The Origin of Modern Treagedy
THE GREEK THEATRE
The origins of tragedy in the modern world especially in West are obscure, but it is certainly derived from the poetic and religious traditions of the ancient Hellas (Greece). Its roots may be traced more specifically to the dithyrambs, the chants and dances honouring the Greek god Dionysus, to the Romans known as Bacchus.
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These drunken ecstatic performances were said to have been created by the satyrs, this strange figures, half-goat beings who surrounded Dionysus in his revelry. Prhynichos, son of Polyphradmon and pupil of Thespis, was one of the
earliest of the Hellenic (Greek) tragedians. Some of the ancients, indeed, regarded him as the real founder of tragedy. He gained his first poetical victory in 511 BC.
Tragedy, origin and definition:
The word's origin is Greek (τραγωδία) and contracted from [τράγος+αοιδία “tragos-aoidia”] meaning "goat song" from ‘tragos’ = "goat" and ‘aeidein’ = "to sing".
Later in ancient Greece,
the word "tragedy" meant any serious drama, not merely those with a sad ending.
Picture: Sochos' Carnival
Video Clip: Olympic Games Athens 2004
Dionysos Party - Wedding
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This meaning may have referred to any of these: Goat-like costumes worn by actors who played the satyrs. A goat being presented as a prize at a song contest. The actors being paid a goat as their pay for appearing on stage. That the first half is not "goat" but 'trageîn' (in 2nd aorist infinitive of trōgein) means "to gnaw". From the same root we have trogo [τρώγω] meaning “to eat”.
Maenads-Dionysos - Sexy traditional carnival song
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There is some dissent to the dithyrambic origins of tragedy mostly based in the differences between the shapes of their choruses and styles of dancing. A common descent from pre-Hellenic fertility and burial rites has been suggested.
Aristotle is very clear in his Poetics that tragedy proceeded from the authors of the Dithyramb.
Theories of tragedy
The philosopher Aristotle theorized in his work “The Poetics” that tragedy results in a catharsis (emotional cleansing) of healing for the audience through their experience of these emotions in response to the suffering of the characters in the drama. Not all plays that are broadly categorized as "tragedies" result in this type of cathartic ending, though – some have neutral or even ambiguously happy endings. Exactly what constitutes a "tragedy", however, is a frequently debated matter. Some hold that any story with a sad ending is a tragedy, whereas others demand that the story fit a set of requirements often based on Aristotle to be considered a tragedy.
Warm Regards
Georgios