Greek Drama vs. Roman Drama

This past summer, I traveled throughout Italy and saw a lot of ancient Roman amphitheaters that looked a lot like their Greek counterparts. However, the ruins, just like the theater, held distinct characteristics that separated them from the Greek amphitheater. I did a little research, and I realized just how interesting the differences between Roman and Greek drama were. For one, Roman drama focused more on comedy rather than tragedy, and theater was seen as solely a form of entertainment and an escape from life. For this reason, Roman drama also incorporated lots of violence and bloodshed (the Romans really liked their violence, cue the Colosseum). On the other hand, Greek drama had a strong focus on religion and mythology and encompassed deeper, more philosophical themes. Architectural design in drama was quite different between the Romans and Greeks as well. As we learned, Greek amphitheaters included a theatron, orchestra, and skene. Roman theaters, however, incorporated many more structures and were built to resemble typical, Italian streets.

Above is a picture of a Roman theater. The columns and buildings behind the stage make it appear more like a typical street.