Greek Theatre

 

ORIGIN OF DRAMA IN GREECE

The civilization of ancient Greece has had a lasting impact on the world. Drama which was an important expression of Greek culture and thought, has been a powerful influence on European literature and theatre. In fact, we have to go to ancient Greece to discover the roots of European drama.

DIONYSIAN FESTIVAL

Tragedy had its origin in the religious ritual of ancient Greece. Every spring the Greeks celebrated the festival of Dionysus, god of wine and fertility and the life-spirit of all vegetation. Dionysus was the son of Zeus, the ruler of all Olympian gods. The fascinating story of his birth was very much loved by the Greeks. It goes that when Dionysus was in the womb, his mother- a mortal named Semele- was consumed by fire. Zeus took the child from her womb and held him in his own thigh till in the fullness of time, Dionysus was born. This story and other legends about Dionysus were sung during the spring festival that paid homage to this god.

A chorus of singers took in response the songs chanted to them by a choric leader. These songs that emerged as the most important part of the Dionysian worship were known as DITHYRAMB and it is to these dithyrambs that we trace the origin of Greek tragedy. Gradually to these songs about Dionysus were added lyrics telling the stories of other gods and heroes in Greek myths. This chanting of dithyrambs became so popular that contests were organized and prizes awarded to the winner. The best poetic talents were attracted to these contests and an important name that is known from these early days is that of THESPIS who won many prizes at these contests and played a great role in the evolution of drama.

THESPIS AND THE FIRST ACTOR

A significant date in the evolution of drama was 534 BC when Thespis invented the first actor. This means that instead of merely being the leader of the chorus, he separated himself from the chorus and took the part of one of the characters in the story and spoke the part instead of singing. In other words, he impersonated a character in the story and entered into a dialogue with the chorus. The prize awarded to the best composition seems to have been a goat. This may account for the fact that the word ‘tragedy’ in the Greek language meant ‘goat song’.

AESCHYLUS (525-456 BC)

Many people contested in the very popular completion, but the names and works of most of them are lost in obscurity. But a poet who won prizes on many occasions was Aeschylus and he is one of the three great names in Greek tragedy. Aeschylus was a deeply religious man and for him writing tragedies was an act of worship. His purpose in writing tragedy was to justify the ways of God to man. He exalted and glorified the gods in his works and the message in his great tragedies is that man should not presume to question the ways of gods but should obey them in total submission and humility. Aeschylus also broadened the scope of tragedy by introducing a second actor.

Important plays

·         The Oresteia

·         Promethus Bound

 

SOPHOCLES (495-406 BC)

SOPHOCLES lived and wrote his great tragedies during the golden time of Athenian civilization. Living in close association with the noble statesman and warrior Pericles, he was more preoccupied with the greatness of man rather than the greatness of gods. In his plays he shows the greatness of the man struggling in the face of the cruellest fate. He introduced the third actor.  His plays are characterized by subtle plotting and richly complex characters. He won more first prizes than any other playwright at the festival. He is said to have writer 123 plays but only seven have survived.

Important plays

Theban plays: plays dealing with the myth of King Oedipus of Thebes and his family. They are

·         Antigone

·         Oedipus Rex

·         Oedipus at Colonus

 

EURIPIDES (484-406 BC)

The third great writer of Greek tragedy was Euripides. He lived at a time when Athens had lost its glory and a defeat in the Peloponnesian war. The plays of Euripides reflect the gloom and pessimism that marked the times. He cared neither to glorify the gods nor to depict the heroism of men. He presented men realistically. He also gave great importance to women characters. Several of his play have women as central characters and are named after them.

Important plays

·         Medea

·         Andromache

·         Hecuba

·         The Trojan Women

·         Alcestus

·         Hippolytus

·         The Suppliants

ARISTOPHANES

A contemporary of Euripides, Aristophanes was a Greek writer of comedies. Comedy developed from something known as SATYR plays. These were crude comic performances that came after the performance of a trilogy. A trilogy was a set of three tragedies, either thematically linked or separate in theme, performed one after the other on the same day. The purpose of satyr plays was to relieve the tragic tension of watching three tragedies in a row. Aristophanes transformed these comedies by introducing a comic plot and contemporary situations and characters.

Important plays

·         Frogs

·         Clouds