Where Tragedy Was Born
Nearly every word of theater started as stage jargon at the festival of Dionysus.
- DionysusWine, ecstasy, theater
- MelpomeneMuse of tragedy
- ThaliaMuse of comedy
- tragedythe goat-song
- comedythe revel-song
- theaterthe seeing-place
- orchestrathe dancing-floor musicians
- chorussingers in a body; a refrain
- protagonistthe first actor
- hubrisruinous arrogance
- hamartiathe fatal misjudgment
- catharsisemotional purging
- deus ex machinathe god from the machine