The Origins Of The Greek Theater

Greek Theater Greek drama is said to have its roots from Athenian seasonal festivals honoring Dionysus, the god of wine and fertility. These festivals occurred around 700 B.C.; they were filled with drunkenness and sexuality. Scholars believe there were four festivals during each of the seasonal change periods. The festival related to the Greek people planting, tending the vine, harvesting, and wine-making was in early December. This was called the Festival of Vintage. There was a Festival of the Winepress in early February, a Festival of Tasting in early March, and the Great Festival of Celebration in early April. These festivals were a time for the people to sing, pray for good crops, give thanks, and make sacrifices for bountiful …show more content…
These festivals had celebrations and short acts which later became into sophisticated plays involving a plot. People dressed in goat skin and performed in the early day but as time went on more improvements came. Some improvements included more actors, better dialogue, and a more complex plot. The Greek theater was very organized from its seating according to one’s importance in society to its structure of the theater. All the plays presented in the early days of the Greek were similar in their theme. All the plays placed the conflict between the a man and the gods’ relationship; the gods usually rule over the hero’s fate. Scholars and poets have changed attitude toward Greek drama in the modern era; they preserve the theme of the play but alter some of the details that make up the play. The Greek theater has made a great impact to expand scholars’ knowledge, literature, and