Page 26 - CinemaRecord Edition 3-2003 #41

Theatre of the Italian Renaissance

by Cameron Hall

Left to right: The writers Dante, Petrarch and Boccaccio. Their views began the questioning which grew into the Renaissance.

Renaissance describes the arts in likened to the Middle Ages. The principal audience for one. A thousand
Italy from the early 14th to the mid- Renaissance writer seemingly wrote workmen might labour on a brilliant
16th century, and by extension, its with his pen, not his heart. The period display for the pleasure of their
influence within Europe. The period, did however bring astounding monarch. A Renaissance ruler was more
from approximately 1500 to 1527 developments in theatre design, stage likely to be greeted by mythological
produced some of man’s finest artistic effects and ornamentation. Add to this figures than religious ones. The staged
achievements. Michelangelo’s David, accomplished performers, whose effects could be elaborate. The rise and
Leonardo’s Mona Lisa and the works of influence still resonates today, and one descent of clouds, revolving stages and
Raphael are paragons of a new begins to appreciate the creativity of curtains were part of entry theatre. In
creativity. the period and our debt to Italy. 1489 a spectacular performance of Il
In most assessments the writers Secular entertainment restored Paradiso was staged at a palace in
Dante Alighieri (1265-1321), Francesco Milan. Leonardo designed a mountain-
Religious drama of the Middle Ages
Petrarch (1304-1374) and Giovanni top of two halves, which split at the
continued in Italy until at least 1454,
Boccaccio (1313-1375), pre-date the front and swung back to reveal a
but by the end of the 15th century the
Renaissance, yet together they inspired glittering heaven.
interest of arts patrons shifted to plays
a revival of learning almost a century Plays were mostly written and
based on classical models. In 1471
before its full flowering. Boccaccio performed in Latin. Regional dialects
Politian, a 17 year-old poet wrote a
read Greek literature. Dante’s worked against a universal language, so
Latin play La Favola di Orfeo (The
admiration of Virgil is evident in the churchmen, monarchs and literary
Tale of Orpheus) in which fables of
Divine Comedy. Petrarch studied both persons throughout middle and Western
classical mythology replaced stories of
Greek and Latin and longed for a return Europe spoke and wrote Latin. This
saints and biblical figures. This new
to the glories of the Roman Age. Their perhaps encouraged a revival of Roman
form contributed to the demise of the
works formed the beginnings of comedy, particularly the works of
religious play. They lingered on in
humanism, a philosophy that rejected Plautus and Terence. Scholars had read
Spain, until forbidden in 1765 on the
the dogmas of church and state, and Menaechmi (The Brothers) by Plautus
grounds of their debasement to mere
celebrated people as free-thinking centuries before Duke Ercole d’Este
entertainments.
creatures of reason. This mood made a production of it at Ferrara in
Entries, spectacular festivities to
underpinned the artistic endeavors of 1486. The more refined works of
welcome royalty to a city became
the Renaissance, inspiring painting, Terence had greater appeal to academia
popular. Their origin probably traces to
sculpture and architecture. The origins and were performed in schools. The
the processions by conquering generals
of ballet and opera are traceable to German nun Hroswitha admired the
returning to ancient Rome. Twenty-five
Renaissance Italy while in Germany the works of Terence, but feared the
entries are known to have occurred in
printing press began a knowledge exposure of their pagan content to the
Italy between 1443 and 1598. They
explosion. sisterhood. She compromised by
were also lavishly employed in
Given the overall excellence of the writing six Latin plays of her own in
England, France and Flanders.
arts at this time, it is intriguing that the the Terentian style using Abraham and
An all-powerful monarch might be
Renaissance did not produce outstanding other biblical figures as principal
either the subject of an entry or the
drama. In this respect the period can be characters.
26 2009 CINEMARECORD