The Development and Codification of Religious and
Cultural Traditions
Literature and Drama:
Greek Plays (600BCE-600CE)
During the peak of Athenian culture, theatre was at the center of entertainment. Athens had reached a population of around 150,000 people or so. The plays that the Athenian people created and performed set the foundation for modern theatre. The plays they performed spread throughout the ancient world, spreading influential messages across other civilizations.
Thespis of Greece is credited for creating tragic plays. This was a revolutionary step in the performing arts because it introduced actors. Now when someone was on stage they acted as someone else. Thespis is therefore considered Greece's first "actor". By the 5th century BC the theatre reached its peak, and the Great Dionysia was created. The Great Dionysia was a theatrical festival held in Athens. Men, women, and citizens from throughout Greece attended the plays. There was even a competition for the best tragedy.
The main Greek plays showed the relationships between men and the gods. Usually it showed the min character making some sort of bad decision and slowly realizes it. Plays also consisted of comedies, which typically mocked men with a position of power.
Work Cited:
http://www.crystalinks.com/greektheater.html
http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/243182/Great-Dionysia
http://www.pbs.org/empires/thegreeks/background/24c.html
http://anarchon.tripod.com/indexGREEKTH.html
During the peak of Athenian culture, theatre was at the center of entertainment. Athens had reached a population of around 150,000 people or so. The plays that the Athenian people created and performed set the foundation for modern theatre. The plays they performed spread throughout the ancient world, spreading influential messages across other civilizations.
Thespis of Greece is credited for creating tragic plays. This was a revolutionary step in the performing arts because it introduced actors. Now when someone was on stage they acted as someone else. Thespis is therefore considered Greece's first "actor". By the 5th century BC the theatre reached its peak, and the Great Dionysia was created. The Great Dionysia was a theatrical festival held in Athens. Men, women, and citizens from throughout Greece attended the plays. There was even a competition for the best tragedy.
The main Greek plays showed the relationships between men and the gods. Usually it showed the min character making some sort of bad decision and slowly realizes it. Plays also consisted of comedies, which typically mocked men with a position of power.
Work Cited:
http://www.crystalinks.com/greektheater.html
http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/243182/Great-Dionysia
http://www.pbs.org/empires/thegreeks/background/24c.html
http://anarchon.tripod.com/indexGREEKTH.html
Indian Epics (600BCE-600BC)
Indian epics were long poems written that explained tales of Gods. There are only 2 famous epics the Hindus accept, the Ramayana and the Mahabharata. No one is sure when the two were written, but historians believe that they were written more than 2,500 years ago. The two epics are the foundation of the Hindu belief. Indo-Europeans brought the epics when they invaded India. The writings are the basis for the Hindu religion.
The epic poem Ramayana was orally passed down for years much like the Iliad and the Odyssey. The Ramayana is written in verses and is believed to have more than 24,000 verses. The Ramayana explains how people should act, it's a code for what is ethical and what is not. It share lessons of how characters acted and the direct result of their decisions. The path the character took shares a direct relationship oh the Hindus belief on Dharma, meaning if you take the right path in life you'll reach a state of order, Dharma.
The Mahabharata, is the other Indian epic Hindus accept. It's believed to be written around 400 BCE. The Mahabharata shows a feud between two cousins as well as myths and legends. Hindus use both epics as a history, telling about the pasts, present, and future. The Mahabharata shows interaction with Buddhism and starts to develop more of a basis for Hinduism. The Mahabharata repeatedly shows how one should strive towards Dharma and ethical codes to live by.
Work Cited:
http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/357806/Mahabharata
http://edsitement.neh.gov/lesson-plan/lessons-indian-epics-following-dharma
http://www.sanatansociety.org/indian_epics_and_stories.htm#.UpLjj02A1jo
http://www.epics.in/
Indian epics were long poems written that explained tales of Gods. There are only 2 famous epics the Hindus accept, the Ramayana and the Mahabharata. No one is sure when the two were written, but historians believe that they were written more than 2,500 years ago. The two epics are the foundation of the Hindu belief. Indo-Europeans brought the epics when they invaded India. The writings are the basis for the Hindu religion.
The epic poem Ramayana was orally passed down for years much like the Iliad and the Odyssey. The Ramayana is written in verses and is believed to have more than 24,000 verses. The Ramayana explains how people should act, it's a code for what is ethical and what is not. It share lessons of how characters acted and the direct result of their decisions. The path the character took shares a direct relationship oh the Hindus belief on Dharma, meaning if you take the right path in life you'll reach a state of order, Dharma.
The Mahabharata, is the other Indian epic Hindus accept. It's believed to be written around 400 BCE. The Mahabharata shows a feud between two cousins as well as myths and legends. Hindus use both epics as a history, telling about the pasts, present, and future. The Mahabharata shows interaction with Buddhism and starts to develop more of a basis for Hinduism. The Mahabharata repeatedly shows how one should strive towards Dharma and ethical codes to live by.
Work Cited:
http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/357806/Mahabharata
http://edsitement.neh.gov/lesson-plan/lessons-indian-epics-following-dharma
http://www.sanatansociety.org/indian_epics_and_stories.htm#.UpLjj02A1jo
http://www.epics.in/