Change in Greek Theatre : Tragedies and Comedy

Change in Greek Theatre

Greek theatre has become a remarkable part of culture today. You see it in famous artwork and classical literature. People still use the morals today as life lessons to be learned. Greek theatre changed in its own era from a quiet non-controversial (some comedies make political slurs which can be taken as offensive) act to a loud, well known displays of comedy and tragedy.

Tragedies started out as simple stories told to small audiences but changed into elaborate celebrations. "The Athenian theater was not a business enterprise like our theater but was financed by the Athenian state as an integral part of an Athenian religious festival: the City Dionysia."(Dunkle). This quote can explain a major part of why Greek theatre became so popular. The three most noted writers of tragedy were Aeschylus, Sophocles, and Euripides." The theater of Dionysus in the earliest days of tragedy (late sixth - early fifth century) must have consisted of only the most basic elements." (Dunkle) "The Greek stage is now packed as full as can be, with speaking characters on every level, in order from bottom to top: the chorus in the orchestra, Menelaus and his troops at the door of the skene, Orestes and his gang of kidnappers above them on the roof of the skene, and the gods, both new and old, swinging on the mechane over all of it. It is a very craftily orchestrated and deliberate sequence of action designed to lead to a visually stunning spectacle of pessimistic, or at least ironic, grandeur!" (Classical).

Greek comedies were just as dramatic as the tragedies. "Of the works of earlier writers, only some plays by Aristophanes exist. These plays represent an important advance in comic presentation. He poked fun at everyone and every institution. Aristophanes is the ancestor for much of later comic theater. For boldness of fantasy, for merciless insult, for unqualified indecency, and for outrageous and free political criticism, there is nothing to compare to the comedies of Aristophanes." (Ancient). There is another famous writer called Menander and he was famous in the generation known as the New Comedy while Aristophanes is in the Old Comedy. In the beginning, writers didn't want to insult people of wealth or in politics (usually connected though) so plays were not as raunchy as in later plays. Comedies were usually performed in a competition for money or fame.

In conclusion, in both tragedies and comedies you see a growth from little stories told to small audiences to ancient theaters which can hold thousands of people. The popularity is still seen today when later writers have connections to the older plays and when high school students have to read them. In both genres you see a connection to the god Dionysus (god of wine and fertility) and writers would pray to him that people who heard their plays would be happy and joyful.

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