Question

Think about the experiences you've had with dramatic texts, including seeing live performances or film adaptations. How does the era in which a play was written affect your ability to enjoy it or understand it? How is it different to read or see a play written more than two millennia ago (such as tragedies and comedies from ancient Greece) compared to a few centuries ago (for example, Shakespeare or others from the Renaissance) or one produced in the last 100 years? Is there something like a modern sensibility to more recently written dramatic works that helps you connect better to them than to works from past centuries? Are there traits in older forms of drama that engage you because they are NOT modern? Describe the traits of drama that keep you engaged as well as characteristics that make it challenging to do so.

Answer 1

How does the era in which a play was written affect your ability to enjoy it or understand it?

The era in which a play was written can sometimes affect our ability to enjoy it or understand it. For example, a play that is very old might deal with social conventions or problems that no longer exist, which might make it difficult for us to relate to them.

How is it different to read or see a play written more than two millennia ago (such as tragedies and comedies from ancient Greece) compared to a few centuries ago (for example, Shakespeare or others from the Renaissance) or one produced in the last 100 years?

In general, plays that were written a very long time ago are slightly more difficult to relate to than plays that are very recent. However, this is not always the case.

Is there something like a modern sensibility to more recently written dramatic works that helps you connect better to them than to works from past centuries?

There is something like modern sensibility to more recently written dramatic works that helps you connect better to them than to works from past centuries. This is because plays that were written not long ago are more likely to deal with subjects that we can understand, and have characters that think in ways that resemble ours.

Are there traits in older forms of drama that engage you because they are NOT modern?

Yes, older drama can be more engaging precisely because it is not similar to us. It can serve as a window for us to understand the past, and how people from different time periods lived their lives.

Describe the traits of drama that keep you engaged as well as characteristics that make it challenging to do so.

The main trait of drama that keeps me engage is the fact that it often deals with universal topics, such as loss, grief, love, parenthood or change. These are topics that everyone can relate to, regardless of the specific situation we encounter in a play. On the other hand, some characteristics that make it challenging to do so include archaic language and themes that are not relatable.

Answer 2

1. The era in which a play was written affects the ability of reader’s/spectator’s ability to enjoy it or understand it due to the lack of context, such as social norms (which change with every era), historical events which were the influence or inspiration for the dramatic work.

2. The difference in reading or seeing a play written more than two millennia ago such as tragedies and comedies from ancient Greece compared to a few centuries ago such as Shakespearean ones or one produced in the last 100 years is in the form of drama. Greek and Shakespearian drama are continuation of the same tradition but they have different forms and context. What makes these old dramas popular in modern time is their everlasting themes.

3. There certainly is. Modern sensibility helps you to connect better to the more recently written dramatic works that than to works from past centuries, as the context is much closer and therefore even more personal and understandable. But, that sometimes isn’t the matter, for example with Avant-Garde dramas.

4. Speaking from myself, yes, there are certain traits in older forms of drama that engage me more in older dramas because they don’t have a modern form or sometimes theme. When you engage in an artistic work it is according to your own sensibility.

5. The traits of drama that keep modern people engaged are mostly the context which influences the capability to understand it better and therefore to engage in it. The characteristics that make it challenging to do so are mostly the forms and language which is confusing and most likely failed to deliver what author actually wanted to achieve, like in Avant-Garde and Post-Modernistic dramas.