History - Oedipus & the Persians Essay

Greek drama began as a religious festival called the Dionysia, which evidently was to honour the god Dionysus.   It is believed that drama evolved in Athens – where a body of people would sing and dance in the honour of Dionysus, and sometimes an animal was sacrificed as to ask for fertile crops and agricultural land – To honour the God Dionysus. This body of people became known as the chorus in plays hereafter.
Late 6th Century BC, a Greek poet by the name of Thespis suggested adding person to interact with the chorus, this is the addition of the protagonist or main character and thus drama was born.
Drama most important aspect implicit in Greek drama was religion, the whole concept of drama evolved from religious festivals, and so drama has always been circulated around the gods and was performed in their honour, although plays we’re mainly written to entertain, rather than to worship or praise the Gods. Overtime it developed into two main divisions – tragedy and comedy. Comedy being a way to make fun of social and political issues at the time, while tragedy investigated more serious philosophical and moral questions.
The play The Persians by Aeschylus takes place in one of the capital cities of the Persian Empire, Susa beginning with the presence of the chorus and Atossa as they are awaiting news of King Xerxes’ expedition against the Greeks.   Soon after a messenger arrives with news that gives a description of the battle at salamis and tells how the smaller Greek army slaughtered the bigger Persian army and that Xerxes had managed to escape and was returning.   Atossa then begins to grieve for her son and his loss, exclaiming that he was foolish; she then calls upon the ghost of Darius to appear. On Darius return he learns of recent events and of his sons defeat at Salamis.   Xerxes olbos’ begins to fade and Darius condemns Xerxes’ hubris underlying Xerxes inevitable defeat at Salamis because of Xerxes’ hubris. Darius particularly picks on Xerxes for his...