An Introduction to DramaWord下载.docx
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An Introduction to DramaWord下载.docx
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ByProfessorGeorgePierceBaker
RAREisthehumanbeing,immatureormature,whohasneverfeltanimpulsetopretendheissomeoneorsomethingelse.Thehumanbeingwhohasneverfeltpleasureinseeingsuchapretendingisrarerstill.Backthroughtheagesofbarbarismandcivilization,inalltongues,wefindthisinstinctivepleasureintheimitativeactionthatistheveryessenceofalldrama.Theinstincttoimpersonateproducestheactor;
thedesiretoprovidepleasurebyimpersonationsproducestheplaywright;
thedesiretoprovidethispleasurewithadequatecharacterizationanddialoguememorableinitselfproducesdramaticliterature.Thoughdramaticliteraturehasbeensporadic,dramaticentertainmentbyimitativeactionhasbeengoingsteadilyonsincewefirsthearofitinconnectionwiththeBacchicfestivalsofearlyGreece;
andthedramaticinstincthasbeenuninterruptedlyalivesinceman’screation.Wedonotkillthedrama,wedonotreallylimititsappealbyfailingtoencouragethebestinit;
butwedotherebyfostertheweakestandpoorestelements.In1642theEnglishParliament,facingwar,closedthetheatresandforbadeallplays.Yet,thoughtheyearsfollowingweresotroublousasnottofavordrama,itwasnecessaryin1647torepealtheedict,becausesurreptitiousandgarbledperformancesofplaysformerlypopularhadbeengiven,andbecausevulgarizedexcerptsfromcomicportionsofpastplayshadbeengivenatfairsandotherpublicgatherings.Clearly,sostrongwastheinstinct,thecravingfordrama,thatifthepubliccouldnotgetnewplays,orevenitsoldplaysaswholes,itwouldacceptfarlessworthyentertainmentratherthangowithout.Eveninthiscountry,farmorerecently,inmanycommunitieswheretheatreswereregardedatleastwithhesitation,thepanoramawaspopular,andlocalbranchesoftheG.A.R.gavetoenthusiasticaudiences“TheDrummerBoyofShiloh.”To-day,manywhowillnotattendthetheatredoattendthemoving-pictureshow.Onecannotannihilateaninstinctoftheracesoldastime:
tolegislateagainstitistoriskrepressingonlythebetterpart;
whatisnecessaryistomaketheundesirableunattractive.1
THEDRAMAANDPUBLICTASTE
Theonlysoundbasisforthisresultisawidespreadtasteinthepublicforgooddrama.Whileitisnottrue,asGeorgeFarquharwrote,that“Playsarelikesuppers,poetsarethecooks,”thereisyettruthinSamuelJohnson’ssayingthat“Thedrama’slawsthedrama’spatronsgive.”Hewhoserveshisdramaticmeal,cookedandseasonedexactlyforwhathetakestobethetastesofhispublic,merelywritesplays:
hedoesnotcreatedrama.Totrytohitpublictasteinthedramaisliketryingtohitthebull’s-eyeofarapidlyshiftingtargetonaveryfoggyday.Ontheotherhand,thepublicspeakerwhoshouldtrytopresenthissubjecttoapublicknowingnothingofit,andtoapublicofwhichheknowsnothing,mustskillfullyinterestthembyfindinginhissubjectsomeappealofageneralnature.Insimilarfashionworksthedramatist.Hecannotwritecomediesandfarcesforacommunitylackinginhumor.Hecandolittleingrimstoryplayortragedywithalaughter-lovingpublic.Grantedapublicfondofthetheatre,heissureofahearingandprobablyanappreciativeone;
butthefullerandthemoreaccuratehispublic’sknowledgeofgooddramainthepast,thegreaterhischanceforanattentiveandcomprehendinghearingwhenhewriteswhatshouldbegooddramato-day.2
HOWTOREADAPLAY
Inreadingplays,however,itshouldalwaysberememberedthatanyplay,howevergreat,losesmuchwhennotseeninaction.AsJohnMarstonwrotein1606:
“Comediesarewrittobespoken,notread;
rememberthelifeofthesethingsconsistsinaction”;
or,asMoliè
reputit:
“Comediesaremadetobeplayed,nottoberead.”Anyplayissoplannedthatitcanproduceitsexacteffectonlywithitsrequiredscenery,lighting,andacting.Andthatactingmeansthegesture,movement,andvoiceoftheactor.Aboveall,itmeansthevoice,theinstrumentwhichconveystotheaudiencetheexactshadeofmeaningoftheauthorand,likemusic,opensuptheemotions.Dramareadtooneselfisneverdramaatitsbest,andisnotevendramaasitshouldbe.Usually,too,justbecausereadersdonotrecognizethedifferencebetweendramaandotherformsoffiction,theylosetheeffectstheymightgaineveninreading.Closerattentionthanwithanovelorshortstoryisrequired.Thedramatistdoesnotguideusbyexplanations,analysis,andcommentinourvisualizingofhisfigures.Instead,hedependsonafewstagedirectionsastotheirmovements,andontherightnessofhischosenwordsinthedialogue.Unfortunately,manyareader,accustomedtohastyreadingofthesketchystoriessocommoninthemagazines,doesnotpieceoutwhatisgivenhimbutseesonlyjustwhatthewordsofthetextforcehimtoseewithnoeffortonhispart.Heisnotactiveandcooperative.Noplayreadinthiswayyieldsitsrealvalue.First,seeinyourmindthesettingasdescribed.Then,readingsympathetically,thoughtfully,andslowlyifneedbe,visualizethefiguresastheycomeandgo.Thelinesofanygoodplaymeanmorethanappearsatahastyglance.Theyhavebeenchosennotsimplybecausetheysaywhatthecharactermighthavesaid,butbecausewhatissaidwilladvancetheplot,and,becausebetterthansomehalfdozenotherphrasesconsideredbytheauthor,theywillrousetheemotionsoftheaudience.Keepthesympathetic,notthecriticalmood,tothefore.Readingtovisualize,feelbecauseyouvisualize,andfeelasfullyasyoucan.Thenwhenyouclosethebook,movedandadmiring,andthenonly,letyourcriticaltrainingtellyouwhetheryouhavedonewelltoadmire.Don’tletprejudices,moralorartistic,causeprejudgments:
keepanopenmindasyouread.Awritermaysotreatasubjectforwhichyouhavenevercaredastomakeyoucareforit.Hemaysotreatasubjectyouhaveregardedastabooastomakeitacceptableandhelpful.Don’tassumebecauseaplayisdifferentfromtheplaysyouhaveknownthatitisbad.Asthegeneraleditorhassaid:
“Itispreciselythisencounterwiththementalstatesofothergenerationswhichenlargestheoutlookandsympathiesofthecultivatedman.”Whenaplayofadifferentnationorperiodatfirstprovesunattractive,don’tassumethatitwillremainso.Rather,studytheconditionsofstageandaudiencewhichgaveitbeing.Usuallythiswilltransmuteaseeminglydullplayintoaliving,appealingworkofart.Inanycase,whenyouhavefinishedreading,judgewithdiscretion.Say,ifyoulike,“Thisplayisnotforme—forapersonofmytastes,”butnot,“Thisisabadplayforall,”unlessyouareabletoexplainwhywhatispoisonforyoushouldbepoisonforthegeneralpublic.Inallthegreatperiodsofthedramaperfectfreedomofchoiceandsubject,perfectfreedomofindividualtreatment,andanaudienceeagertogiveitselftosympatheticlistening,evenifinstructionbeinvolved,havebroughtthegreatresults.Ifapublicwidelyreadinthedramaofthepastandjudgingitassuggestedwouldcometotheactingdramaofto-dayinexactlythatspirit,almostanythingwouldbecomepossibleforourdramatists.3
THEESSENTIALSOFDRAMA
Butwhatisdrama?
Broadlyspeaking,itiswhateverbyimitativeactionrousesinterestorgivespleasure.Theearliestofthemedievalplays,thetropeofthechurchinwhichthethreeMarysgotothetombtofindthatChristhasrisen,andmaketheirwaythencerejoicing,doesnotdifferentiateoneMaryfromanother.Thewords,whichweregiventomusic,haveonlyanexpositoryvalue.Here,asthroughtheagessucceeding,itisaction,notcharacterization,howevergood,notdialogueforthesakeofcharacterizationorforitsownsake,whichcounts.Ofcourse,thisveryearlydramaistoobaldandtoosimpletohavevalueasliterature.AsthetropeinthetenthtothethirteenthcenturiesaddstotheepisodeoftheResurrectionortheNativitypreliminaryorcontinuingBiblicalmaterial,sostorydevelopsaroundtheoriginalepisode.Almostinevitably,inordertomakethesedifferingepisodesconvincing,characterizationappears,for,unlessthepeopleareunlike,someoftheepisodescouldnotoccur.Thedialogueceasestobemerelyexpositoryandbeginstocharacterizeeachspeaker.Lateritcomestohavecharm,amusingness,wit,thatis,qualityofitsown.Whenthedramaattainsacharacterizationwhichmakestheplayarevelationofhumanconductandadialoguewhichcharacterizesyetpleasesforitself,wereachdramaticliterature.4
So,too,astimegoeson,theredeveloptheplayofstory,theplaymainlyofcharacterization,theplayinwhichdialoguecountsalmostasmuchasplotorcharacter,andthegreatmasterpiecesinwhichalltheseinterests,plot,character,anddialogueareblendedintoaperfectwhole.“TheDuchessofMalfi”1ofWebsterisastoryplaywhichillustratesachangeinpublictaste.Foramodernreader,probablymoreinterestedinthecharacteroftheDuchessthaninthestoryitself,thelastactdoubtlesslackstheinterestithadforitsownpublic.InJohnson’s“Alchemist”2itischaractermainlywhichinterestsus.InSheridan’s“SchoolforScandal,”3asinCongreve’s“WayoftheWorld,”dialoguecountsasmuchascharacter.In“Hamlet,”“Lear,”and“Macbeth”4thereisaperfectunionofstory,characterization,anddialogue.5
THENATUREOFTRAGEDY
Oncetheideawaswidespreadthattragedyandcomedydifferessentiallyinmaterial.Drydenmaintainedthattragedymustdealwithpeopleofexaltedrankinextraordinarysituations,expressingthemselvesinspeechbefittingtheirextraordinarycirc
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