Greek Drama and a Comparison of Tragedy and Comedy

There are many theories about the origins of theater; the common element in most theories is the role that primitive ritual played in the development of drama. Primitive societies, which did not have written languages, used ritual enactment to show their understanding of the human condition and of the world around them. Ritual was also a way of communicating this knowledge to others. Furthermore, it was believed that ritual could be used to influence or control natural phenomenon such as rainfall, the growth of crops, and recovery from disease. Ritual had a religious purpose in society, as it was used to glorify supernatural powers and to invoke these powers to act on behalf of the society. In addition rituals were a from of entertainment because of the spectacle of the performance and the skill of the performers.

Over the centuries, as humanities confidence in its own skill and power increased and less reliance was placed on supernatural powers, theater as a non- religious activit...