Roman Theater

1
Roman Theater

• Roman theater was hurt by Greek comparisons but
  helped by the models they provided

2
Heritage

• Romans wanted to conquer and control everything
• May have inhibited their creativity
• Roman tragedies were inferior
• Roman comedies were more successful
• Often based on Greek life because they felt they
  were above those behaviors

3
Theaters

• Theaters were all free-standing
• Wanted their work to stand out
• Romans would build a large theater, a circus and
  forum together
• This architectural style prevailed for centuries
  in Europe America
• Romans added more realistic scenery to their plays

4
Conventions

• Did not use a chorus
• Used more speaking actors
• Did not use masks
• Used stock characters
• Stereotypes
• Example slave, young man, girl, braggart, old
  man, smart slave, dumb slave, parasite

5
Playwrights Plays

• Plautus
• Most popular comic playwright
• Writing style is still followed
• Poor structure but lots of laughs
• Plays
• The Menaechmi, The Haunted House, The Braggart
  Warrior

6
Playwrights Plays (cont)

• Terence
• Better writer structurally but not as funny
• Was brought to Rome as a slave and then freed
• Wrote 6 plays and died at age 36
• Plays
• The Brothers
• Woman of Andros

7
Playwrights Plays

• Seneca
• One of the greatest minds writers in Roman
  history
• Greatest writer of tragedies
• Plays revolve around man vs himself
• Did seem more fit for reading than performance
• Plays
• New versions of Greek tragedies
• Medea
• Oedipus