In this survey of the development of the world of theatre up to the Baroque period, Margaret Berthold discusses such phenomena as the demon dance of a masked shaman, the "tragedie classique" of Corneille and Racine, the Egyptian Osiris festival ceremonies, and Italian "commedia dell'arte" improvizations. She looks at theatre in Islamic civilizations, Indonesia, India, China, Japan, Greece and Rome, in the Byzantine Empire and Europe of the Middle Ages. Berthold looks at comedy, tragedy, mime, religious and secular drama, kabuki, noh, puppet theatre, court ballet, opera, masques, pantomime, the amphitheatre, and song-play.