Medieval Theatre - Contributions To Theatre

Contributions To Theatre

Medieval theatre brought many contributions to the theatre that continue to be incorporated in productions around the world to this day. The major contributions of the Medieval theatre are the use of the vernacular, spectacle, stage direction and the use of farce. Prior to Medieval theatre, all drama was performed in Latin or Greek, however Medieval theatre evolved to the use of the vernacular about 1200 A.D. Performances that were spoken in the vernacular provided opportunities for larger audiences, who included members of lower socio-economic status, who would have otherwise been excluded from understanding the performances.

Medieval theatre differed from the classical theatre for it emphasized spectacle. In addition, it presented various actions on stage in time and space and presented a combination of the sublime with detailed realism. Approximately 1400 A.D., the dramas were performed with spectacle; no longer dependent exclusively on the spoken word, but incorporating music, dance, costume and set design. The spectacle of the later Medieval theatre made it necessary to have detailed stage directions. A sample of documented staging drawings and directions remain from the 15th-century morality play "The Castle of Perseverance". The evolution to the dependence on detailed stage direction made possible the great Shakespearean stage.

Farce contributed to modern theatre in that it allowed the author and the actors to ridicule and criticize their superiors whether it be in the church or in society, without retribution. This was a transition to all the future theatre including Shakespeare, who employed the use of farce with ease.

Separation of the Medieval theatre from the oversight and support of the Church, as well as the growth of the productions in the later Medieval theatre, made it necessary to have the financial subsidization, a need that exists through the remaining history of the theatre.