Ancient Greek Theater Research Paper
The theatre of Ancient Greece, or ancient Greek drama, is a theatrical culture that flourished in ancient Greece between 550 BC and 220 BC. The city-state of Athens, which became a significant cultural, political, and military power during this period, was its center, where it was institutionalized as part of a festival called the Dionysia, which honored the god Dionysus. Tragedy, comedy, and the satire play were the three dramatic genres to emerge there. Athens exported the festival to its numerous colonies and allies in rder to promote a common cultural identity.
Clothing in ancient Greece primarily consisted of the chiton, peplos, himation, and chlamys. While no clothes have survived from this period, descriptions exist in contemporary accounts and artistic depictions. Clothes were mainly homemade, and often served many purposes. Despite popular imagination and media depictions of all-white clothing, elaborate design and bright colors were favored. Ancient Greek clothing consisted of lengths of linen or wool fabric, which generally was rectangular. Clothes were secured with ornamental lasps or pins, and a belt, sash, or girdle might secure the waist.
Men’s robes went down to their knees, whereas women’s went down to their ankles. The choruses were only men, as were the actors and the audience. The plays originally had a chorus of up to 50 people who performed the plays accompanied by music, beginning in the morning and lasting until the evening. They had to be citizens of Athens, which only applied to free-born men, with few special cases. The actors wore masks, so that the people would know which persona the actor played. The theatres were built on a very large scale to accommodate the large number of eople on stage, as well as the large number of people in the audience.
Actors’ voices needed to be heard throughout the theatre, including the very top row of seats. In 465 BC, the Theaters began using a backdrop, which hung behind the orchestra, which also served as an area where actors could change their costumes. It was known as the scene. In 425 BC a stone scene wall, called a paraskenia, became a common replacement to scene in the theatres
References
- “Theatre of Ancient Greece. ” n. d. web. 04 Dec. 2013. – Simple English Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. N. p.
