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Questions and Answers
What were the short dramatized scenes introduced by the Church called?
What were the short dramatized scenes introduced by the Church called?
The Medieval Period is also known as the Renaissance.
The Medieval Period is also known as the Renaissance.
False
Name one type of Medieval play that depicted stories from the Bible.
Name one type of Medieval play that depicted stories from the Bible.
Mystery plays
During the Medieval Period, ______ owned the majority of land in society.
During the Medieval Period, ______ owned the majority of land in society.
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Match the following types of Medieval plays with their descriptions:
Match the following types of Medieval plays with their descriptions:
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How did peasants typically repay their lords in the Medieval Period?
How did peasants typically repay their lords in the Medieval Period?
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Guilds were involved in the sponsorship of plays during the Medieval Period.
Guilds were involved in the sponsorship of plays during the Medieval Period.
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What type of performance space was commonly used for early plays in the Medieval Period?
What type of performance space was commonly used for early plays in the Medieval Period?
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Study Notes
Medieval Theatre
- Spanning from the fall of the Roman Empire (475 AD) to roughly 1300-1500 AD.
- Early Middle Ages (sometimes called the Dark Ages) saw a loss of Greco-Roman culture and social instability. It's inaccurate to characterize this period as having no cultural value.
- Feudalism was a key aspect of Medieval society, with nobility and the Church owning land and the majority of the population (peasants) working it. Peasants provided a portion of their harvest to their lord in exchange for the right to live on the land. Conditions for peasants were difficult, with little chance for upward mobility or education.
- Religious services, holidays, and festivals were the main opportunities for leisure and entertainment for the lower classes.
- The church had mixed feelings about drama; sometimes banning or discouraging it, contributing to the lack of written plays and theatrical performances in the Early Middle Ages. Folk festivals, jugglers, and wandering minstrels were more common forms of entertainment.
- Church leaders sometimes viewed drama with suspicion.
Resurrection of Theatre
- While the Church was sometimes opposed to drama, it played a role in its resurrection.
- Masses were said in Latin, a language not understood by the congregation.
- Tropes, short dramatized scenes, were introduced to help the illiterate understand the service.
- Tropes spread and developed into dialogue, being presented in local languages.
- These scenes became the basis for many religious plays.
Types of Medieval Plays
- Mystery Plays: Depicted stories from the Bible.
- Miracle Plays: Highlighted the lives of saints.
- Morality Plays: Illustrated moral lessons and right versus wrong; a notable example is Everyman.
Development of Plays
- As drama became more popular, it moved from churches to public spaces like market squares.
- Guilds (unions of workers) became sponsors of plays, providing skilled labor and resources to increase the quality of the productions.
- Trade-based guilds (e.g., blacksmiths, carpenters, cooks) were particularly active in this development, showcasing their skills in the drama.
Staging and Performance
- Early plays presented episodes in a particular sequence; heaven and hell were often at opposite ends of the performance area, with other scenes filling the spaces in between.
- Pageant wagons (double-decked wagons), used by the English, French, and Dutch, moved in a procession. These wagons presented the plays' parts episode by episode to the audience who gathered in front and around the wagons, somewhat like modern parades.
- Cycle Plays were a sequence of plays, like scenes in a parade.
- Passion Plays: This type of play depicted the last days of Jesus's life. The Oberammergau Passion Play is performed every ten years (after a gap during WWII).
Cycle Plays and Modern Parallels
- Modern TV series share common features with Cycle Plays.
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Description
Explore the evolution of Medieval Theatre from the fall of the Roman Empire to its resurgence in the Middle Ages. Understand the impact of social structures like feudalism, the Church's influence on drama, and the role of folk entertainment. This quiz highlights key cultural shifts and the gradual acceptance of theatre in society.
