Ancient Greek Theatre Analysis

Ancient Greek theatre flourished between 550 BC and 220 BC (Hall, Sean, Alan, & Laura, 2015). Dionysus, the son of the Greek god Zeus and mortal Semele, was the god of wine, fertility and divine ecstasy (Dionysus, 1997-2015). He became a significant god to the Greek society due to his association with concepts such as rebirth after death (as he was dismembered by the Titans and then returned to life), and the perception that under the influence of wine, a mortal possessed a great power (Dionysus, 1997-2015). Unlike 21st century physical theatre, Greek theatre focused on honouring the god, Dionysus, who was a patron of the arts. Many Greek plays were written to be performed at festivals that were held in the city of Athens. However, as these festivals began to be celebrated across Greece, the religious aspects diminished and theatrical elements expanded. Despite this, Greek theatre resembled Greece’s cultural identity and focused on expressing and celebrating stories about their gods.

Three dramatic genres arose: tragedy, comedy and satyr, and on the fifth day of the festivals, comedic plays were performed (Hall, Sean, Alan, & Laura, 2015).

There was a belief, deeming it impossible for playwrights to successfully write tragic and comedic plays and so ancient Greek playwrights were to follow only one genre of the three (Hall, Sean, Alan, & Laura, 2015). This proclaim suggests that playwrights have limitations as artists, XXX There is overwhelming evidence presenting playwrights to have the ability to write both tragic and comedic plays, and this has even developed into an entire genre termed tragicomedy, where both tragic and comedic elements are implemented into one storyline. An example of a tragicomedy is The Merchant of Venice by William Shakespeare, where the comic structure and tragic components coexist with one

another.
To respect the Greek god’s superiority in comparison to mortal beings, actors wore masks. Masked performances require a greater dependence on physicality rather than vocal expressions to convey the narrative plot to the audience. Conversely, one cannot assume that no vocal techniques were implemented. The actors utilised tonal and vocal expressions to denote the characters mental and emotional state, conveying humour through the use of comedic elements such as impersonations, wit, sexual innuendo and discourteous puns. The slapstick nature not only provided a light-hearted atmosphere but also maintained the audience’s attention.
Nevertheless, I argue that physicality was more essential in conveying the different characters and their ages to the audience when wearing a mask. This importance was also established due to the structuring of Dionysus’s theatre, which allowed the occupation of 17000 spectators (The Theatre of Dionysus), and obscured the view of the performance from audience members. If one were to compare this to 21st century theatres, Greek theatres were undoubtedly larger. Exaggerated gestures and movements ensured that audience members could comprehend the performance despite the distance from the stage.

The chorus, who were a group of performers who looked identical (spoke in unison and wore identical masks and costume) because they represented the same character, was an example of physicality used in Greek theatre.