Theatre

What were the Stock characters in roman theatre

- The adulescens (young man)

- The senex (old man)

- The servus (slave)

- The parasitus (parasite)

- The matrona (matron)

- The virgo (young maiden)

Who was the adulescens?

- Occasionally married, but usually unmarried,

- youthful man

- motivated by his love for a woman of a lower social status and ineligible for marriage.

Who was the senex?

- Usually opposed to his sons choice of lover

- he is harsh

- easily deceived

- eager to argue, especially with his wife

- sometimes in pursuit of the same woman as his son.

The senex is sometimes shown to be a miserly man, whose primary aim is to look after his own wealth, and who is so focused on himself that he is unaware of his own surroundings

Who is the servus?

- The slave is often portrayed as a cunning trickster and a faithful servant to his master.

- They are all talkative.

- The slave exists to provide humour and either supervise or assist trickery in order to advance the plot.

Who is the parasitus?

- The parasite is a jokester and a liar

- His main focus is on food and where he will get his next meal from

- He tends to be witty and jovial

- Points out the stupidity of others

- Gives out and receives abuse

Who is the matrona?

- The wife and mother is usually involved in a disagreement with her husband, the senex

- She prevents him from pursuing other lovers

- Caring towards he children

- Usually forgives husband although her annoyance

Who is the virgo?

- The love interest of the adulescens

- More of a plot device than a character

- Spoken about, but remains offstage

What gender played the vast majority of speaking roles?

Men

What did actors use?

dramatic masks

What status were actors?

Roman actors were mainly slaves and dint possess many civil rights, although it was possible for them to win their freedom.

What were the 2 main centres of entertainment in pompeii?

There were 2 main centres of entertainment in pompeii, the theatres near the Stabian gate and the amphitheater at the east end of town.

How many people did the smaller theatre sit?

1,200

How many people did the larger theatre sit?

5,000

What shape was the seating of the large theatre?

A broad horseshoe

What was the spae between the seats and the stage called?

The orchestra

What were the seats split into?

Ima Cavea

Media Cavea

Summa Cavea

Who would sit in the Ima Cavea?

Musicians and the town council

How many rows was the media cavea?

20

How big were the seats?

40cm high, 65-70cm wide

How was the media cavea divided?

Into 7 sections

What protected the audience from the sun?

Awning

What was the awning?

huge canvas stretched over the audience

What happened during intervals?

Scented water was sometimes sprinkled on the audience

Name a Roman playwright

Plautus

How was the theatre well designed?

- Tiered seating

- Horseshoe shape

- Awning

- Good acoustics

- Stairs

- Raises stage

- Allocated seating

- Scene allows actors to change, store props