Download Ancient Greek and Roman Theatre

Ancient Greek and Roman Theatre
Orchestra – The round performance area where most of the action of the play took place. The chorus stayed
in this area.
In Roman theatres, this area was nearly cut in half as the skene became more prominent.
Theatron – Where the audience sat. Greek amphitheatres were massive and could seat thousands of people.
Skene – The “back wall” of the performance area. This was usually very simple, with one or two entrances for
actors to use. It represented the “interior” of a play’s location. For instance, a play might take place in the
courtyard of a Greek mansion, and the actors would go into the skene when they went into the mansion.
In Roman theatres, the skene became much larger and more elaborate. There were several entrances and
beautiful decorations. This is where most of the action of the play took place, instead of the Greek orchestra.
Parodos – The aisles used by the actors and the audience to enter the theatre.
Catharsis – Purging built-up emotion. Watching a play that causes you to connect with the characters and
their situation can lead to catharsis, because it makes you feel better after watching it.
Chorus – In Greek tragedy, the chorus was a group of 10-50 actors who represented “the people,” usually
townspeople or the old men left at home during war. The chorus helped clarify the story for the audience and
reacted to the action of the play along with the audience. They often repeated important facts so the
audience would understand what was going on. Their lines were chanted or sung.
Hubris – Arrogant pride, to the point of harming others. A mortal character who tries to rise above his place in
the universe and understand more than he is meant to. Most tragic heroes in Greek drama suffer from this.