Greek Drama: A Classical Age

The Beginning of Drama

600 BCE

There was a competition held in Athens in the city of Dionysia, to see who would have the best tragedy. At the time, tragedies and comedies were being developed in this century to express different ideas. Thespis was the first actor to perform a tragedy in that time, singing choric refrains and using different masks to distinguish other characters. He won, and made a record as to the beginning of theater and other dramas itself.

The Father of Tragedy

525 BCE

There was one of the greatest Greek tragedians in this time, and he was Aeschylus. His plays, alongside two other tragedians, created many tragedies and comedies alike, but only very few have survived into the modern age. He cultivated the bones of Greek drama, such as adding more characters for a conflict in the tragedy, and more costumes for a better effect.Out of the seven plays that have survived, his best work was The Oresteia.

2 Out of 3, A Great Tragedy

496 BCE

Aside from Aeschylus, there was another tragic playwright. His name was Sophocles, who had taken the concept of adding a third character in his plays, and reducing the function of the Chorus to an extent. This also allowed deeper character development for the plot in his tragedies, and most of his plays showed the usage of the Socratic method. He basically added finer paint to Greek tragedy

3 out of 3, Euripides

480 BCE

The last of the great three tragic playwrights, Euripides was known for implementing females into his plays, and breaking down great mythical heroes into ordinary people. He has made many theatrical innovations that shaped most of the Western Culture, and most of his plays also convey political issues, and he can do all of this and make satire at the same time, and inspired others to be comic dramatists. 18 of his plays have survived.

A Few Laughs

446 BCE

Even after the three great tragedians, many others still made drama and plays in an ancient Greek times. Aristophanes arose and started Old Comedy, creating works of great humor in his own time. Menander was known for writing many comedies in his time, and maintained an upbeat aura around his works of comedy, usually having happy endings. This was also when the New Comedy arose in Athens.