Greek theatre was an important cultural tradition in Ancient Greece. It was an important part of the daily life of the people and a form of entertainment that was enjoyed by all. Greek theatre began in the sixth century BC and continued until the fourth century AD. It was an integral part of religious festivals, where plays were performed to honor gods and goddesses.
The plays were often based on myths and stories from Greek mythology, which were used as a way to teach lessons about morality and justice. They also served as a powerful way to spread political messages and ideas. Greek theatre could be divided into three main categories: tragedy, comedy, and satyr-play. Tragedy focused on serious topics such as death, betrayal, revenge and justice, while comedy explored lighter themes such as love, marriage and family life. Satyr-play focused on more humorous topics such as sex, wine-drinking and partying.
The performances of these plays would take place in amphitheaters which could seat up to 14000 people. During performances actors would wear masks to represent different characters.
This enabled them to enact several roles at once or switch between characters easily during a performance. The actors were accompanied by a chorus who sang songs about the plot or offered commentary on events unfolding in the play.
Greek theatre had a profound influence on modern day theatre with many aspects still being used today such as the use of masks, choruses and story-telling devices like soliloquies or monologues.
Conclusion:
What was performed in Greek theatre? Greek theatre encompassed tragedy, comedy, satyr-play and other stories based off of Greek mythology that focused on morality, justice, love, marriage family life, sex and partying all taking place in amphitheaters with actors wearing masks accompanied by a chorus singing songs about the plot or offering commentary on events unfolding in the play – an influence that is still seen today in modern day theatre.