Origin of Greek theater: summary

If we look for the origin of the theatrical performances that we can enjoy today, we have to go back to the time of the Ancient Greece, the cradle of civilization, where outdoor shows were held that included arts such as dance, music and acting. The objective of these representations was to honor the Greek god Dionysus and, for this reason, these celebrations were held, which are considered the beginning of current dramatic art. In this lesson from a TEACHER we want to show you a brief summary of the origin of Greek theater So that, thus, you understand well the origin of this literary art that, today, is still so important in our culture.

The Greek civilization It is the cradle of the theater. In this Empire it was where they began to carry out performances composed of music, dance and theater that aimed to pay homage to Dionysus, god of the Greek pantheon. Therefore, the beginnings of these pieces of scenic art pursued a religious objective, this made that the poems or the stories that were interpreted were all related to religious or divine.

But to know what was the origin of the Greek theater we have to place ourselves in the most humble population of all: the peasants and shepherds. It was they who began to perform this type of show so that the god of agriculture, Dionysus, be kind to them and allow them to get good crops.

Over time, these representations became more popular and public spaces began to be used to carry them out. The Attica population it was the original of the Greek theater. Between the ages VI and V BC It is when the first theatrical representations that were usually held in the spring time began to be seen.

Normally, this type of celebration began with a statue of the god Dionysus, since it was the main reason why the event was held. This statue was walked among the public, like a procession, and was accompanied by musicians and flute players who also danced around the god. The introduction of the first literary texts in these representations it is due to Tepsis, a lyrical poet who in the VI BC introduced in Attica what is known as "dithyramb", that is, literary texts that were specially composed for dancing and singing. Thanks to this contribution, these representations began to give greater importance to the dramatic dialogue and, therefore, to the theatrical history that was baptized like "tragedy".

The rise of tragedy as a Greek theatrical genre took place in 538 BC when Pisistratus organized the first tragedy competition in Athens.

But, from that humble and religious origin that we have explained to you, the Greek theater began to gain great importance among Athenian society and, little by little, it was consolidated as a important literary genre designed to transmit knowledge and ideas to the people.

These religious celebrations, little by little, were charging greater importance and, over time, they became a very important event for Greek society. The parties lasted for 5 days and, in them, different Greek comedies and tragedies were put on the scene. The last days theatrical competitions were created to be able to choose the winner.

The Greek writers and poets they were actively participating in these performances. And, in fact, they not only limited themselves to writing their pieces but also had to represent them in front of the jury. Whoever was the winner, ended up awarded and with gold crowns as a reward.

Over time, began working with actors who interpreted the texts written by the poets. Remember that, at this time, only men could act, therefore, female roles were also played by male figures. In any case, one of the most striking characteristics of Ancient Greek theater is that, most of the time, the actors were dressed in More expensive that covered their faces.

Place of representation of the Greek theater

All the plays and shows that were held were not held in theatrical buildings as we know today. They were held outdoors and the layout of the space consisted of a platform with a wall at the back and, in front, a stepped grandstand that was located in a semicircular shape. Today, we know this type of construction as "amphitheater".

Thus, the public was seated in the stands of this venue, a place where they could spend the whole day enjoying theater, music and dance. The state ended up providing citizens with food so that they could go through the day without worrying about food. The actors were located in an area known as "orchestra"and that it was located in the center of the semicircle, so that all the attention fell on them.

The state got very involved with theatrical exhibitions and, therefore, in addition to providing food and drink, he also helped the most humble people by allowing them to enter to enjoy the show without having to pay entry.

And to conclude with this lesson on the origin of Greek theater, it is important to summarize some of the most important characteristics highlights of this literary genre that was the one that gave the starting gun for the development of theater in civilizations later.

1. Outdoor: Unlike our theatrical performances, in Ancient Greece these plays were performed outdoors. Normally, the show lasted as long as the sun lasted, that is, from morning until sunset.
2. Clothing: Depending on whether the play was a comedy or a tragedy, the actors were dressed in different styles of clothing. The tragedies had much more elegant and sophisticated clothes while the comedies were more vulgar and simple.
3. More expensive: In general, the actors wore masks on their faces that helped them to better interpret their role. Remember that women could not act, therefore, the use of these masks helped them to show which character they were playing and give it a more fantasy and literary touch.
4. Social art: One of the most outstanding characteristics of Greek theater is that it was a very social literary genre. That is, unlike other genres that were reserved only for the most cultured and intellectual people, the theater was the genre "of the town ", for that reason, people of all social classes came to see the representations and, if they did not have money for the entrance, the State to them it helped.
5. Chorus: it is another of the most representative elements of the theatrical works of Ancient Greece. The Choir was a group of people who participate in the play and who had a crucial role in the development of the plot. Accompanied by music and singing, these people explained how the plot continued in a spectacular and fun way. At first, the Choir consisted of up to 50 people but with Sophocles the number dropped to 15.

Genres of Greek theater

The subject of the genera that were cultivated in Ancient Greece deserves a separate mention. And it is in this Empire where two of the genres that have most influenced the literary creation of the West were created. In general terms, you should know that Greek works are classified into two groups: tragedies and comedies.

• Greek tragedy: they are works that have a theme that always revolves around the clash between gods and people. It has a serious tone and was the most characteristic genre of Greek theater. In these works we always see the exploits of the Greek hero who connects with the gods and who learns a great lesson in life. With tragic and pessimistic endings, these works had an intentionality moralistic and sobering.
• Greek comedy: Another of the great genres were comedies which, in this case, had a lighter tone. They used to talk about more mundane issues and closer to society such as the difference between classes and the clashes between them. The author took advantage of this literary genre to launch criticism of social or political aspects with a satirical and burlesque tone.