Greek theatre was a cornerstone of the ancient Greek culture. It began in the 6th century BC and was used as a form of entertainment and cultural expression in the city-states of ancient Greece. The plays were performed in outdoor amphitheatres and often included music, choreography, masks, and costumes.
The ancient Greeks believed that theatre was an important way to express emotions and ideas. Theatre provided an outlet for exploring issues such as war, love, politics, religion, and morality.
It also served as a form of religious worship, with gods often appearing onstage during performances. The plays were intended to teach lessons about life, morality, and the gods to the audience.
Greek theatre had a strong influence on Western theatre today. Many of the conventions used in modern theatrical performances were developed by the ancient Greeks including use of masks to represent characters and choral odes sung by actors on stage.
Greek plays were typically divided into three acts that featured a protagonist whose decisions determined his or her fate. This structure is still used today in many forms of theatre including movies and television shows.
Greek tragedy was one of the main genres of theatrical performance during this time period. These plays usually involved a protagonist who made decisions that ultimately led to his or her downfall or death due to fate or divine intervention.
The audience would watch as the character struggled against his or her own flaws in order to confront their destiny; this allowed them to sympathise with their plight while also providing an opportunity for moral reflection on their own lives. Comedies were also popular among audiences; these plays usually featured characters who encountered obstacles but ultimately triumphed over them through wit or intelligence rather than fate or divine intervention.
The main purpose of Greek theatre was to both entertain audiences while providing moral instruction about life through stories featuring characters whose struggles mirrored those faced by everyday people in society at that time period. It allowed people to reflect on their own lives while simultaneously being entertained by the characters’ stories onstage; this helped them better understand what it meant to be human and how they should live their lives according to certain codes of conduct set forth by society at large.
Conclusion: The main purpose of Greek Theatre was to entertain audiences while providing moral instruction about life through stories featuring characters whose struggles mirrored those faced by everyday people in society at that time period. It highlighted moral issues such as war, love, politics, religion and morality which still resonate with us even today.