DRAMA 1853 DRAMA 



AN OUTLINE ON THE DRAMA 



i 



I. Forma 



( 1 ) Tragedy the loftiest form 



(a) Subject-matter grave 



(b) Language dignified 



(c) Object as phrased by Aristotle, "to purify the passions" 

 ( 2 ) Comedy 



(a) Less serious than tragedy 



(b) Language and treatment lighter than in tragedy 



(c) To amuse, or occasionally to ridicule 



(3) Farce 



(a) A form of comedy, more extravagant than the latter. Comedy generally aims 



at realism ; farce introduces obvious absurdities 



(b) Motive, to excite laughter 



(4) Burlesque 



(a) A ludicrous treatment of serious matters, or a dignified, lofty treatment of un- 



important things 



(b) Motive, originally to correct abuses or absurdities through ridicule 



(5) Opera 



(a) Drama set to music 



(b) Divisions 



1. Grand opera serious or classical themes, usually like those of tragedy 



2. Light opera fanciful or humorous, or even comic. Music lighter and less 



impressive lhan in grand opera 



(6) Transition forms, now practically obsolete 



(a) Mystery plays based on Bible stories 



(b) Miracle plays dealing with the life of some saint 



(c) Morality plays moral teaching in dramatic form, the characters representing 



the virtues and vices 



(d) Pastoral a presentation, usually idealized, of rural scenes and happenings 



II. Historic Development 



( 1 ) Among the Hebrews 



(a) Job and Song of Solomon practically dramas 



(2) In India 



(a) Drama reaches far back, but has never reached the high plane of Greek or 



later European dramatic writing 

 X3) In China 



(a) Very long and complex dramas 



(b) Unknown to people outside of China 



(4) In Greece 



(a) Greeks originated both forms, tragedy and comedy 



(b) Tragedy religious in its beginnings, an outgrowth of the worship of Dionysus 



(c) Comedy, similar in its origin, but growing out of the rural festivals 



(5) In Rome 



(a) Largely imitation of Greek drama 



(b) Its influence, rather than that of Greek drama, felt in later European literature 



(6) Italy 



(a) Classic model strictly adhered to during early period 



(b) Age of the pastoral drama, during fourteenth, fifteenth and sixteenth centuries. 



foremost period 



(c) Seventeenth century saw a lessening of interest, but the following century was 



marked by a decided revival. 



(d) It was from Italy that English dramatic tradition which resulted in the won- 



derful dramas of the Elizabethans was derived 



(a) Corneille real founder of French drama, which amounted to little before his 



time 



(b) Racine and Moliere next outstanding names 



(c) Classic school represented by these writers remained dominant until the early 



nineteenth century, when Hugo became the leader of a new school, the 

 romantic 



(a) Early dramas all modeled on French : many merely translated from French 



(b) Lessing first to break away from French tradition 



(c) Goethe and Schiller culmination of dramatic writing in Germany 



(a") S Most brilliant period that of Queen Elizabeth; Marlowe. Jonson and Shake- 

 speare greatest writers 



(b) Theaters closed by Puritans 



(c) Drama of the Restoration Dryden chief figure 



(d) Excellent comedies of eighteenth century 



(e) Present-day tendencies 



(aTlsome original productions of merit, but most of the dramas brought from 

 England 



(a) No plays to rank with great productions of English dramatists 



(b) "Character" plays 



(c) Realistic dramas of modern life 



