Abstract
This paper provides an analysis of how exploring alterity through the performances of actors wearing masks in Greek dramas performed at the City, Dionysia permitted Athenian audiences to be both entertained and instructed about important Greek values at the same time. Sophocles' "Oedipus the King" and Euripides' "Cyclops" are used to support the analysis.

From the Paper
"Athenian dramas deriving from the cult of Dionysius eventually evolved to include a chorus of approximately ... men and generally three actors who play multiple roles via the use of masks. These masks permitted actors to play the other something inherent in Greek dramas anyway, since women were not permitted as actors and males played female roles in plays from Euripides' "Medea" to Sophocles' "Oedipus the King". Masks facilitated the playing of the other, whether it was multiple roles, female roles or the more fantastic..."

Tags:satyr plays, tragedies, marriage, family, heroic, ideals, licentiousness

Abstract
This paper discusses the emergence of social drama's after WWII and examines Elia Kazan's "A Tree Grows in Brooklyn" and "On the Waterfront" as examples of this new trend. The paper discusses how these films addressed problems like poverty, organized crime and racism.

From the Paper
"Films of Elia Kazan as Social Dramas
Although a few films at the turn of the 20th century addressed social issues, it wasn't until the 1950s that social dramas, or message films, became it's own genre outright. These films expressed power lessons about the human spirit, or focalized on social issues that directors and writers wanted to shine a light on, (Dirks, Drama Films). No director took this genre farther than Elia Kazan. While there are arguments about his movies, such as A Streetcar Named Desire being produced because it was based off of a play, and therefore "presold," it also brought attention to social issues that became America's focus after WWII, (Kawin: 2008, pg. 220). Message films developed as a popular genre due to his work on movies like A Tree Grows in Brooklyn and On the Waterfront. Through these films, with Kazan's excellent direction, audiences of film began to question society and seek social changes."

Tags:American film, Elia Kazan, On the Waterfront, A Tree Grows in Brooklyn

Abstract
The Yuan dynasty (1279-1368) was a period when cultural innovation was occurring at a very high rate in China(Lewis 34). One of the cultural areas that went through a particularly significant period of growth during this period was drama. The question that this essay attempts to answer is why did drama in the Yuan period flourish? It is argued that drama flourished in the Yuan period for four primary reasons. These reasons are; the commercialization of entertainment and the arts during this period, the use of vernacular language, the vulgarity and humor of many of these dramas and the fact that the dramas often used stock stories and characters that were known by a wide range of people.

Tags:popularity, yuan, dramas

Abstract
In this article the writer analyzes three early English dramas 'Noah's Flood', 'The Second Shepherd's Play' and 'Everyman'. The writer discusses these dramas according to their commonalities in relation to morality, Church, and religion.

From the Paper
"The values in art of any era often reflect the most pressing concerns and staunchest values of the culture in which that art is produced. The case is no different in three literary works of early English drama, 'Noah's Flood', 'The Second Shepherd's Play' and 'Everyman'. Each of these works shares commonalities with respect to the values that are exhibited as positive in each of them. All of these plays demonstrate that only a life lived in accordance with Church doctrine and God's commandments will ... "

Tags:God, priests, Jesus, heaven, hell, obedience, commandments, Middle Ages, social institutions, behavior

Abstract
This essay compares and contrasts the way the death of a family member is dealt with in two dramas, Sophocles' "Antigone" and Lorraine Hansberry's "A Raisin in the Sun." The comparison includes an assessment of the themes, writing style, dramatic devices and literary conventions in each work to illustrate family reaction to death of a loved one.

From the Paper
"The reaction of family members to the death of a member of the family in Sophocles' 'Antigone' and Lorraine Hansberry's' A Raisin in the Sun' are intense. Antigone and her sister Ismene have lost their brother Polynices about who King Creon declares 'No man shall bury none shall wail for him.' (Sophocles) In "A Raisin in the Sun" the African American Youngers family has lost the patriarch of the family who left them a life insurance policy. Both of these deaths create varied reactions in..."

Tags:inheritance, African American, dreams, Creon, Ismene, Youngers, upward mobility, god, morality, law

Abstract
An essay discussing the friendship between two in the dramas: "Tartuffe" and "Kiss of the Spider Woman". The discussion compares and contrasts the friendships based on three specific criteria: gender, sexuality and romance.

Abstract
Compares and contrasts two plays of the 1960s. James Balwin's BLUES FOR MISTER CHARLIE, and Amiri Baraka's THE DUTCHMAN. Examines ways in which violence affects the lives of African Americans and role racism plays in violence. Intent of both playwrights. Stereotypical mythsof white women and black men in Baraka's drama.

