Classical Theatre and Drama in Greece

Drama in Egypt

Organized Theatre and Drama was first seen in Egypt and the near East some 4000 years BC. The most prominent is the Abydos Passion Play which is concerned with the death and resurrection of the god Osiris. This was an annual performance that took place 2500 - 550 BC. Though its truthfulness is still contested, they did not develop further in their ritual.

Drama in Ancient Greece

 Drama in Greece was exclusively presented at festivals honouring Dionysus, the Greek god of wine and fertility, the son of Zeus (the greatest of Greek gods) and Semele (a mortal). The worship of Dionysus was introduced in Greece from Asia Minor around 13 BC. This festival included a contest of 50 choral dancers accompanied by dithyrambs (ecstatic hymns). From these hymns and dances drama evolved, according to Aristotle.

There were four of such festivals: Rural Dionysia (held in December annually), the Lenaia (held in January annually), the Anthesteria (held around March ending annually) and the greatest of the festivals, Great (City) Dionysia.

Drama was performed in all these festivals except the Anthesteria. Also, drama was only part of festivals honouring Dionysus - not any other god.

A definite form of drama was recorded 534 BC. It was during the performance of Thespis,who won the first City Dionysia Tragedy Contest. This gave him the honour of being referred to as the first actor.

Thespis' drama was relatively simple since it involved only one actor who played all the characters in the play. He used masks in shifting his character. When he goes offstage to change his mask, the chorus filled the interval with singing and dancing. This made the chorus a very important single unifying force in this early drama. It was impossible to have face to face conflict between opposing characters since there was only one actor. 

Aeschylus(525 - 456BC)

·         Earliest dramatist and playwright;

·         He began competing in City Dionysia Tragedy Contest in 499 BC;

·         He won his first victory at the contest in 484 BC and later won 13 more victories;

·         He wrote 79 plays with only 7 of them surviving, which include:

1         The Persians (472 BC)

2         Seven Against Thebes (467 BC)

3         Oresteia - a trilogy (458 BC)

4         The Suppliants

5         Promotheus Bound

Aeschylus introduced the second actor to plays, which made face-to-face conflict possible. He increasingly emphasized the actor which reduced the importance of the chorus. He was concerned with man's relationship with supernatural beings and the universe; this showed on the themes of his plays.

Sophocles (496 - 406 BC)

·         He is regarded as the greatest of all the Greek tragedians;

·         He won his first victory at the contest in 468 BC and succeeded to win more 17 victories;

·         He wrote over 100 plays with only 7 surviving, which include:

1         Ajax (between 450 - 440 BC)

2         Antigone (440 BC)

3         Oedipus the King (between 430 - 425 BC)

4         Philoctetes (409 BC)

5         Electra

6         Trachiniae &

7         Oedipus at Colonus.

Sophocles introduced the third actor in his plays. This allowed for more dramatic complexity. He was concerned with human relationships. His drama placed more emphasis on building skillful climaxes and well developed episodes.

Euripides (480 - 406 BC)

·         Last of Greek's great tragedians;

·         He won 5 victories in the Tragedy Contest;

·         He wrote 95 plays of which 17 are survivors. These include:

1         Alcestis (438 BC)

2         Medea (431 BC)

3         Hippolytus (428 BC)

4         The Trojan Women (415 BC)

5         Ion

6         Bacchae

7         The Cyclops.

Euripides reduced the role of the chorus remarkably. He was principally interested in philosophical and psychological issues and deployed them in his themes. He questioned many Athenian ideals, probed the gods and the motive of his characters. He later turned into melodrama and frequently resorted to contrived endings. His death brought an end to the era of Greek tragedy.

The Decline of Classical Greek Theatre

The Peloponesian war that lasted between 431 - 401 BC between Sparta and Athens left Athenians at much lose. They lost much human and material resources. The death of Pericles in 429 BC caused Athens to suffer economically and democratically. There became extreme individualism because of uncontrollable suspicion amongst Athenians. The state and chorogoi who were the main sponsors of theatre jettisoned it and the theatre became extremely aristocratic that only the wealthy could afford the luxury.

Also, the plays of Euripides which probed the gods and questioned Greek ideals brought secularization into the theatre. The manner by which Euripides handled the gods made Athenians shun the theatre.

Third, in 358 BC, Philip of Macedonia and his son, Alexander the Great conquered all the Greek City states including Athens. This left them devastated. But the worst happened as they were still nursing the wounds of their defeat, Rome captured them. This was a final blow that devastated Greek civilization and of course, Greek Theatre and Drama (Western Theatre, 1984).