Drama: East Asian Dance and Theater
Added on 2022-08-14
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Running Head: RELIGION AND EARLY ASIAN THEATRE
Religion and Early Asian Theatre
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author’s Note:
Religion and Early Asian Theatre
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author’s Note:
RELIGION AND EARLY ASIAN THEATRE
1
Introduction
Theatre and civilization has most often been as the mirror reflection of each other for the
scholars as well as the philosophers has drawn shown affinity of the civilization and the cultures
prevailing in it depicted in the theatre and art of the time. The most pivotal point of the Early
Asian Theatre was that the art and theatre cultural was totally detached from the on-going
culturally rich theatre culture of the Greek. Unlike most of the Greek theatrical practices, the
cultural and social subjects regarding which the theatre were formed were based on the religious
cultures of the civilization. When talking about the theatre in the Asian context, the scope of the
view is huge as the area covered by the Asian continent consists of vastly different areas falling
together who were joined by the their affinity of connecting and inducing theatrical context from
and in accordance to the major religious practices prevailing in the society. The thesis statement
of the essay can be narrowed down to the influence and impact of religions prevailing in China
and India and how the performing art culture was the direct reflection of conforming to those
norms or showing their resent o nonconformity with it.
Discussion
There are certain similarity between the three most important nations which has a strong
history of theatre culture which are India, China and Japan. The most important similar feature is
the imperial rule at the time. Each of the country were under rulers and they were constantly
being expanded under different rulers and through trade. The use of makeup and props to signify
and communicate the emotions to the audience was common to all along with elaborate dancing
and singing which were relevant in depicting the central theme of the plays (Hoff). They were all
related and induced as a form of art of preaching religious scriptures and practices among the
illiterate population.
1
Introduction
Theatre and civilization has most often been as the mirror reflection of each other for the
scholars as well as the philosophers has drawn shown affinity of the civilization and the cultures
prevailing in it depicted in the theatre and art of the time. The most pivotal point of the Early
Asian Theatre was that the art and theatre cultural was totally detached from the on-going
culturally rich theatre culture of the Greek. Unlike most of the Greek theatrical practices, the
cultural and social subjects regarding which the theatre were formed were based on the religious
cultures of the civilization. When talking about the theatre in the Asian context, the scope of the
view is huge as the area covered by the Asian continent consists of vastly different areas falling
together who were joined by the their affinity of connecting and inducing theatrical context from
and in accordance to the major religious practices prevailing in the society. The thesis statement
of the essay can be narrowed down to the influence and impact of religions prevailing in China
and India and how the performing art culture was the direct reflection of conforming to those
norms or showing their resent o nonconformity with it.
Discussion
There are certain similarity between the three most important nations which has a strong
history of theatre culture which are India, China and Japan. The most important similar feature is
the imperial rule at the time. Each of the country were under rulers and they were constantly
being expanded under different rulers and through trade. The use of makeup and props to signify
and communicate the emotions to the audience was common to all along with elaborate dancing
and singing which were relevant in depicting the central theme of the plays (Hoff). They were all
related and induced as a form of art of preaching religious scriptures and practices among the
illiterate population.
RELIGION AND EARLY ASIAN THEATRE
2
India
India, as the land of immense rich culture and mineral has been subjected to a number of
rulers each trying to exert their own culture but the most prominent was the religious culture of
the early times when India consisted of a combined empire of Pakistan and Bangladesh as well.
But throughout the conflicting history of the changing rulers, one thing that has been found to
have stayed the same is the dominance of the Hindu religion and the language Sanskrit in which
most Hindu scriptures were written. For this reason, the language was considered to be the
religion of sophisticated and scholars particularly religious scholars (Yousof). The language
prevalence and domination was not simply due to the fact that the majority and the dominant
population was of Hindus but due to the social division of the population in castes. The social
structure was very stringent and divided into different categories known as the caste system
which was established since the Aryan civilization. The upper caste consisted of the Brahmans or
the priest who were the sole determinants of the society in terms of profession, culture and even
food. The Brahmans could only learn the language the lowest caste, the shudras were not
allowed to learn the language, sit among them or even have the same food. They were barred
from entering temples (religious sites).
The first theatre recorded in the Indian theatre was that of the Sanskrit drama of which
there is no measurable amount of literature or historical evidences are present apart from the
book ‘Natyasashtra’ which translates to ‘Theatre Science’ in English (Wale). The book depicts
important evidences of the theatre culture and shows the inclusion of men as well as women as
actors with plays and acts completely equipped with songs on which dance performances used to
be based. The art was a depiction of the Hinduism line of assumption that the universe be a
reflection of unity which was expressed through dance, songs and dialogues which forms the
2
India
India, as the land of immense rich culture and mineral has been subjected to a number of
rulers each trying to exert their own culture but the most prominent was the religious culture of
the early times when India consisted of a combined empire of Pakistan and Bangladesh as well.
But throughout the conflicting history of the changing rulers, one thing that has been found to
have stayed the same is the dominance of the Hindu religion and the language Sanskrit in which
most Hindu scriptures were written. For this reason, the language was considered to be the
religion of sophisticated and scholars particularly religious scholars (Yousof). The language
prevalence and domination was not simply due to the fact that the majority and the dominant
population was of Hindus but due to the social division of the population in castes. The social
structure was very stringent and divided into different categories known as the caste system
which was established since the Aryan civilization. The upper caste consisted of the Brahmans or
the priest who were the sole determinants of the society in terms of profession, culture and even
food. The Brahmans could only learn the language the lowest caste, the shudras were not
allowed to learn the language, sit among them or even have the same food. They were barred
from entering temples (religious sites).
The first theatre recorded in the Indian theatre was that of the Sanskrit drama of which
there is no measurable amount of literature or historical evidences are present apart from the
book ‘Natyasashtra’ which translates to ‘Theatre Science’ in English (Wale). The book depicts
important evidences of the theatre culture and shows the inclusion of men as well as women as
actors with plays and acts completely equipped with songs on which dance performances used to
be based. The art was a depiction of the Hinduism line of assumption that the universe be a
reflection of unity which was expressed through dance, songs and dialogues which forms the
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