What Was the Structure of Greek Theatre?

Greek Theatre|Theater

The history of Greek theatre dates back to the sixth century BCE and has been a huge influence on modern theatre. Greek theatre was composed of three main elements – the chorus, the actors, and the audience. The structure of Greek theatre was highly organized and had a specific purpose in mind.

The Chorus

The chorus was an integral part of Greek theatre. It typically consisted of 12-15 members who provided background information, commentary, and emotions to the action taking place in the play. The chorus would sing or chant in unison as well as move around the stage to emphasize certain points in the play.

The Actors

The actors were usually limited to three characters: a protagonist, an antagonist, and a deuteragonist (a secondary character). The actors were expected to convey emotion through their words and movements as well as their costumes. Actors would often wear masks which allowed them to portray different characters within the same play.

The Audience

The audience was an essential part of Greek theatre as they added a lot to its structure and purpose. They not only provided feedback on what they liked or disliked but they also acted as judges in some cases. This encouraged actors to be creative with their performances in order for them to gain approval from the audience members.

Conclusion:

Greek theatre had a very structured system that involved three main elements: chorus, actors, and audience. The chorus provided background information, commentary, and emotion while the actors conveyed emotion through their words and movements as well as their costumes with help from masks when necessary. Finally, the audience played an important role in providing feedback on what they liked or disliked which motivated actors to be more creative with their performances so that they could gain approval from them.