Write a brief note on the popularity of tragedy.
Answers
Although the word tragedy is often used loosely to describe any sort of disaster or misfortune, it more precisely refers to a work of art that probes with high seriousness questions concerning the role of man in the universe. The Greeks of Attica, the ancient state whose chief city was Athens, first used the word in the 5th century BCE to describe a specific kind of play, which was presented atfestivals in Greece. Sponsored by the localgovernments, these plays were attended by the entire community, a small admission fee being provided by the state for those who could not afford it themselves. The atmosphere surrounding the performances was more like that of a religious ceremonythan entertainment. There were altars to the gods, with priests in attendance, and the subjects of the tragedies were the misfortunes of the heroes of legend, religiousmyth, and history. Most of the material was derived from the works of Homer and was common knowledge in the Greekcommunities. So powerful were the achievements of the three greatest Greek dramatists—Aeschylus (525–456 BCE),Sophocles (c. 496–406 BCE), and Euripides (c.480–406 BCE)—that the word they first used for their plays survived and came to describe a literary genre that, in spite of many transformations and lapses, has proved its viability through 25 centuries.
Historically, tragedy of a high order has been created in only four periods and locales: Attica, in Greece, in the 5th century BCE;England in the reigns of Elizabeth I and James I, from 1558 to 1625; 17th-century France; andEurope and America during the second half of the 19th century and the first half of the 20th. Each period saw the development of a special orientation and emphasis, a characteristic style of theatre. In the modern period, roughly from the middle of the 19th century, the idea of tragedy found embodiment in the collateralform of the novel.
This article focusses primarily on the development of tragedy as a literary genre. For information on the relationship of tragedy to other types of drama, see dramatic literature. The role of tragedy in the growth of theatre is discussed in Western theatre.
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GREEK THEATRE
Greek theatre began in the 6th century BCE in Athens with the performance of tragedy plays at religious festivals. These, in turn, inspired the genre of Greek comedy plays. The two types of Greek drama would be hugely popular and performances spread around the Mediterranean and influenced Hellenistic and Roman theatre.
Plays were performed in an open-air theatre (theatron) with wonderful acoustics and seemingly open to all of the male populace (the presence of women is contested). From the mid-5th century BCE entrance was free. The plot of a tragedy was almost always inspired by episodes from Greek mythology, which we must remember were often a part of Greek religion.
EMERGENCE OF GREEK THEATRE
Greek tragedy was a popular and influential form of drama performed in theatres across ancient Greece from the late 6th century BCE. The most famous playwrights of the genre were Aeschylus, Sophocles, and Euripides and many of their works were still performed centuries after their initial premiere.
IMPORTANCE OF GREEK THEATRE
Theatre was so important to the ancient Greeks that prisoners would be released from jail temporarily, so they could also attend. Every town had at least one theatre. The ancient Greeks were always bragging about the wonderful performances in their city-state.
As a consequence of their lasting popularity, the works of such great playwrights as Sophocles, Euripides and Aristophanes formed the foundation upon which all modern theatre is based. In a similar way, the architecture of the ancient Greek theatre has continued to inspire the design of theatres today.