Ancient Greece brought many important things to modern day society. Democracy, philosophy, science, and sport are just a few of the things amazing things Greece has brought to our modern world. We can also thank our modern understanding of theatre and performance art to the ancient Greeks, as it all began in Attica, Greece.
Greek theatre began in Attica, Greece as a celebration of the ancient god of fertility and wine, Dionysus. People would perform cult rituals in Attica, usually that of song and dance to ask Dionysus to bless them with thriving families. In the 6th century BC, Dionysus priest introduced a new element recognized as the birth of theatre. Thespis introduced spoken dialogue to performances and the first actor to the scene. This …show more content…
At the time, there were hundreds of playwrights, but only three authors’ work survived the time, each of whom were experts and brought new ideas to the world of Greek tragedy. Aeschylus won the prize during Great Dionysia for tragedy in 484 BC and added a second actor to his works. Of the estimated 80 works he wrote, only 7 survive today. Of these seven, three of them are his trilogy, Oresteia, one of theatre’s greatest masterpieces about the end of the curse The House of Atreus. Years later came the author Sophocles, who defeated Aeschylus in 468 BC. Sophocles differed from other authors of the time due to his complex plot lines and more subtle characterization through the duration of his plays. He also added a third actor, which further revolutionized the theatre industry. Of the approximate 120 plays he penned, only 7 remain; one of which is the classic Oedipus the King, the second movement of the Oedipus trilogy. Lastly, Euripides began winning competitions (although he had fewer victories than the previous two playwrights mentioned) in 454 BC. A whopping 19 of his plays survive, and they’re incredibly unique regarding Greek tragedies. Euripides wrote his characters from a human, realistic viewpoint, rather than the Godlike, untouchable way Greece came to know. His work became incredibly influential for later schools of tragic dramatic arts. For example, a classic French playwright from the mid 17th century, Jean Racine’s work was heavily inspired by that of
Greek theatre began in Attica, Greece as a celebration of the ancient god of fertility and wine, Dionysus. People would perform cult rituals in Attica, usually that of song and dance to ask Dionysus to bless them with thriving families. In the 6th century BC, Dionysus priest introduced a new element recognized as the birth of theatre. Thespis introduced spoken dialogue to performances and the first actor to the scene. This …show more content…
At the time, there were hundreds of playwrights, but only three authors’ work survived the time, each of whom were experts and brought new ideas to the world of Greek tragedy. Aeschylus won the prize during Great Dionysia for tragedy in 484 BC and added a second actor to his works. Of the estimated 80 works he wrote, only 7 survive today. Of these seven, three of them are his trilogy, Oresteia, one of theatre’s greatest masterpieces about the end of the curse The House of Atreus. Years later came the author Sophocles, who defeated Aeschylus in 468 BC. Sophocles differed from other authors of the time due to his complex plot lines and more subtle characterization through the duration of his plays. He also added a third actor, which further revolutionized the theatre industry. Of the approximate 120 plays he penned, only 7 remain; one of which is the classic Oedipus the King, the second movement of the Oedipus trilogy. Lastly, Euripides began winning competitions (although he had fewer victories than the previous two playwrights mentioned) in 454 BC. A whopping 19 of his plays survive, and they’re incredibly unique regarding Greek tragedies. Euripides wrote his characters from a human, realistic viewpoint, rather than the Godlike, untouchable way Greece came to know. His work became incredibly influential for later schools of tragic dramatic arts. For example, a classic French playwright from the mid 17th century, Jean Racine’s work was heavily inspired by that of