Theatre in Antiquity:
The Romans and the Greeks in a Quest for Entertainment
Entertainment in antiquity was often found at a theater, in the form of a play. Due to the efforts of the Romans and the Greeks in this particular area, we have a rich dramatic culture today. However, as mentioned in the paper, there are basic differences between Roman and Greek theaters. Though both provided forms of entertainment, they did so in different ways. The Roman Theater was often used to prove prowess and authority. Though it included some dramatic plays, this theater, which was in the form of a structure such as the Coliseum, with arches and seating for thousands of people, was often utilized for non-entertainment purposes, such as punishments, combat and executions. This was, again, due to the fact that the Roman society was very hierarchical, and Romans utilized a lot of propaganda to keep this kind of mentality intact. The Greek theater, in contrast, was mostly used to provide entertainment from all aspects: costume design, set design and the play itself. The Greeks thus focused very much on simple dramatic entertainment and visual entertainment. It is thus important to recognize Greek theatrical achievements in terms of acoustics, optics, staging and costume design. Thus, the Greeks were not only able to serve large audience with this new form of entertainment, but they also focused on interesting things that kept an audience's attention, such as the aforementioned acoustics, optics and staging needs, something that the Romans did not focus on as much. Due to the efforts of both civilizations, our society has a model from which to borrow, and which to develop in terms of theater. Therefore, anyone studying the dramatic arts should study these early forms of art for the magnificence which they have taught our civilizations, and the history that they have left behind.
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Greek and Roman Theatre Greek tragedy is characterized as being composed of tetralogy, wherein the play presented consists of three tragedies and a 'satyr' play, wherein criticisms in the government and society are addressed comically. Greek tragedy also has a dramatic form and focus, and most of the stories or topics used in tragedies are from myths and legends of the Greeks. Tragedies focus on the suffering of the lead character
Theatre of Dionysus: Athens, Greece General history about the theater itself and the history of theater in Greece The evolution of theater in Greece, and therefore, theater's evolution as an art form over the course of early Western history, may be directly linked to the festivals of Dionysus of the land. Dionysus was the Grecian god of wine and misrule. Over the course of performances of tragedy and comedy written and designed
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William Shakespeare, Christopher Marlowe and Moliere, brought us so many masterpieces not only valuable as works of art, but also as very important sources of understanding the society in the Renaissance. More important, when reading or wathching these plays, we can understand today the universality of Man. We are not allowed to forget the Asian theater which bears the stamp of the philosophical and religious ideas and beliefs of the times
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