Theatre as Philosophy

-Theatre as Philosophy-

The evolution of theatre is a long and complex story. What once began as a ritual to the ancient gods has since developed into an elaborate examination of mankind. Theatre originated in Ancient Greece as a celebration to the god Dionysius, where amateur actors would dance and sing in order to imitate him. Consequently, as the Greek Empire developed, so did theatre. By the end of the Greek Empire, scripts were being written, theatres were being built, and professional actors were being used. The tradition of theatre continued to flourish with the rise of the Roman Empire. This age saw great playwrights such as Seneca, Terence, and Plautus become great cultural icons, performing their plays in extravagant arenas known as coliseums. Nevertheless, the Roman Empire fell giving way to the Medieval Period, where governments were weak allowing feudalism to become prevalent. This absence of power led to a period of time where theatre was also absent. As time progressed theatre rose again and became popular throughout the world. Each territory had its own way of showing these plays, which either dealt with mystery of morality. Eventually the Medieval Period gave way to the Renaissance, whereupon nations developed into their own powers, inciting different styles of theatre. All the aforementioned time periods and some others have formed theatre into what it is today. Whether a play, movie, or even televisions show, they all can be attributed to the ever-evolving entertainment we know as theatre. However, no matter the time or the form of theatre, all have one thing in common. This is that they present a philosophy of life. In other words, they present a life lesson that intends to question the current way of life. The true challenge is entertaining an audience while teaching them at the same time. Nonetheless, this mesh of thought and pleasure is a must. Any good theatre is thought-provoking and didactic, while still remaining interesting. Most of these great works, old or new, are presented as either comedies or tragedies, where great storylines outline the theatrical production’s life philosophy. Comedies usually portray a philosophical meaning through the use of satire, while tragic writers utilize a series of unfortunate events to deliver a message. Whether one or the other, it is undoubtedly necessary to add philosophical meaning into a work in order to incite thought within the audience.

Some playwrights believe their moral lesson is best presented with a comedic coating.