Roman Drama:
1. Historical Period: Roman drama flourished during the Roman Empire, primarily from the 3rd century BCE to the 5th century CE.
2. Influences: Roman drama was heavily influenced by Greek theatre and cultural traditions, particularly from Athenian drama.
3. Genres and Forms: Roman theatre included various genres, primarily comedies (fabulae palliatae and fabulae togatae), tragedies (fabulae crepidatae), and historical plays (fabulae praetextae).
4. Performance Venues: Plays were performed in outdoor theatres, known as amphitheaters or theatres, such as the Colosseum in Rome.
5. Social Function: Roman drama often held a political function and served as a form of entertainment for the public.
6. Playwrights: Notable Roman playwrights include Plautus, Terence, and Seneca the Younger.
7. Themes and Conventions: Roman comedies explored social and political themes, while tragedies focused on emotional conflicts and moral dilemmas. Plays frequently followed traditional forms and employed devices like the aside, monologue, and chorus.
8. Decline: Roman drama began to decline in the late Roman Empire due to various factors, including the rise of Christianity and the sack of Rome by Germanic tribes.
Italian Drama:
1. Historical Period: Italian theatre emerged during the Renaissance (14th-17th centuries) and continued to develop in subsequent periods.
2. Influences: Italian theatre drew inspiration from classical Greek and Roman drama, but also incorporated new ideas and experimented with different forms of expression.
3. Genres and Forms: Italian theatre encompassed various genres, including comedies (commedia dell'arte, commedia erudita), tragedies (tragedia classica, tragedia borghese), and pastoral dramas (egloghe).
4. Performance Venues: Plays were performed in indoor theatres, such as court theatres, academies, and professional playhouses.
5. Social Function: Italian drama often reflected social and political issues, addressed moral and philosophical questions, and sought to entertain and educate audiences.
6. Playwrights: Significant Italian playwrights include Niccolò Machiavelli, Ludovico Ariosto, Gian Giorgio Trissino, and Carlo Goldoni.
7. Themes and Conventions: Italian drama covered diverse themes, from political intrigue and social satire to domestic affairs, heroic narratives, and romantic explorations. Theatrical conventions included elaborate costumes, masks, stock characters, and improvisational techniques.
8. Impact and Legacy: Italian theatre greatly influenced European drama and theatre practices, contributing to the development of theatre in France, England, Spain, and beyond.
While both Roman and Italian drama have left indelible marks on Western theatre, their differences lie in the cultural and historical contexts, forms and genres, performance venues, social functions, and contributions to their respective periods and beyond.