Definition of Greek theater - What it is, Meaning and Concept

The concept of Greek theater is used in different ways.The expression can refer to the works of theater created and represented at the time of Ancient Greece , or refer to the type of construction of theatrical venues that was common in those years.

The idea of ​​Greek theater, therefore, can mention the theater shows that took place in Greece between the 5th and 3rd centuries BC .They took place in open-air circular spaces: the action It was developed in the center and the public was located around the interpreters.

This theater was not conceived, anyway, as a show according to what we understand today by that notion.The Greek theater, in this sense, had ritual purposes and religious .Many times it was about celebrations.

First of all, it is worth mentioning the great importance that myths and legends had in Greek literature, where we found dozens of stories that lead us to go through incredible adventures by the hand of heroes and gods, always from a perspective full of symbols that became part of the culture.In this context it is possible to distinguish between two cycles: the Trojan , where we find the heroes and families that stood out in the Trojan War , such as Menelao, Agamenon, Orestes and Electra; the tebano , with characters such as Antigona, Oedipus, Polynices and Eteocles, as well as the gods Zeus and Dionysus.

With respect to the celebrations of a religious nature, the Greek theater has been part of them since Ancient Athens, which dates back to about five centuries before Christ.According to the information that Scholars of this fascinating culture have gathered, one of the oldest and most popular festivals was the one held in honor of Dionysus, son of Zeus and Semele ; the same was done between the 11th and 13th of the month Anteterion (Greek term that can be translated as "month of flowers", and which approximates the current February).

As an element of architecture , the Greek theater used to rise on the side of a mountain to take advantage of the elevation.Thanks to the semicircular design, they ensured good acoustics and that thousands of spectators could observe the events.

The acoustics is really one of the most outstanding points of these constructions, and this can be seen, for example, in the Theater of Epidaurus , located in Argolida (Peloponnese), which is considered by specialists the most successful has achieved in this aspect.Its design is so suitable, that a person sitting in one of the upper rows, approximately 70 meters away from the stage , you can listen without any problem to the voices of the actors.As an interesting fact, in this same theater the proclamation of independence of Greece took place in 1822.

It is possible to distinguish three central elements in each Greek theater: the orchestra (where the choirs were located: those in charge of narrating or guiding the actions through singing), the skene (an elevated platform where the actors ) and the koilon (the stands).

Regarding the costumes used in the Greek theater, without a doubt the use of masks by the actors to hide their faces, something essential for the performance of the rite in the most important performances Early, with the passage of time, when the staging left behind the religious character, the masks served to help characterize the interpreters.

The main Greek theater is considered to be the Theater of Dionysus , located in the Acropolis of Athens .It was dedicated to the god Dionysus and housed works in his honor.Historians believe that the Theater of Dionysus began to be built in the 6th century BC and came to have a capacity to about 16,000 viewers .