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| 6th century BCE - 4th century BCE | Religious festivals in honor of Dionysus Chorus played a significant role, commenting on the action Tragedy, comedy, and satyr plays
| Sophocles (Oedipus Rex, Antigone) Euripides (Medea, The Bacchae) Aristophanes (Lysistrata, The Clouds)
| Rise of Athenian democracy Importance of mythology and religion Philosophical inquiry (Socrates, Plato, Aristotle) Peloponnesian War (impact on tragedy) Emphasis on civic duty and the role of the individual within the state
| Foundation of Western drama Development of dramatic genres (tragedy, comedy) Influence on Roman theatre and later periods Exploration of universal themes (fate, justice, revenge) Architectural influence of amphitheatres
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| 3rd century BCE - 5th century CE | More emphasis on spectacle and entertainment Mime and pantomime became popular Less emphasis on the chorus ntroduction of fabula palliata and fabula togata
| Plautus (The Menaechmi, Pseudolus) Terence (The Eunuch, The Brothers) Seneca (Thyestes, Phaedra)
| Roman Republic and Empire Influence of Greek culture Emphasis on public entertainment and spectacle Rise of Christianity (eventually led to the decline of theatre) Social and political satire
| Further development of comedy Influence on Renaissance theatre (especially Plautus and Terence) Development of stock characters Preservation of some Greek dramatic texts Architectural innovations in theatre design
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| 5th century CE - 15th century CE | Liturgical drama (religious plays performed in churches) Mystery plays (biblical stories) Miracle plays (lives of saints) Morality plays (allegorical dramas about virtue and vice)
| Anonymous authors (mostly) The Second Shepherds' Play The Castle of Perseverance
| Dominance of the Catholic Church Black Death (impact on worldview) Rise of guilds (sponsors of plays) Limited literacy; theatre as a means of religious instruction
| Transition from religious to secular drama Development of vernacular drama Use of allegory and symbolism Early forms of stagecraft and special effects Community involvement in theatrical productions
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| 14th century - 17th century CE | Revival of classical learning Professional acting companies Development of proscenium arch Elaborate costumes and scenery Commedia dell'arte (Italy) Elizabethan and Jacobean drama (England)
| William Shakespeare (Hamlet, Macbeth, Romeo and Juliet) Christopher Marlowe (Doctor Faustus, Tamburlaine) Ben Jonson (Volpone, The Alchemist)
| Reformation and Counter-Reformation Exploration and colonisation Scientific Revolution (beginnings) Patronage of the arts by royalty and nobility
| Development of modern theatre Emphasis on character psychology Use of blank verse and prose Exploration of complex themes (ambition, love, revenge) Influence on subsequent dramatic literature The rise of professional theatre and playwrights
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| 17th century - 18th century CE | Emphasis on reason and order. Adherence to the "unities" (time, place, action). Decorum and verisimilitude. Formal language and structure. Influence of French Academy. Restoration comedy (England).
| Pierre Corneille (Le Cid). Molière (Tartuffe, The Misanthrope) John Dryden (All for Love). William Congreve (The Way of the World)
| Rise of absolute monarchies Emphasis on reason and logic Social hierarchy and decorum
| Emphasis on structure and form Development of dramatic theory Influence on 18th-century opera Reaction against Neoclassicism led to Romanticism Refinement of dramatic language and style
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| Late 18th century - 19th century CE | Emphasis on emotion and individualism Rejection of Neoclassical rules Focus on nature and the sublime
| Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (Faust) Friedrich Schiller (The Robbers)
| Reaction against Enlightenment rationalism Emphasis on individual experience and emotion
| Break from Neoclassical constraints Exploration of individual experience Influence on 19th-century opera (Wagner) Emphasis on emotional expression and spectacle
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| Late 19th century - mid-20th century CE | Problem plays (social issues)
| Henrik Ibsen (A Doll's House, Hedda Gabler) Anton Chekhov (The Seagull, Uncle Vanya) August Strindberg (Miss Julie, A Dream Play) George Bernard Shaw (Pygmalion, Man and Superman)
| Industrialisation and urbanisation Rise of psychology (Freud, Jung) Social and political upheaval Technological advancements
| Development of realistic and psychological drama Exploration of social and political issues Experimentation with form and styl Influence on contemporary theatre Break from traditional dramatic conventions
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| Mid-20th century - late 20th century CE | Rejection of grand narratives Fragmentation and deconstruction
| Samuel Beckett (Waiting for Godot, Endgame) Eugène Ionesco (The Bald Soprano, Rhinoceros) Harold Pinter (The Birthday Party, Betrayal) Tom Stoppard (Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead, Arcadia)
| Questioning of authority and traditional values
| Challenge to traditional theatrical conventions Exploration of language and meaning Emphasis on audience interpretation Influence on contemporary performance art Deconstruction of established dramatic forms
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| Late 20th century - Present | Diversity of styles and approaches Multiculturalism and globalisation Political and social activism
| Sarah Kane (Blasted, 4.48 Psychosis) Caryl Churchill (Top Girls, Cloud Nine) Tony Kushner (Angels in America) Lin-Manuel Miranda (Hamilton, In the Heights)
| Ongoing social and political change
| Continued experimentation and innovation Reflection of contemporary society Engagement with diverse audiences Blurring of boundaries between theatre and other art forms
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