Greek Theater

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The first evidence of dramatic literature dates from Greece in the 6th century BC, and the first extant piece of critical writing on the origin of theater is Aristotle's Poetics (about 330 BC). Aristotle claimed that Greek tragedy developed from dithyrambs-choral hymns in honor of the god Dionysus-which not only praised the god but often told a story. According to legend, Thespis, a choral leader of the 6th century BC, created drama when he assumed the part of the leading character in a dithyrambic story: He spoke and the chorus responded. From this it was but a small step to the addition of other actors and characters and the evolution of drama as an independent form, according to Aristotle. But the seemingly spontaneous development of highly sophisticated tragic drama with virtually no precedents is difficult to explain.
Greek tragedy flourished in the 5th century BC. Of the more than 1000 tragedies written during that century, only 31 remain, all by Aeschylus, Sophocles, and Euripides. The plays are highly formal, they are written in verse and consist of scenes (episodes) among characters (never more than three speaking characters in a scene) alternating with choral songs (odes). The stories are mostly drawn from myth or ancient history, although the focus is not on a simple retelling of a story (with which the poets often took liberties), but on a consideration of humanity's place in the world and the consequences of individual actions. Generally, little action occurred onstage and most events and information were related through dialogue and choral songs.
The plays were presented at festivals in honor of Dionysus, including the Great Dionysia at Athens, held in the spring; the Rural Dionysia, held in the winter; and the Lenaea, also held in the winter following the Rural Dionysia. The works of only three poets, selected in competition, were performed. In addition to three tragic plays (a trilogy) each poet had to present a satyr...