A Glimpse of Western Drama,2009.10.23,I. The origin of western drama II. Greek drama III. Types (Subgenres) of drama IV. The tradition of Shakespeares tragedy,I. The origin of western drama,i. The origin of drama: The religious ceremonials： The desire to imitate (mimetic instinct) The desire to worship Ceremonials: Prayer, song, dancing,Drama: “action“ (Classical Greek: , drma),ii. Origin of Greek drama : a. Dionysus (狄俄尼索斯) The god of fertility, regeneration and wine. Three festivals dedicated to Dionysus or Bacchus tragedy : rites about life and death comedy : rites about fertility,b. Godesses of Muse: Greek mythology 缪斯文艺女神 Thalia (塔利亚): Muse of comedy (the laughing face) 喜剧女神 Melpomene (墨尔波墨 ): Muse of tragedy (the weeping face) 悲剧女神,Muse of Comedy,Melpomene,II. Greek drama,A theatrical culture that flourished in ancient Greece Time: Between c. 550 and c. 220 BC. Centre: The city-state of Athens, which became a significant cultural, political and military power during this period,Impact: Western theatre originates in Athens and its drama has had a significant and sustained impact on Western culture as a whole.,Three Important Ancient Greek tragedy playwrights: Aeschylus （525-456BC） （埃斯库罗斯） Sophocles （496？-406BC） （索福克勒斯 ） Eurrpides （485-406BC） （欧里庇得斯）,Aeschylus （埃斯库罗斯）（525-456BC） “The father of tragedy” “Prometheus Bound” 被束缚的普罗米修斯,A Titan who was punished by the god Zeus for giving fire to mankind.,Sophocles 索福克勒斯 （496？- 406BC） “Homer in dramatic arts” “Oedipus” 俄狄浦斯王,Sphinxs Riddle 斯芬克斯之谜,What goes on four legs in the morning, on two legs at noon, and on three legs in the evening?,Oedipus Complex 俄狄浦斯情结,Euripides （欧里庇得斯）（485-406BC） The father of the psychological drama “Medea”美狄亚,Medea: daughter of King Aetes of Colchis Jason: the hero who gained the Golden Fleece with the help of Medea,Frailty, thy name is woman!,III. Types of drama,Types: Subgenres 次文类 Tragedy, comedy, melodrama, tragicomedy,Tragicomedy（悲喜剧/传奇剧/英雄正剧） tragedy + comedy; serious play + happy ending; serious topic + light mood From Shakespeares time to the nineteenth century, tragicomedy referred to a serious play with either a happy ending or enough jokes throughout the play to lighten the mood.,Four tragicomedies of Shakespeare: Pericles 泰尔亲王佩利克斯 Cymbeline 辛白林 The Winters Tale 冬天的故事 The Tempest 暴风雨,Melodrama (音乐剧，情节剧) : In Greek drama: song-drama, with musical background In 18th century: J. J. Rousseau, and W. A. Mozart,IV. The tradition of Shakespeares tragedy,1. The tradition of Aristotle 2. The tradition of Seneca,Aristotle (384 BC 322 BC),a detail of The School of Athens, a fresco (壁画) by Raphael.,gesture to the earth, showing belief in knowledge through empirical observation and experience gesture to the heavens, representing his belief in The Forms,Aristotles definition (in his “Poetics” in 4th century B.C.): The imitation of an action that is serious and complete and of a certain magnitude achieving a catharsis (陶冶，净洗，宣泄) (purification) through incidents arousing pity and fear. What is meant by the definition?,It sets the base for the Renaissance drama: Structure: plot ,character (性格或人物) thought, diction (言词), spectacles (形象场面) and song. Purpose/Function: catharsis: tragic release and pleasure Means: pity and fear (Different from traditional Chinese tragedies),peripertia 突转 Plot action recognition 发现 peripertia : The reversal of ones fortune from favorable to unfavorable , or vice versa,recognition / discovery / anagnorisis : The discovery of the true state of affairs by the protagonist who has previously been in error or ignorance . The classic instance is Oedipuss recognition that he himself has killed his father Laios and married his mother Iokaste.,Seneca (4BC-65AD),His 9 plays were based on Greek drama (especially that of Euripides) and further adapted by playwrights of the Italian , French and English Renaissance.,The plot includes violence , the actions of tyrants , madness , ghosts , poison , suicide , incest and horrible crimes. Horrors on stage in their revenge tragedies (or : tragedy of blood) （复仇剧） Influence on Shakespeare: Hamlet, Macbeth,Conclusion,Greek and Roman drama provided a wide resources, deep insight and inspiration for Shakespeares dramatic creation.,Thy Naiad airs have brought me home To the glory that was Greece And the grandeur that was Rome. - To Helen by Edgar Allan Poe 你女神的风姿已招我回乡， 回到昨日希腊的光荣， 和往昔罗马的盛况。,Thank you !,