EN 2250 Lecture Notes - Lecture 12: Status Quo, Mimesis, Middle Ages
Document Summary
Meta-theatre; how to act in love -- performative. Play within a play: decidedly tragedy; everyone dies. This is a comedy, which is one of the two major categories of genre. Drama comes from the greek word of to do . Drama involves not only words, but bodies in motion, bodies and physical activity; sometimes song and dance. Plays were intended to be watched, not to be read. An imitation of human action; where we get the word memetic. Mimesis shows a stylized version of life in the verse. The more high-born the person, the more likely for them to speak in verse. Major crises in a life get acted out. Audience is absolutely vital to the drama. Drama is a spectacle; something of a theatrical event. This play can be experienced, and not just read. The play lifts this off the page. Main types of drama: comedy and tragedy. The most important and elevated genre is tragedy.
