Greek drama and its historical significance

Greek Drama and Its Effects on Drama Today

It has been said that the Ancient Greeks "took their entertainment very seriously and used drama as a way of investigating the world they lived in, and what it meant to be human" (PBS, 2002). This is perhaps the greatest contribution Greek Drama has made to the developing art of film and theatre in the modern world. Intertwining philosophy and entertainment, the Greeks developed their perspectives through three kinds of plays: comedy, tragedy and Satyr.

Of these three, tragedy had the important role of dealing with themes related to heavy human emotions of love, greed, jealousy and the relationships between men and the immortal Gods and Goddesses of the Greek belief system. Through these relationships, Greek playwrights created a backdrop for the average Ancient Greek to examine within themselves their own ideals and morals as the drama they were watching unfolded.

Like Ancient Greek drama, modern film has developed these subtle tools into creating storylines and characters that mimic the human condition and give audiences the opportunity to 'see' themselves on-screen.

One such tool, was the use of a 'Greek Chorus' or narrator, who was the link between audience and story. The Chorus imparted knowledge to the audience, or directed the audience towards the next scene. "Right from its beginnings - around 1895 - cinema was dominated by fictional narrative representations of one kind or another" (Narrative Codes, pg208).

As film progressed, these narratives developed more from action and into character development, which "is a cornerstone of narrative whose human agents are represented as motivated by traits of personality or individual psychology" (pg209).

Another reference to 'the Chorus' is in the use of linking the rhythm of a play together. "Often the central episode was a sort of debate or moral dilemma, whose resolution determined the following action. Violent action, however, which can conclude the play, conventionally takes place off-stage, to be reported by a witness. Besides fulfilling a poetic role, the Chorus can act as a foil in exchanges with leading characters, and further has a role as moral consensus, guiding the audience through the play" (Classical Drama, 2003). The use of the Chorus in modern day theatre is best seen in Opera, where its device is most similar to that of Ancient Greek dramas.

Within modern theatre and drama, there are also many examples of the influences of Greek tragedy and drama. One such example is the use of a theatre as a staging ground for a performance. Theatres are often semi-circle in nature and are derived from the form of an amphitheater, which was an open-air theatre setting where the audience was seated around a circular lower level stage.

Greek drama would incorporate the use of masks to better relate these human qualities to the audience. "The early composers of tragedy -- for the author composed music, invented dance steps, and trained the chorus to sing -- were content with one actor who by changing mask and costume in a neighboring booth (sk n) could take different roles"(Greek Tragedy, 10-11).