Comprehensive Final Exam Review: Historical Drama and Theatrical Terminology
Final Examination Schedule and Essay Requirements
The final examination for this course is scheduled to take place on Thursday, May st. The testing window will begin promptly at and conclude at . Students are expected to demonstrate mastery of theatrical terminology, historical movements, and specific dramatic works covered throughout the semester.
A significant portion of the exam consists of a five-paragraph essay. In this essay, students must compare and contrast elements of plays selected from three different centuries. For the purposes of this essay, students are permitted to reference the primary plays listed on the review sheet as well as the specific play they researched and presented for their group project. On the final page of the course materials, it is noted that throughout the course, the curriculum has focused on many different plays that emphasize specific thematic or technical elements of performance.
Dramatic Eras, Movements, and Legislative Landmarks
Jacobean Drama refers to the body of plays written during the reign of King James I (), a period often characterized by darker, more cynical themes than the preceding Elizabethan era. Following the interregnum, Restoration Drama emerged after , marking the return of the monarchy and the introduction of professional actresses to the English stage, well-known for the comedy of manners.
Enlightenment Drama of the th century, often associated with the German term Aufklärung, emphasized reason, moral instruction, and the rise of the middle class. Within this era, the Ideendrama or "drama of ideas" focused on philosophical concepts. Contrastingly, the Sturm und Drang ("Storm and Stress") movement acted as a precursor to Romanticism by emphasizing individual subjectivity and extreme emotion. Romantic Drama eventually flourished in the late th and early th centuries, often incorporating Gothic elements—themes of horror, the supernatural, and medieval settings.
In the mid-to-late th century, theater shifted toward Realism, aiming to depict life as it truly is, and Naturalism, a more extreme scientific approach influenced by Darwinism that viewed characters as products of their heredity and environment. This era gave rise to "New Dramas" which tackled social problems. The term Hamburg Dramaturgy refers to the influential series of essays by Gotthold Ephraim Lessing that helped define these shifts in dramatic theory. Additionally, the term Intelligentsia refers to the educated class often responsible for driving these cultural and theatrical movements.
Legal regulations played a major role in shaping theater history. The Licensing Act of in England established strict censorship and limited the number of theaters allowed to perform "legitimate" drama. This was eventually addressed by the Theatres Act of , which broke the monopoly of patent theaters and allowed for greater competition and variety in London performances.
Theatrical Terminology and Performance Structures
Performance spaces and techniques are essential to understanding historical theater. The Proscenium is the architectural arch framing the stage, creating a window through which the audience views the action. This structure facilitates the Fourth Wall, the imaginary invisible plane between the actors and the audience. A Box Set is a realistic stage setting utilizing three solid walls and a ceiling to enhance the illusion of a real room. Within these spaces, technical elements like Footlights (lights at the front of the stage floor) were used to illuminate performers.
Dramatic structure is defined by several key components. This includes the Exposition, where background information is provided early in the play, and the Dénoument, the final resolution of the plot. Transitions are managed through Intermissions, which are breaks between acts. Character speech is categorized into the Soliloquy (a character speaking their inner thoughts while alone), the Monologue (a long speech given by one actor), and the Aside (a brief remark made to the audience that other characters on stage are presumed not to hear).
Other forms of drama mentioned include Melodrama, which features sensational plots and clear-cut moral distinctions, and the Well-Made Plays (pièces bien faite), known for their tight logic and structural complexity. The concept of Gesamtkunstwerk, or "total work of art," refers to the integration of all artistic elements—music, drama, and visual arts—into a single cohesive whole. Lighter genres include Pantomime, often featuring music and comedy, and Vaudevilles, which were popular variety entertainments.
Personnel, Character Types, and Historical Organizations
Historical organizations provided the infrastructure for theater. The King’s Men was the leading acting company in Jacobean London, while the Children of the Queen’s Revels was a prominent troupe of boy actors. The Inns of Court were professional legal associations in London that also served as significant venues for early dramatic performances. Within the theater company, the Dramaturg serves as a literary advisor or editor to ensure the integrity of the script.
Stock characters were central to many dramatic traditions. The Fop is a character obsessed with fashion and social standing, while the Rake is characterized as a libertine or womanizer. The Bumpkin serves as the naive or rustic country figure. In the Italian tradition of Commedia (specifically the Comédie Italiennne), stock characters included Harlequin (the acrobatic servant), Le Docteur (the pedantic intellectual), and Pantelone (the stingy, elderly merchant).
Japanese Kabuki Traditions and Aesthetics
Kabuki Drama is a traditional Japanese theatrical form known for its highly stylized performance and elaborate aesthetics. It was founded by Okuni, a priestess who began performing in the early th century. Kabuki plays are often categorized as Jidaimono, which deal with historical events and samurai legends.
