1、Drama is the specific mode of fiction represented in performance. The enactment of drama in theatre, performed by actors on a stage before an audience, presupposes collaborative modes of production and a collective form of reception.,The Development of Drama,I. Religious PeriodIn the Roman Empire, a
2、s in ancient Greece, the drama had a distinctly religious origin. The first characters were drawn from the New Testament, and the object of the first play was to make the church service more impressive, or to emphasize moral lesson by showing the reward of the good and the punishment of the evil.,A.
3、 Church Liturgical Drama教堂礼拜剧,The earliest plays are called liturgical drama. They grew out of the church liturgy. They were always in Latin, and the subjects were taken from the Scriptures and the performances were given in the church.,B. The Miracle Plays 奇迹剧,These plays were based on Bible storie
4、s or on the lives of the saints.Two examples of the Miracle plays:Noah and the Flood诺亚方舟The Second Shepherd Play第二牧人剧,II. Moral Period,They arose from the allegorizing sermons. In these plays, allegory was cast into dialogue and the allegorical figures, such as Truth, Hate.The Morality plays 道德剧Ever
5、yman每人It is the finest of the moralities.,Interlude 插剧,A short performance slipped into a play to enliven the audience after a solemn scene. In general, the interludes were short performances given at banquets and entertainments where a little fun was wanted.,III. Artistic Period of the Drama,It is
6、quite different from the Religious period or the Moral period. Its chief purpose is to represent human life. Comedies and Tragedies began to appear in this period.,Comedy喜剧,In general, a literary work that ends happily with a healthy, amicable armistice between the protagonist and society.,Comedy,The first English comedy is Ralph Royster Doyster吹牛的道埃斯特The best of the early English comedies is Grammer Gurtons Needle老大娘格顿的缝针,Tragedy 悲剧,In general, a literary work in which the protagonist meets an unhappy or disastrous end.,The first English tragedy is “Gorboduc”戈勃达克,
