Page:The Theatre of the Greeks, a Treatise on the History and Exhibition of the Greek Drama, with Various Supplements.djvu/91

 ORIGIN OF COMEDY. 73 the performance of Comedies became, like that of Tragedies, a public concern^. When it was formally established as a distinct species of drama at Athens, the old Comedy was supplied, like Tragedy, with a chorus, which, though not so numerous or expensively attired as the tragic, was as carefully trained and as systematic in its songs and dances. In effect, it was the same modification of an original comus as that which performed the Epinicia of Pindar. It appears from several passages that the comic actors were ori- ginally unprovided with masks, but rubbed their faces over with wine-lees as a substitute for that disguise^. The Tragedy and Comedy of the Greeks had, therefore, an entirely different origin. We must in the next place consider what were their distinctive peculiarities, how far they differed intrinsi- cally, and whether any of the remaining Greek plays cannot be considered as belonging strictly either to Tragedy or Comedy. We shall do this more satisfactorily, if we first set" forth the defi- nitions which have been given by Plato and Aristotle. Plato has rather alluded to, than expressed, the distinction between Tragedy and Comedy in their most perfect form, but his slight remarks nevertheless strike at the root of the matter. Comedy, he considers^ to be the generic name for all dramatic exhibitions which have a tendency to excite laughter ; while Tragedy, in the truest sense of the word, is an imitation of the noblest life, that is, of the actions of gods and heroes. As a definition, however, this account of Tragedy, although excellent as far as it goes, is altogether incom- plete. Aristotle's, on the other hand, is quite perfect. He makes the distinction, which Plato leaves to be inferred, between the ^ Xopbv KWfJLw^^v oxp^ TTore 'ihwKev 6 apx^v. Aristotle, above, p. 70, note 2. Gruppe labours under some extraordinary mistake in supposing {Ariadne, p. 123) that Comedy was not originally connected with religion. ^ Hence a comedian is called rpvyifdos, "a lee-singer," It does not appear that masks were always used even in the time of Aristophanes, who acted the part of Cleon in the 'ItttttJs without one. In later times, however, it was considered disreputable to go in any comus without a mask. Demosth. Fals. Leg. p. 433: roxj Karapdrov 'Kvprj^iujvos 6s eV rats Trofnrals duev toG irpoauiirov KOJ/xd^ei. 2 Leffr/. VII, p, 817: oaa p-h oZv irepl yiXwrd iari vaiyvia, a dr] K(j}p.Lohiav Travres ^yop.€u p.ip.Tjais rod KaWiarov Kal dpicTTov ^iov 6 dr) (pap.eu irdvres ye 6vt(jjs etvai Tpayu}diav ttju dXrjdeaTdTrjv. The KoKKiaro^ Kal dpiaros ^lo% signifies the life of a man who is in the highest degree KoXoKayaOos, and this term exactly expresses the persons who figured in the plays of ^schylus and Sophocles ; for, as Dr, Thirlwall remarks, in his beautiful paper On the Irony of Sophocles, "None but gods or heroes could act any prominent part in the Attic tragedy" {Phil. 3fns. ii. p. 493), And this is perhaps the reason why Plato, in another passage {Gorgias, p, 502 A), talks of 17 aep.vr] Kal dav/xaarr] 77 ttjs rpayqsdias Trolrjcns.