberation, social injustice, the breakdown of the family. Although there would still be a resolution (like in a Greek tragedy), there would be no grand speech, major battle or brave sacrifice; these plays ended simply with either a small act of defiance, a quiet definite act, or (breaking completely from Aristotle’s rules) sometimes the characters just had to simply go on. • Plays were met with hostility; bringing the difficulties and pain of tragedy into the normal, social sphere was radical in the extreme • Audiences were not used to watching dilemmas they might face performed without the certainty of a positive outcome, so there was a resistance to these works for many years. • BUT tragedy was revived and made both explicitly political and uncomfortably real because there were ‘ordinary’ people in tragic situations on stage = domestic drama

7. Classical/epic drama vs domestic/modern drama C/E With your neighbour, classify the following descriptions as Classic/Epic (C/E) or Domestic/Modern (D/M): • Ambitious • Stresses the nobility of the tragic hero • Rational social order is no longer maintained • Focuses on the anti-hero • Focuses on the hero • Raises fundamental questions about life • Undermines or confidence in any order • Shows that domesticity can be corrupt and diseased • Shows the full horror of life • Conventional social bonds are broken • Focuses on the family • Seemingly less ambitious C/E D/M D/M C/E C/E D/M D/M C/E C/E D/M D/M

8. How relevant are Aristotle’s ideas about the effect of tragedy for a modern audience? What changed?

9. Homework Topics: • Tennessee Williams • The writing and reception of the play • Immigration in America in the early 20th century • New Orleans in the 20th century • History of the ‘Deep South’ of America • In groups, you will be given a topic to research and present next Wednesday. • You CAN use wikipedia (though check that there are references), however, I would also like you to use at least 2 other sources (one of which can be your copy of the play) • You will be expected to speak to the class and teach them what you have learned through your research – so don’t be losers and do your HW! • I double-dog dare you to use power point…