From the Paper
" The Dutchman and Blues for Mister Charlie

For many African-American writers and dramatists, the issue of race and how it impacts on human relationships and societal perceptions is a theme of enormous significance. Two of the most powerful literary voices in the African-American community are those of James Baldwin and Amiri Baraka (formerly known as LeRoi Jones). Both Baldwin and Baraka have written prolifically and in a variety of mediums. This brief report however, will compare and contrast a single work by each author. Baraka s play, The Dutchman and Baldwin s play, Blues for Mister Charlie address the ways in which violence affects the lives of ordinary African-American men and women and in which a fundamental racism in American society renders these individuals vulnerable to violence."

Abstract
This paper explains that the best dramas contain compelling characters, situations that strike a chord with the viewers, and offer solutions that apply to the "drama" of the viewers' hectic lives. The author points out that drama has survived for so long, not only because it is an important form of entertainment, but also because it makes the audience feel something. The paper relates that, throughout history, dramas have been engaging, entertaining, and imminently popular; they show people at their very best and at their very worst.

From the Paper
"Drama gradually went out of style in the ancient world, but interest was renewed in medieval times, when church performances grew and were enhanced into outdoor plays. Secular plays were performed during this time, and the dramatic form of comedy regained popularity, too. Interest in all forms of drama continued to surge during the Renaissance, and scholars began to study the many forms of drama, and develop new types. The old dramas of Greece and Rome that had contained a chorus along with the actors were studied and reformed into a new form of entertainment opera. Drama continued to spread, and its' popularity paved the way for some of the world's most famous playwrights, including Shakespeare. Queen Elizabeth loved drama, and Shakespeare's work was extremely popular in her court."

Tags:women, shakespeare, characters, emotions, entertainment

Abstract
This paper examines the different social status and gender positions portrayed in seven dramas from Chinese theater of the Yuan period. The Yuan dynasty was the period of Mongol rule in China. The dramas included portrayals of a wide range of social classes- rich, poor, officials, beggars, women, men and many more. It shows how women had a lower social status then men and were held in lower regard. Those of a higher status were mostly officials who had access to power and money while in contrast, the lower classes had to work hard for a living and face many injustices. It aims to bring forth the idea that the playwrights used these differences to illustrate moral ideas about good and evil.

From the Paper
"The status of scholars and those who become officials by passing the exam is clearly illustrated here. The Chang family held scholars and officials in high regard and considered it a source of pride and social status to have a son-in-law who is an official. This could be attributed to the fact that the imperial examination was a way for someone from the lower class to raise the position of his family and himself in the social hierarchy. Passing the examination and becoming an official was to bring great honor and prestige to the family. Understandably, to gain a son-in-law who was an official would also bring prestige to the Chang family and perhaps validate or improve their social status."

Tags:art, china, chinese, culture, dynasty, society

Abstract
Using the literary works "The Phoenician Women" by Euripides and "The Iliad" by Homer, this paper shows how the underlying impetus for drama has from the first been the depiction of conflict. The paper reveals how dramas developed from a religious festival and then became a celebration in itself. Drama, as a literary form and a performance art, involves human beings acting out their inner emotions in a public way and interacting with one another over emotions, ideas, and situations.

From the Paper
"All of these elements are presented in the epic poem, while in a drama, many of these elements would only be mentioned or would be left as knowledge the audience already has because they know the story. Drama is more selective, more concise, and more focused on the dramatic situation than on the sweep of a large-scale story. The dramatic situation in this one scene has shifts and turns even in the short time covered. Priam takes a ransom with him consisting of twelve robes, twelve cloaks, twelve blankets, twelve capes and shirts, ten bars of gold, two tripods, four cauldrons, and a Thracian cup. Priam arrives and immediately grasps Achilleus by the knees, telling of his grief and of the need for Achilleus to be compassionate and to return the body of Hektor. For his part, Achilleus speaks of his won victory by reminding Priam of all that the latter has lost, but he also shows that he is fully aware that the gods have guided Priam to this place and that he must return Hektor to his father. The tension of the opening is never fully dissipated even as Achilleus shows his hospitality and makes certain promises to Priam about holding off the fighting for twelve days while the Trojans bury the son of their ruler. However, just as it appears that the situation is concluded, the god Hermes comes to Priam and warns him to leave now because if the Greeks find him asleep in the morning, they may decide he is worth more as a ransom and will not allow him to leave as Achilleus has promised."

Tags:epic, poem, priam, achilleus, hector, oedipus, eteocles, polyneices, jocasta, ancient, greece, interaction