The physical layout of the Kabuki theater includes the Hanamichi, a long runway that extends through the audience and is used for dramatic entrances and exits. One famous acting style is Aragoto, which features exaggerated, powerful movements and bold makeup. An important aesthetic principle in Japanese drama is Zankoku no bi, translated as "the beauty of cruelty," which finds artistic merit in the representation of tragic or violent events.
Required Plays: 17th to 19th Century
Students are expected to know the author, nationality, and century for the following works, alongside at least three facts for each:
The Knight of the Burning Pestle () was written by Francis Beaumont, an English playwright of the th century. Fact 1: It is one of the earliest examples of a "play-within-a-play" or meta-theatrical parody. Fact 2: It satirizes both the chivalric romances of the time and the tastes of the London merchant class. Fact 3: Although initially a failure at the box office, it is now considered a masterpiece of Jacobean comedy.
The Rover () is a Restoration comedy by Aphra Behn, an English author from the th century. Fact 1: Behn is recognized as one of the first professional female playwrights in England. Fact 2: The play is set in Naples during Carnival, allowing for themes of disguise and sexual intrigue. Fact 3: The character Willmore is widely believed to be based on John Wilmot, the Earl of Rochester.
Loa to The Divine Narcissus () was written by Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz, a Mexican nun and intellectual of the th century. Fact 1: A "loa" is a short introductory play used to provide context for a longer sacramental drama. Fact 2: The work syncretically blends indigenous Aztec religious practices with Christian theology. Fact 3: It features allegorical characters such as Occident and America.
Shibaraku () is a Kabuki play by Ichikawa Danjūrō I, a Japanese actor and playwright of the th century. Fact 1: The title translates to "Wait a Moment!", which is the famous shout given by the hero during his entrance. Fact 2: It is a quintessential example of the Aragoto style of acting. Fact 3: It remains one of the "Kabuki Eighteen," a collection of the most famous plays in the Danjūrō family repertoire.
The Triumph of Love () is an th-century French play by Pierre de Marivaux. Fact 1: It utilizes the trope of a heroine in male disguise (Princess Léonide) to manipulate the emotions of other characters. Fact 2: The play is noted for its exploration of "Marivaudage," a style of witty and philosophical banter. Fact 3: It centers on the conflict between the rigors of rational philosophy and the unpredictability of human emotion.
Nathan the Wise () was written by the German playwright Gotthold Ephraim Lessing during the th century. Fact 1: It is a foundational text of the Enlightenment, advocating for religious pluralism and tolerance. Fact 2: Its centerpiece is the "Ring Parable," which illustrates the shared moral roots of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. Fact 3: Because of its controversial stance on religion, the play was not performed until after Lessing’s death.
The Inspector General () is a satirical work by Nikolai Gogol, a Russian author of the th century. Fact 1: It is a scathing comedy about political corruption and bureaucracy in a small Russian town. Fact 2: The plot is driven by a case of mistaken identity when a low-level clerk is confused for a high-ranking government official. Fact 3: It is said that Tsar Nicholas I attended the premiere and remarked that everyone, including himself, was the target of the play's satire.
The Black Doctor () was written by Thomas Archer, an English playwright of the th century. Fact 1: It is an adaptation of a French play titled Le Docteur Noir. Fact 2: The play features a protagonist, Fabien, who struggles against social hierarchies and racial prejudices of the period. Fact 3: It is a significant example of mid-th-century melodrama dealing with identity and social class.
The Wild Duck () is a realist play by the Norwegian author Henrik Ibsen, written in the late th century. Fact 1: It introduces the concept of the "life-lie" (livsløgnen), the idea that humans need illusions to survive. Fact 2: The title character, a wounded duck kept in an attic, serves as a powerful symbol for multiple characters. Fact 3: The play marks Ibsen's transition from social realism to a more complex, symbolic style of writing.
Miss Julie () is a Naturalist tragedy by the Swedish playwright August Strindberg from the late th century. Fact 1: The play is known for its detailed preface, which outlines Strindberg’s theories on naturalistic performance. Fact 2: It features only three speaking roles and takes place entirely in a kitchen on Midsummer's Eve. Fact 3: It explores themes of Darwinian struggle, focusing on the power dynamics of class and gender.
Lady Death () was written by the French author Rachilde during the late th century. Fact 1: Rachilde was a prominent member of the Decadent and Symbolist movements in France. Fact 2: The play is a psychological exploration of obsession and the aestheticization of death. Fact 3: It features a protagonist, Paul Alis, who contemplates suicide as a form of artistic expression.