The Ancient Greeks took their entertainment very seriously. They would use drama as a way to explore the world they reside in, and what it really means to be a human. There were many genres of drama including: comedy, satyr plays, satire plays, and the most important of them all, tragedy.
Theatre was a very important subject for the Greeks as well. In fact, it was so important, that the prisoners would be temporarily released, just so they can attend. Every town had at least a single theatre. The ancient Greeks were always boasting about the brilliant performances in their city-states. There was even a competition for playwriting and performing. The competitions were held in their towns, and with other towns.
Comedy: The first comedies were mainly mockery of men in power for their vanity and foolishness. Aristophanes was the first master of comedy. Much later, Menander wrote comedies about ordinary people and made his plays more like sitcoms you see today.
Tragedy: Tragedy deals with the big themes of love, loss, pride, the abuse of power, and the uneasy relationships between men and the gods. Usually the main protagonist of a tragedy play commits a terrible crime without realizing how stupid and conceited he has been. Then, as he slowly realizes his mistake, the world crumbles around him. Aeschylus, Sophocles, and Euripides were the great three playwrights of tragedy.
Satyr Plays: Between the acts of tragedies, these short plays were performed and made fun of the predicament of the tragedy’s characters. Actors in these plays wore large phalluses for comedy effect. Few of these plays survived.
Satire Plays: In ancient Greece, people did not poke fun at the gods - never in a play, nor in real life. However, they could poke fun at their leaders. Satire plays were plays that mocked mortal legends and real people. This was uniquely Greek. Satires in ancient Greece were usually political in nature, and can influence people's opinions about current events.
Plays by Aristophanes: Ecclesiazusae, Lysistrata, Peace, Plutus, The Acharnians, The Birds, The Clouds, The Frogs, The Knights, The Thesmophoriazusae, and The Wasps
Plays by Aeschylus: Agamemnon, The Choephori, The Eumenides, The Seven Against Thebes, The Suppliants, and The Persians
Plays by Sophocles: Ajax, Antigone, Electra, Oedipus Trilogy, Philoctetes, The and Trachiniae
Theatre was a very important subject for the Greeks as well. In fact, it was so important, that the prisoners would be temporarily released, just so they can attend. Every town had at least a single theatre. The ancient Greeks were always boasting about the brilliant performances in their city-states. There was even a competition for playwriting and performing. The competitions were held in their towns, and with other towns.
Comedy: The first comedies were mainly mockery of men in power for their vanity and foolishness. Aristophanes was the first master of comedy. Much later, Menander wrote comedies about ordinary people and made his plays more like sitcoms you see today.
Tragedy: Tragedy deals with the big themes of love, loss, pride, the abuse of power, and the uneasy relationships between men and the gods. Usually the main protagonist of a tragedy play commits a terrible crime without realizing how stupid and conceited he has been. Then, as he slowly realizes his mistake, the world crumbles around him. Aeschylus, Sophocles, and Euripides were the great three playwrights of tragedy.
Satyr Plays: Between the acts of tragedies, these short plays were performed and made fun of the predicament of the tragedy’s characters. Actors in these plays wore large phalluses for comedy effect. Few of these plays survived.
Satire Plays: In ancient Greece, people did not poke fun at the gods - never in a play, nor in real life. However, they could poke fun at their leaders. Satire plays were plays that mocked mortal legends and real people. This was uniquely Greek. Satires in ancient Greece were usually political in nature, and can influence people's opinions about current events.
Plays by Aristophanes: Ecclesiazusae, Lysistrata, Peace, Plutus, The Acharnians, The Birds, The Clouds, The Frogs, The Knights, The Thesmophoriazusae, and The Wasps
Plays by Aeschylus: Agamemnon, The Choephori, The Eumenides, The Seven Against Thebes, The Suppliants, and The Persians
Plays by Sophocles: Ajax, Antigone, Electra, Oedipus Trilogy, Philoctetes, The and Trachiniae