Module 3: Ancient Roman Theater and Medieval Period

Overview

• Covers a long historical period
• Starts with Ancient Roman civilization
• Moves forward about a thousand years to the Middle Ages and the Medieval period
• Focuses on theater evolution

Ancient Roman Theater

Historical Context

• Roman Empire followed the Greek civilization (1st-2nd century BC)
• Romans adapted many aspects of Greek culture
  • Similar gods with different names
  • Similar art, culture, literature
• Theater architecture resembled Greek amphitheaters

Styles of Theater

Tragedy

• Greeks excelled in tragedy; Romans adopted this style
• Only notable Roman tragedian: Seneca (5 BC - 65 AD)
  • His tragedies influenced later works (e.g., Shakespeare) but were not performed in Rome

Comedy

• Romans preferred comedy over tragedy
• Theater aimed to entertain the public
  • Unlike Greeks, who used theater to educate
• Important playwrights:
  • Plautus (254-184 BC)
  • Terence (195-159 BC)
• Roman comedies often involved:
  • Mistaken identities
  • Deception
  • Misunderstood motives
  • Relatable, middle-to-upper class characters
  • Character archetypes like the clever slave, courtesan, and sponge friend
• Example: Plautus's Menaechmi (Manaechmi brothers)
  • Twins separated at birth, mistaken identities, humorous situations

Popular Theater

• Entertainment outside formal theater settings
  • Singing, mime, juggling, animal acts, short plays
  • Resembling modern-day circus/clowning

Government Sponsorship

• Religious festivals (Ludi) sponsored by the government
• Purpose: entertain and build public morale
  • Propaganda tool
• First permanent theater built by Pompey in 55 BC

Architectural Innovations

• Romans invented the arch
  • Enabled freestanding round structures like the Coliseum
  • Theaters could be built in cities, not just mountainsides

Theater Structure

• Resembled Greek amphitheaters
  • Semi-circle orchestras
  • Tiered seating
  • Background structure (scaenae frons), similar to Greek skene for scenery

Important Changes

• Theater aimed to entertain rather than educate
• Elimination of the chorus in Roman theater

Next Topic

• Medieval Theater (to be covered in the next video)