The Middle Ages
The Roman Church had its own drama in Latin dating back to the 10th Century. In preserving the Roman tradition of drama, it was developed through the dramatization and elaboration of its liturgy. The vernacular drama evolved from the mysteries,
which were dramatizations of Old Testament events.
Again the plays went from the theatres to the streets as actors' guilds were established, bringing their art to the common people. The most noted of these
'mystery' playwrights were featured in the plays of Chester, their work still being performed when Shakespeare was a boy. These plays set the framework for many styles that are still being emulated today.
The Shakespearean Theatre
The Victorian Era held little sway for the common man in England, who sought his prurient entertainment in the beer halls and theatres. The great halls catered to the masses, successfully making their venues both affordable and aesthetically attractive. Shakespeare was a revolutionary playwright, combining Chaucerian satire and Homeric vision with vernacular wizardly that is, arguably, unparalleled in the history of literature. His works were not only entertaining and inspiring but intellectually stimulating. He remains a literary immortal, having set an unprecedented standard of creativity for succeeding generations to follow.
Literature in America
American literature was an oxymoron in European culture for decades following the Revolution. Only after the works of Hawthorne, Emerson, Melville and Whitman gained worldwide acclaim did the USA begin its ascent to the pinnacle of cultural achievement. It was an arduous journey, however, and it was on the Broadway stage where the cultural revolution began. Taking opera to the next level, men such as Gershwin, Rodgers and Hammerstein began using new American music sounds, such as jazz, as a backdrop for theatrical productions. The American musical took the world by storm, and it wasn't long before Broadway became the mecca of the theatrical world. Playwrights took advantage of the situation, with men like Tennessee Williams broadening stage horizons with intense psychological drama. Many of Hollywood's most successful productions have been adapted from long-running Broadway hits. These shows are not only the product of playwrighting ability, but very often adaptations of literary works.
Overview
Performing arts scholars have long considered the correlation with theatre and society by the old adage, "Art imitating life, life imitating art". Roger Dunkle, in his essay on Classical Origins of Western Culture, points to how Greek theology was the major influence in early Greek tragedy. Brian Arkins, in his Heavy Seneca, discusses how the Roman playwright deviated from the comedic trend into serious social commentary in drama which had a profound effect on later writers, Shakespeare among them. Grant Stirling, in his work on Elizabethan Anti-Semitism, shows how even the most perceptive and insightful works can prove vehicular for social prejudice and stereotyping, citing The Merchant of Venice as an example. Finally, Jonathan Vos Post explores the theatre of today in his Open Questions On The Correlation Between Television and Violence. He completes the cycle by referring back to Shakespeare's first play, Titus Andronicus, whose theme focused on lust and vengeance. These scholars point out that rising genres in the performing arts are reflective of the culture and morality of a society, in turn reinforcing these beliefs with the power of suggestion and influence that theatre itself represents.
For further information on this topic:
Classical Origins of Western Culture
Open Questions on the Correlation Between Television and Violence
Also, you can access "Heavy Seneca" at:
http://www.ucd.ie/~classics/Arkins95.html