How Does Symbolism Influence Theatre?

How does symbolism influence theatre? Theatre is overflowed with symbolism and it all started in the late 19th Century. The Symbols in theatre are what we see that has a meaning beyond them in a performance. A symbol is a detail, a character, or an incident that shows meaning beyond what you hear. Theatre uses symbols to tell stories and have a deeper meaning to the viewer. With the research I have found I feel I can show you how this relates to theatre. Symbolism is a huge part of theatre.

Symbolism began with a group of French poets in the late 19th Century. It spread rapidly to the visual arts and theatre finding its peak about 1885 and 1910. Joen Moreas, a French poet published the Symbolist Manifesto in 1886 that influenced the entire movement in visual and performing arts. In 1890 another French poet named Paul Fort opened the Theatre D'Art where many symbolist plays were performed. The primary symbolist playwrights included Belgian Maeterlinck and Frenchmen Auguste Villiers de L'lsle-Adam and paul Claaudel. Symbolism was considered to be a reaction against the plays that embodied naturalism and realism at the turn of the 20th century. The dialogue and style of acting in symbolist plays was highly stylized and anti-realistic/non-naturalistic.

In my eyes, symbolism relates to theater in many ways. Symbolism in theatre is a way of conveying ideas to the audience. A symbol is a representation of something other than its literal self. Symbolism in the theatre can be achieved through characters, color, movement, costume and props, etc. Any of the sets and props in symbolist plays were often used to symbolize emotions or values in society. A giant castle could symbolize power or high class in society. A woman in dark clothing could represent depression or loneliness. A character sometimes is a representation of an actual person and this is used as a symbol. Props are almost always symbols. A sword prop symbolizes a real sword realizing that an actual sharp sword cannot be used. The color of something represents feelings in some ways. If a character is wearing all black they are symbolizing that they are feeling gloomy or depressed. Symbolism in theater was spiritual and aimed to express emotional by visual means. It is an easier way of conveying messages to the audience instead of using dialogue. Symbolism deals with those experiences that seem to be beyond the reach of drama.

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