Greek Tragedy

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Art and literature has existed throughout time to represent and express cultural values, ideals and perceptions. It often portrays the forces that push one's particular culture onward, mentally stimulating and expanding individual mind and thought. In ancient Greek culture, Art and Literature is combined in a way that represented all of these things to its people. This combination is what we know as ancient Greek Theater, an art of drama and song, with the structure of "spoken portions interlaced with choral lyrics, all concerned with man's fate."1

Greek tragedy is credited to have developed around 534 B.C when the Greek Thespis created drama in which a main actor conversed with the leader of the chorus (this is where the term "thespian" originated, it has been used to describe an actor since the early 19th century).2 Aeschylus, the first of the great 3 tragic poets, added a second actor to his plays and had a chorus of around 12. Sophocles, the second of the great poets, added the third actor and increased the chorus to 15 members. Sophocles is considered to model Greek tragedy, with Aeschylus marking the preparation and Eudripidies the decline. 3

These plays where preformed at