THEA 201 Lecture Notes - Lecture 3: Tragicomedy, Melodrama, Fourth Wall
Document Summary
Modern theatre rarely fits in neat categories. Both terms are used to describe or categories a piece of theatre. Genre = categories or classifications of what is performed. Style = the way in which it is interpreted. Genre refers to a specific division, or classification, of drama. Categorization/classification is a tool for explanation, not an end itself. Genres frequently overlap rather than stay within neat and tidy boundaries. Play are classified into genres based on: Common categories: tragedy/drama, comedy, melodrama, tragicomedy, farce. Most basic division, brings us back to the greeks . At their core, these are two different ways of examining human existence. Deals with serious subjects and characters who are confronted with their own mortality. Murder and death occur frequently, usually as a result of going against sacred principles. Characters come from aristocratic or royal families - high families . Bound by all the expectations that come from this background.
