Greek Drama

A theatrical tradition from Ancient Greece between 600 and 200 B.C. Its two main forms were tragedy and comedy.

Tragedies were plays originally performed at the festival of Dionysus. Aristotle, in his "Poetics" prescribed the rules for Greek tragedy: it should have one plot, be set in one place and occur over one day. He also formulated the concept of catharsis, which means people watching a tragedy would find some resonance with their own problems and worries.

The three greatest Greek dramatists were Sophocles, Euripides and Aeschylus. Aristophanes was the most celebrated writer of Comedy.

See also[edit]

• Greeks