What Was the Purpose of the Machina in Greek Theatre?

Greek Theatre|Theater

The Machina is an iconic part of Greek theatre, and its use has been documented as far back as the 5th century BC. It is an elaborate stage device used to bring gods and other supernatural characters to stage.

The most famous example of a Machina is the deus ex machina, a godlike figure lowered from the heavens on a crane-like device, often used to resolve otherwise unresolvable plotlines in Greek tragedies.

The Machina was created to effectively allow the audience to suspend disbelief while still allowing the storytellers to bring characters from beyond the physical world onto the stage. By having characters appear from some unknown source, it provides an element of surprise and awe that can help draw an audience into a story. It also serves as a form of visual storytelling, allowing audiences to witness characters in their “true” form – whether it be gods or monsters – rather than having them portrayed by actors.

In addition to its use in theatre productions, the Machina has also been used in other forms of entertainment such as video games and movies. For example, in Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children, Sephiroth descends from the heavens on a large flaming chariot-like device referred to as “The Great Chariot”. This is clearly meant to evoke memories of ancient Greek dramatics.

In conclusion, the purpose of the Machina in Greek theatre was twofold: firstly, it allowed supernatural characters to be brought onto stage without breaking suspension of disbelief; and secondly, it provided an element of surprise and awe for audiences that helped draw them into stories. Furthermore, its use has extended beyond theatre productions into other forms of entertainment such as video games and movies.