THTR 1020 Chapter : Guide1
Document Summary
It is a treatise on qualities of good poetry, especially drama. Drama at this time was form of poetry; all drama written in verse. Aristotle defined two distinct types of drama: tragedy and comedy. The most crucial point for aristotle: theatre is a form of mimesis or imitation. Actors play characters other than themselves; they imitate the actions of others. Live interaction of actor and audience distinguishes theatre from mediatized performance. The actor and the audience are always involved in a symbiotic relationship with each other. But audience members bring individual interpretation to performance. But the audience operates according to conventions in performance. Western theatrical conventions historically encouraged active audience response. Theatrical conventions changed in the nineteenth century, largely as a result of realism. Realism aims to present the stage action as a perfect image of life as it exists off the stage. Therefore it it encourages a quiet, passive audience and seeks to mask its own conventions.
