Europe in the Middle Ages, or medieval and their differences in various spheres are really great, especiallyif to compare the modern theatre with the theatre in the Middle ages. The old provinces of the Roman Empire dispersed into smaller regions after Rome fell in the fifth century, each of which was governed by a local king or lord. Late in the 5th century until around 1500, when the Renaissance began, was this time in Europe. During those 1000 years, the majority of Europe's cultures were agrarian, with regional languages and practices. The local landowners and their ruler oversaw an oppressive way of life. Although there were some brutal leaders, the treatment of the nobles was not as harsh as the harshness of life itself. The peasantry's daily routine included laboring from daybreak to sunset almost every day in order to survive. There were no big tools that would have made life simpler. Because there was no medicine, illnesses were common and widespread. One of these was the Bubonic Plague, which struck Europe in waves and essentially killed half to two thirds of the population in a little more than two generations. Numerous wars were also fought during this period to gain control of more of Europe. One sort of battle was against the outside invading armies of Islam as it moved from the Middle East after about 650 AD. Some of these wars were internal civil wars. The term "Dark Ages," coined by later Renaissance historians, is frequently used to describe this historical era. Nevertheless, despite the overwhelming dejection of the populace, it wasn't a terribly dismal period. The theatre in the middle ages was completely the other if to compare with the theatre nowadays. There was some increase of knowledge and the arts, though not as much. The Church was the one consolation in all this rather bad news. The official church of Rome, which later became known as Catholicism, was the only significant organization to survive the fall of Rome. In the Middle Ages, it was simply referred to as the Church. At the time, there was just one Christian sect. Later arose the divisions within the Church. Because it controlled hope, the one thing that everyone could cling to when confronted with the grim realities of daily life, the Church played a significant role in the Middle Ages. The belief that life after death will be better. The expectation of salvation In the Middle Ages, the Church served as Europe's gateway to that. As a result, the Church effectively held a monopoly over every individual's soul. The Church's ultimate power was increased by its control over educational opportunities and curriculum. The priests and church clerk were the only persons who could read and write. Most people, even rulers, were illiterate. The nobility employed Church clerks to write all letters, and the recipients of the letters employed additional Church clerks to read the letters. As a result, the Church also got involved in politics. The majority of the wealth that was gathered and donated to the church as gifts or kept in the church's estates for safekeeping was also kept in the church, which functioned as a repository for it. In order to pay for armies, royalty typically had to ask the Church for loans. The Crusades were also supported by the Church in order to save the Holy Lands from Muslim invaders. The Pope was the most influential person in Europe during the early Middle Ages. As a result of Charles the Great's (Charlemagne's) victory over the Muslims in Spain and central Europe in the latter half of the 9th century, he was elevated to the position of Holy Roman Emperor, making him the second-most powerful person (or ultimately persons; Charles' three sons succeeded him as Emperor over the Empire divided into three parts).

The Middle Ages and Theater

There was no formal theater for several hundred years following the fall of Rome and the end of Roman theater. Some little traveling organizations made a pitiful livelihood by going from town to town while offering some entertainment. These acts included jugglers, singers, and the rare puppet show or pantomime. They were present, albeit in very small numbers, all over Europe. However, at this early stage, there was no actual theater or fresh dramatic growth. In the 10Theater survived in the eastern portion of the former Roman Empire, which was governed from Byzantium (then Constantinople, now Istanbul). It was highly Roman in both style and content, though, and as a result, the laws that punished attendees greatly reduced its effect. That persisted until the fifteenth. The contemporary theater evolved from this novel form of theater. Ironically, the church was one of the factors that led to the revival of theater in the Middle Ages after it had mostly been suppressed in ancient Rome.

In the end, new theater came from the Church

Latin was used in church services during the Middle Ages since it was the Church's official language and a holdover from its Roman beginnings. However, almost no one could speak or read Latin outside clergymen and clerks. That indicates that the churches' congregations were hearing sermons in a language they did not comprehend. They did gain a basic knowledge through the few sermons delivered in their own tongues and the church artwork that illustrated biblical stories. The church eventually started using some of the fundamentals of theatre to assist teach the Bible stories and the Church doctrine's way of salvation to a congregation that was practically illiterate. These innovations gave rise to two main categories of play produced by churches: Scriptural DramaVernacular drama, which includes plays about morality and mysteries.

Religious theater

When we examine the renaissance of theater during the Middle Ages, we can trace its beginnings in monasteries and convents and follow it as it moves to church altars, church steps, and finally the town square. This movement also reflects the general trajectory of development of Middle Ages theater. Theatre was revived as a religious adaptation of older Roman plays, as we already mentioned. These, however, were never really intended to be shared with the general populace and never actually made it to the church itself. The first time we see theatrical elements employed in church is not until the church realizes that it needs to teach the congregations in a way that they can absorb the message. This is what was dubbed asScripture verses would be acted out in the church during liturgical theatre, frequently with the altar or a location nearby as the backdrop. These are the passages that are naturally dramatic. Consider the events of the Passion Week, when Christ traveled to Jerusalem for the Passover celebration only to be betrayed, put on trial, and executed. These are some of the most likely early stories that could have evolved into liturgical theatre since they are extremely naturally dramatic.

The characters from these tales would be portrayed by the choir, the priests, and the cantor, who would also read the pertinent Bible verses. The stories themselves would have been delivered in Latin because the Bible was written in that language. The congregation would be able to witness the stories that they had learnt from sermons and church artwork come to life in front of them, however, and get an understanding of the significance and truth of the stories. These were religious tales that were read from passages in the Latin translation of the Bible. The Bible itself serves as the readings' main plot device. The second variety of church-based theater is referred to as the performances themselves, they were frequently abridgements of the biblical texts that narrated the event. They frequently made allusions to notable neighborhood happenings or responded to a societal need or problem. They were typically much lengthier than the dramatizations of the actual Bible verses that had been performed at the altar because they frequently incorporated additional information to make them more understandable to the locals. These plays occasionally used as a form of propaganda to encourage church attendance and support. However, they served as teaching aids for significant Bible verses that also included regional interpretations. Vernacular Drama: Morality Plays and Mysteries

The Church's popular drama took on two different forms over time. These plays also tended to be brief—roughly equivalent to the length of a one-act play nowadays. Because they were not accustomed to viewing a lengthy play, the audience would quickly grow bored. They were not situated in Biblical times, but in the present day, when the play was being performed. Since these plays were highly conscious of the interests and attention spans of their audiences, they would.

Mystery plays or religious plays?

Modern theatre represents a lot of mystery plays, a liturgical drama, a medieval drama, a morality play, secular plays, cycle plays, medieval plays, a religious drama; early medieval theatre was different with the plays that were performed there.