History of Greek Drama

Introduction

HIstory of Greek Drama was started in the time of Athens when there were the warriors and they used to perform dramas in the rememberance of their god Dionysus. Tragic plays were performed at religious festivals in Athens in the sixth century BCE, marking the beginning of Greek theater. Greek comedy plays were subsequently influenced by these. Both forms of Greek drama were extremely popular, and their performances spread throughout the Mediterranean, influencing Roman and Hellenistic theater.

Because of their enduring appeal, the plays of great playwrights like Sophocles, Euripides, and Aristophanes became the cornerstone of contemporary theater. History of Greek Drama is discussed in many perspectives. Similarly, modern theater design has been influenced by the architecture of the ancient Greek theater.

There are main eight periods in the history of English literature which we’ll discuss comprehensively later in the next articles.

History

History of Greek Drama: Theatrons, which are outdoor theaters with excellent acoustics and appear to be accessible to all males (although the existence of women is debatable), were used to perform plays. Admission was free starting in the middle of the fifth century BCE. History of Greek Drama lies in Greek mythological events, which, as we must recall, were frequently a part of Greek religion, virtually always served as the inspiration for a tragedy’s plot. History of Greek Drama is based on Violence which was prohibited on stage as a result of this important subject matter, which frequently dealt with moral right and wrong as well as catastrophic no-win situations. Character deaths also had to be heard from offstage rather than seen. Similarly, the poet was unable to use his play to express political opinions or make remarks, at least in the early days of the form.

For further information please visit: https://www.worldhistory.org/Greek_Theatre/

1. Anglo-Saxon (Old English) Period (c. 450–1066)

History of English Drama was the base of English literature. After that, different works were written.

Language:

Germanic languages had a strong influence on Old English.

Context:

Pagan and Christian influences following the Anglo-Saxon conquest of Britain.

Important Works:

The epic poem Beowulf is about monsters and bravery.

Elegiac poetry on grief and exile can be found in The Wanderer, The Seafarer. Features include Christian-pagan fusion, alliteration, heroic themes, and oral tradition.

2. The Middle Ages (c. 1066–1500)

Context:

French influence was brought about by the Norman Conquest, and English underwent major change.

Language:

Middle English with additional French and Latin words.

Principal Writers/Works:

The Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer tells evocative tales of pilgrims from various backgrounds.

A chivalrous romance between Sir Gawain and the Green Knight.

Themes:

Morality, chivalry, religion, and courtly love.

3. The Renaissance (c. 1500–1660)

Sub-periods of the Renaissance (c. 1500–1660) include:

Age of the Elizabethans (1558–1603)
The Dramatic Golden Age

Principal Writers:

Shakespeare wrote sonnets and plays including Hamlet, Macbeth, and Romeo and Juliet.

Edmund Spenser (The Faerie Queene) and Christopher Marlowe.

Caroline Age (1603–1649).

Darker tone in poetry and play during the Jacobean to Caroline age.

Metaphysical poetry by John Donne.

Playwrights John Webster and Ben Jonson.

Age of Puritans and Interregnum (1649–1660)

Prose and religious writing flourished as drama fell.

The book Paradise Lost by John Milton.

4. The Restoration and 18th Century (1660–1798)

a. Restoration (1660–1700)

Monarchy returns; urbanity, wit, and sarcasm rule. Poet, critic, and dramatist John Dryden.

b. Augustan Age (1700–1750)

Neoclassicism:

rationality and structure. The Rape of the Lock by Alexander Pope. The book Gulliver’s Travels by Jonathan Swift.

c. Age of Sensibility (1750–1798)

Prior to Romanticism, there was a focus on feeling. William Blake and Thomas Gray were prominent writers of the time.

5. Romantic Period (1798–1837)

Individualism, passion, nature, and imagination.

Important Poets:

Samuel Taylor Coleridge and William Wordsworth (Lyrical Ballads)

John Keats, Percy Bysshe Shelley, and Lord Byron

6. Victorian Period (1837–1901)

Industrialization, social concerns, empire, and morality are all reflected in the Victorian era.

Important Novelists:

Charlotte Brontë, Thomas Hardy, George Eliot, and Charles Dickens

Poets:

Matthew Arnold, Robert Browning, Lord Tennyson, and Alfred

7. Modern Period (1901–1945)

Stream of consciousness, experimentation, and post-World War I disillusionment.

Key Players:

James Joyce, Virginia Woolf, and T.S. Eliot (Ulysses)

W.B. Yeats and D.H. Lawrence

8. Postmodern and Contemporary (1945–Present)

Fragmented narratives, identity, and a range of viewpoints are all explored in contemporary writing.

Notable Writers:

Hilary Mantel, Ian McEwan, Salman Rushdie, Zadie Smith, Doris Lessing, and George Orwell.