Lecture Notes: Theatre History from Greek Classics to Medieval Drama

A set of vocabulary-style flashcards covering major figures, terms, and concepts from classical Greek and Roman theatre through medieval drama.

Aristotle

Ancient Greek philosopher who wrote Poetics and codified how drama works, including the six elements of tragedy (plot, character, thought, diction, music, spectacle).

Poetics

Aristotle’s treatise on theater that analyzes tragedy and drama, outlining elements and the idea of a well-formed plot.

Tragedy

A serious drama featuring noble characters and a downfall, often ending in death or exile; central to Greek drama and analyzed by Aristotle.

Comedy

A dramatic form focused on humor and societal satire; traditionally ends in celebration or marriage; Greek comedies lack on-stage deaths.

Protagonist

The main character of a drama; etymology twice noted as ‘the first (chief) actor’ in Greek drama.

Antagonist

The character who opposes the protagonist and drives the central conflict.

Plot

The structure of a drama—the arrangement of events that creates a cause-and-effect sequence.

Beginning, middle, end (structure)

The three-part framework of a plot: setup, development, and conclusion that build upon each other.

Thought (Theme)

The ideas or messages expressed by a play; Aristotle’s dimension of drama focusing on meaning.

Diction

Language and word choices in a play, including heightened or elevated language.

Music

Auditory elements of drama (chorus, songs) included as one of Aristotle’s six elements.

Spectacle

The visual aspects of a production (costumes, scenery, effects); considered least important by Aristotle.

Chorus

A group of performers who comment on the action and help convey themes in Greek drama.

Two masks

Symbol of drama representing tragedy (one mask) and comedy (the other).

Oedipus Rex

Sophocles’ tragedy about Oedipus; famed for its tragic fall and ending in blindness and exile.

Sophocles

Classical Greek tragedian who championed Oedipus Rex; helped shape Greek drama and introduced multiple actors.

Aeschylus

Oldest Greek tragedian; expanded the chorus and produced the first complete trilogy (the Oresteia).

Euripides

Younger Greek tragedian; controversial for his realism and use of methods like deus ex machina.

Deus ex machina

Divine intervention used to resolve a plot; literally “god from the machine,” often viewed as a weak plot device by Aristotle.

Thespis

Traditionally considered the first actor in Greek drama; origin of the term ‘thespian’.

Thespian

Term for an actor, derived from Thespis, the purported first actor in Greek theatre.

City Dionysia

Major ancient Greek festival for theater honoring Dionysus, with dramatic competitions.

Amphitheater

Large outdoor theater; Greek drama was performed here and could seat around 15,000 spectators.

No women on stage (Greek period)

In ancient Greek theatre, women did not perform; male actors in masks played all roles.

Aristophanes

Prominent writer of Old Comedy; known for Lysistrata, The Birds, The Frogs.

Meander

Representative of New Comedy in the Greek tradition; his surviving work is The Skolos; contrasted with Aristophanes’ Old Comedy.

Old Comedy

Satirical Greek comedy tied to current events and public life; exemplified by Aristophanes.

New Comedy

Greek/Roman comedy focusing on private life and romance; represented by Meander.

Lysistrata

Aristophanes’ Old Comedy about a sex strike to end war; ends in celebration and resolution.

The Birds

Aristophanes’ Old Comedy about birds forming a utopian society; satire of politics.

The Frogs

Aristophanes’ Old Comedy featuring a contest between poets and critique of literary tastes.

Dionysus

Greek god of wine and theater; patron of drama; festival and city Dionysia honor him.

Terence

Roman comic playwright; six plays survive entirely; possibly a freed slave who came from Africa and wrote in Latin.

Plautus

Early Roman comic playwright known for adapting Greek comedies; lively, popular style.

Seneca

Roman tragedian who adapted Greek plays into Latin; known for violent, closet (read) tragedies.

Horace

Roman poet who authored Ars Poetica (The Art of Poetry) and argued for poetry’s didactic and pleasurable purposes.

Ars Poetica (The Art of Poetry)

Horace’s treatise on poetry and the craft, outlining how poetry should function and be received.

Wakefield Master

Anonymous British playwrights active in the medieval period; associated with English mystery plays and the Wakefield cycle.

Rosvita

First recorded female playwright of the Middle Ages; a nun who adapted Terence for Christian audiences.

Liturgical drama

Medieval drama performed within church services; early form of theatre tied to sacred rites.

Mystery plays

Biblical dramas (cycle plays) depicting stories from the Bible, such as Noah, Moses, Job.

Morality plays

Medieval plays that teach Christian ethics through allegorical characters (e.g., Everyman).

The Second Shepherd’s Play

A late medieval mystery play about shepherds and the Nativity; part of the Wakefield cycle.

Hays Code

Earlier set of U.S. film content guidelines that restricted what could be shown; later replaced by the MPAA rating system.

MPAA

Motion Picture Association of America; current film rating system classifying content (G, PG, PG-13, R, etc.).

Peter Brook

Influential theater director who described theater as a live act where a man walks and another watches; emphasized live performance.

Eric Bentley

Theorist who elaborated on theater as performance and spectator reception, complementing Brook’s ideas.

Prehistory of theatre

Origins of performance before formal theatre, rooted in ritual and storytelling.

Ritual

Early human performance rooted in religious or communal practice; often cited as a precursor to theatre.