Between the 14th and 16th centuries Renaissance drama developed in Italy, marking an end to medieval practices and a release of traditional Roman ways of presenting drama. The neoclassical ideal was formed in Italy and spread throughout Europe. This ideal was characterized by an interest in literary theory and a desire to read and understand theoretical works such as Horace's Art of Poetry and Aristotle's Poetics. The neoclassical ideal demanded verisimilitude which dealt with the strong appearance of truth. Because of verisimilitude, fantasy and supernatural elements were avoided in neoclassical plays. The chorus and soliloquies were also discouraged. Reality was stressed in drama along with plays that teach moral lessons.