What Are Two Types of Drama?
The two main types of drama are comedy and tragedy. These dramatic styles date back to ancient Greece. The word “drama” is Greek in origin and means “action.”
The history of Greek theater is related to festivals for gods, such as Dionysius. Aristotle theorized that tragedy developed from songs that praised Dionysius, which were called “dithyrambs.” Tragedy also is believed to be the oldest type of drama, and Thespis is considered its originator. Greek tragedies involved protagonists who had to deal with serious themes, such as loss, love and conflicted relationships. Important playwrights who wrote tragedies were Euripides and Sophocles. Greek comedy plays were satirical in nature, and often dealt with the foolishness and vanities of the people in Greek society. One of the leading Greek comedic playwrights was Aristophanes.