戏剧的开端(The Beginning of Drama)

therearemanytheoriesaboutthebeginningofdramainancientgreece.theonmostwidelyacceptedtodayisbasedontheassumptionthatdramaevolvedfromritual.theargumentforthisviewgoesasfollows.

inthebeginning,humanbeingsviewedthenaturalforcesoftheworld-eventheseasonalchanges-asunpredictable,andtheysoughtthroughvariousmeanstocontroltheseunknownandfearedpowers.thosemeasureswhichappearedtobringthedesiredresultswerethenretainedandrepeateduntiltheyhardenedintofixedrituals.

eventuallystoriesarosewhichexplainedorveiledthemysteriesoftherites.astimepassedsomeritualswereabandoned,butthestories,latercalledmyths,persistedandprovidedmaterialforartanddrama.

thosewhobelievethatdramaevolvedoutofritualalsoarguethatthoseritescontainedtheseedoftheaterbecausemusic,dance,masks,andcostumeswerealmostalwaysused,furthermore,asuitablesitehadtobeprovidedforperformancesandwhentheentirecommunitydidnotparticipate,acleardivisionwasusuallymadebetweenthe"actingarea"andthe"auditorium."

inaddition,therewereperformers,and,sinceconsiderableimportancewasattachedtoavoidingmistakesintheenactmentofrites,religiousleadersusuallyassumedthattask.wearingmasksandcostumes,theyoftenimpersonatedotherpeople,animals,orsupernaturalbeings,andmimedthedesiredeffect-successinhuntorbattle,thecomingrain,therevivalofthesun-asanactormight.eventuallysuchdramaticrepresentationswereseparatedfromreligiousactivities.

anothertheorytracesthetheatersoriginfromthehumaninterestinstorytelling.accordingtothisviestales(aboutthehunt,war,orotherfeats)aregraduallyelaborated,atfirstthroughtheuseofimpersonation,action,anddialoguebyanarratorandthenthroughtheassumptionofeachoftherolesbyadifferentperson.acloselyrelatedtheorytracestheatertothosedancesthatareprimarilyrhythmicalandgymnasticorthatareimitationsofanimalmovementsandsounds.