The Ancient Greeks invented the play. They had two kinds: plays designed to make people laugh (comedies) and those with sad endings (tragedies). There were just a few actors who changed character during the play. What character they were supposed to be was shown by the mask they wore.

Tragedies were more popular. Most Greek tragedies are based on mythology or history and deal with characters’ search for the meaning of life and the nature of the gods. Historical plays were often based on stories involving wars between the Greek cities and their Persian neighbours. In these stories the hero saves the city, but dies in doing so.