How Did Modern Theater Influence Ancient Greek Theatre

William Shakespeare's writing is a work of art referenced multiple times in the English curriculum across the world. His writing stands out to English learners because of the numerous literary devices that he uses to make his writing emerge from the rest. In his plays, he manages to use ethos, logos, and pathos to give his writing the ability to connect to every person who reads it. Shakespeare also manages to use motifs like omens and warning signs throughout his plays, as well as themes like Fate vs Free will and the ones closest to you may be your biggest weakness. In one of Shakespeare's greatest plays The Tragedy of Julius Caesar, he manages to use Caesar as the connecting point to everything.

The Greeks were the first to introduce the concept of theater. As a matter of fact, one performer, Thespis, created the idea of a chorus, which was a group of people that expressed opinions, gave advice, and had the author’s point of view. The chorus would be the equivalent to the “score” in modern theater. The International Thespian Society, an organization formed to honor student’s success in the theater, was named after Thespis. In Greek theater, the place that the actors performed was called the “paraskene,” while in modern theater it is called the stage.

Many people travel to Broadway to witness a performance from actors, just as the Greeks might have done. Also, Greek theater may have sparked the idea for one of the largest sources of entertainment in the Western world; motion picture films. The live theater plays evolved into a movie, which people could watch at any time they wanted. Besides Greeks contributed theater to Western Civilization, they also contributed physical art. This type of art includes sculptures and architecture, both of which can be seen plentifully throughout the Western world.

For example, a large traditional chorus that is used in some plays could give the impression that it was filled, but that was quickly changed when the chorus dwindled to about 12. According to Taflinger, “an orchestra 66 feet across (Brockett, 1968) is over 3400 square feet in area. If each of the 12 chorus members needs two square feet to stand, that is only 24 square feet, or less than .7 of 1% of the area of the orchestra, leaving more than enough room for two or three actors” (CITE). With these measurements there is evidence that there is more than enough room to fit not only a chorus as well as main actors, but 141 choruses or 1700 people. Many will argue for the raised stage saying that Greek plays are about seeing rather than hearing, but with the right costumes and the difference in masks, it would not be difficult to distinguish between the actors and the chorus. Through the gestures and movements performed, the audience would be able to understand the story they already know.

Ancient Greece theatre was the first known theatre in Europe was “a religious festival to honor Dionysus, the god of wine and fertility” (Knowitall 2018). The first known actor was a poet by the name of Thespis, he engaged “in a dialogue with the chorus” (History World). Due to this, actors

The ancient Greek theatre really influenced our theatre today. The ancient Greek games, sports, and theatre all influenced modern day. The games came back to the modern world eventually, and some of the traditions that they started survived.

Sophocles had an enormous impact on Greek theater due to three theatrical innovations he made: the addition of a third actor, ending the custom of presenting tragedies as linked trilogies, and the increase of the chorus from twelve to fifteen. The three greatest classical tragedians are Sophocles, Aeschylus, and Euripides, but Sophocles is known as the greatest dramatist in Western literature. Due to innovations he made to Greek theater and the plays he wrote, Sophocles is a more successful dramatist than Aeschylus and Euripides. He wrote 123 plays during his lifetime and of those, seven survive to this day. Sophocles surviving tragedies are still known to this day because of “Sophocles' technical skill as a dramatist, unforgettable characters,

One of the most well known achievements from the Roman Empire was their theaters and amphitheaters. The theaters were inspired by the Greeks, but the Romans adjusted the design and added additional decorations to their theaters. The amphitheater was a new idea with no architectural precedent from the Greeks. The Coliseum, the largest and most famous fully enclosed amphitheater, was just one example of this style of amphitheater.

Studying plays as Oedipus Rex and Hamlet is a vital part of studying literature since they are timeless works that teach many lessons. Moreover, they still have some concepts to be unmasked by critics of literature. According to Aristotle tragedy is ''a form of drama based on human misery that arouses in its audience feelings of pity and fear'' and each tragedy must have a tragic hero. Tragedy began in the ancient Greek theatre where tragedies were performed in late March to early April at an annual religious festival in honour of Dionysus. () One of the most famous tragedies in that period is Oedipus Rex which was written by Sophocles.

William Shakespeare has been called the single greatest influence of modern day English. His plays varied in theme, but most were comedies. Some of his tragic plays, like Julius Caesar and Antony and Cleopatra can also be classified as a history. These plays have basis not only in fact, but are almost entirely based on one work; Plutarch’s Lives. Antony and Cleopatra and the story of Antony described in Plutarch’s Lives, are remarkably similar in form.

Major elements of the minstrel groups of the late 19th century, such as tap dancing, large group numbers, singing, and singing while dancing, led to the development of the grandiose world of Broadway acting. Brooks McNamara mentions in his article “A Theatre Historian’s Perspective” that Broadway served the general public as a source of entertainment only. He

Theatre has been around for centuries, throughout time theatre was not used like the way we use it today. Theatre has evolved throughout the years, but people might confuse the term theatre and drama. Theatre is to see while drama is to do. Performance and story telling has changed from the Greek and Medieval times to the 21st century. Greek Theatre and Medieval Theatre used religious rituals.

“William Shakespeare’s Impact on Theater” says that “Theater, in particular, has experienced many changes due to his influence,” and without any major influence like Shakespeare to guide the changes of theater, it would be extremely different (Octane 1). Shakespeare introduced many new elements to theater because of how his writing was unique in his time period. Despite this, his writing appealed to many different audiences. For instance, Octane says that “The way in which Shakespeare’s plots move forward has helped define modern play-writing. Similarly, Shakespeare’s complex characterizations have brought forth a new type of storytelling in which characters’ choices drive plots forward” and “His plays were often imbued with universal truths of human existence, rather than acting as mirrors of the privileged life.

Greek and Roman theatre set the tone in writing and acting for the rest of history. It can not be said enough how underrated these buildings are when it comes to the advancement of society. Theatre has always been an art of expression and these two nations realized that early on. Creating these theatres has helped bring classic tales of tragedy and heroism to the eyes and ears of many individuals. The world will always be thankful to the Greeks for being the forefathers of the theatre.

During my Comp class I heard a little bit about the differences between Greek and Shakespearean plays, but in this paper, I will go more in depth with the research I will be using. I will find research on both topics individually and find out how each one would perform a play, the type of audience they would attract, and how their religions and tragedies differ in their plays. Without doing any research I know that the Greeks believed in multiple