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...
[ View Full Essay]