Ancient Greek Theatre and Drama

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Ancient Greece, the birthplace of theatre, continues to greatly influence theatre today. Drama is a form of poetry, because dialogue was spoken or sung in verses. Many Greek plays are still relevant today. Some plays survived on their merits, while others were preserved from academic interest or by accident (Peter Arnott). The Great Dionysia was an important yearly religious celebration and festival, honoring Dionysus, the Greek god of wine and fertility. The Great Dionysia is where theatre first began. Also, the actors of ancient Greek theatre were treated much differently than actors are today. They heavily impacted ancient theatre and shaped the way performers act today. Most actors performed in tragedies and comedies, the two main forms of theatre. These beautiful and unique genres of plays, are still popular today. Playwrights influenced Greek theatre in many ways. Three main playwrights severely influenced the way we look at theatre presently, and will forever be the reason the world loves theatre as much as it does today. Ancient Greek theatre is significant to theatre history due to the Great Dionysia, the actors, genres, and playwrights, and continues to impact modern theatre today.
First, the Great Dionysia, also called City Dionysia, is where tragedy and comedy originated. It was a Greek festival celebrated in honor of the god of wine and fertility, Dionysus. These popular festivals were attended by all Athenian citizens. People all over the world traveled to Athens to attend the popular event. During the festival, citizens gave choral performances including singing and dancing. According to an article published by Central Washington University, the Great Dionysia was an unusual festival often filled with men dressed ...

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... throughout the world, and never stopped improving. Actors in ancient Greece severely impacted the way actors perform today. These actors started a new way of life for people all over Greece, and soon the world. Comedy and tragedy, the two main forms of theatre, are unique in their own way, yet both bring people closer together through the love of theatre. Ancient Greek playwrights Sophocles, Eripedes, and Aeschylus immensely impacted modern theatre. These writers choose to be different and express themselves through theatre. The main aspect of why Greek theatre was so important in its day, was because it was a way to connect with friends, family, the community, and the gods. Everyone was allowed to enjoy theatre, and it was a great time in history. Without ancient Greek theatre, the way people today look at and enjoy theatre today would be completely different.

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