Greek Tragedy and Japanese Noh Drama

Paper Summary:

This paper discusses the similarities and differences between Greek tragedy and Japanese Noh Drama. It examines how although they are separated by nearly two millennia, by thousands of miles and by cultural differences, both were theatrical traditions involving masked performers, frequent use of music and dancing, on-stage choruses and historic-mythological themes and stories drawn from traditions. It looks at how later centuries' understanding of them, depends heavily on Aristotle's "Poetics" and Zeami's essays on Noh drama and how the two writers' approaches indicate the principal difference in the two traditions.

From the Paper:

"Greek drama originated in the choral hymns sung to the god Dionysus. Mimed episodes were enacted to accompany the dithyrambs of the seventh century and, as Aristotle has it, a "long series of changes" ended only on Tragedy's "attaining to its natural form" (Aristotle 670). The alternation of choral song and dance with enacted scenes predominated until Aeschylus introduced the second actor and "made the dialogue, or spoken portion, take the leading part in the play" (Aristotle 670). Sophocles introduced the third actor and scenery. And tragedy acquired its magnitude by expanding its scope and increasing the dignity of its presentation. The playwrights proceeded by discarding the trochaic meter, more appropriate to dancing, for the iambic which was more like natural speech."

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• Comparison Essay # 10785 : "Greek Tragedy and Noh Drama"

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