DRAMA (Gr. drama, from drag, I act), or dramatic poetry, in it most general signi fication, represents actions, which are not stately narratives, as in epic poetry, or which do not aim at the musical expression by language of mental emotions, as in lyric poetry,' The D. consists of an impersonal representation, by the dramatist, of an animated con versation of various individuals, from whose speech the movement of the story is to be gathered. Thus, it is contrasted, on the one hand, with dialogue, or the dull and changeless flow of discourse, and on the other, with every other species of poetry, whether epic or lyric. In simple dialogue, the minds of the speakers remain unchanged; in the D., the movement of the thoughts is so lively, and the expectation of the issue so vivid, that this species of poetry surpasses every other in interest and in intensity. In epic poetry, persons are frequently introduced engaged in lively conversation, and this is sometimes the case even in lyric poetry, but the prevailing tone of the epopee is descriptive and indirect. A novel, or an epic poem, can only be described as dramatic when it abounds in animated conversations, or when direct action prevails over descrip tion. All dramatic poety may be divided into tragic and comic. Tragic poetry has for its aim to interest the earnest mind, while comic poetry merely endeavors to produce amusement. Tragic poetry may be described as that which interests the mind in the highest degree possible, and comic poetry as that which engages it in the most complete lawlessness. In comedy, gloom, sadness, sobriety have no recognized existence; while in tragedy, gayety, joviality, riotous mirth are unknown.
While the D., doubtless, arose from that natural love of imitation peculiar to man, and from the child-like liveliness with which a simple narrator loves to recount any thing which he has heard or seen, yet the creation of dramatic composition was never theless, a feat of singular boldness. This arises from the wide difference there is between the disjointed elements of occasional imitation and the perfect invention of the genuine drama. The Old Testament, no doubt, contains numerous instances of dra matic dialogue, as in the book of Job; and of lyric poems placed in a dramatic connec tion, as Solomon's Song; but there is no instance in Hebrew literature of the existence of the D. properly so called. The Hindus have an early dramatic poetry, but, unfortu
nately, this poetry only dates back to a time when the intercourse between Greece and India Was close and frequent. It is to Greece alone that we, accordingly, must look for the invention of the D and to Athens, in particular, for its perfection. But even here it was originally exhibited only at a few festivals of a single god, Dionysus. There can, then, be no doubt that the origin of the D. is to be sought for in the enthusiasm attendant on the worship of Bacchus. The ancient Greek writers tell us that the D. originated in a choral song; and Aristotle (Poet. 4), that it had its origin in the singers of the dithyramb. Supposing that it originated in the pantomimic dances, the dramatic art, like every other, was only slowly purified from extraneous mixtures. Even the origin of the word tragedy has been disputed, although the inventor of it, Anion (580 B C.), the celebrated dithyrambic poet, is known. Tragedy (tragodia, from tragos, a goat, and ode, a song) is said to have taken its rise from the fact of the old dramas being exhibited when a goat was sacrificed, or because a goat was the prize, or because the actors were clothed in goatskins. Comedy, again (komexlia, either from kZanos, a revel, or ki;me, a village), signifies, literally, either the revelers' song or the village song, from the practice of strolling-players publicly exhibiting their dramatic skill about the streets. Thespis (536 me.) introduced the regular dialogue into the choral representations, and joined a person to the dithyrambic songs, who was the first actor. Phrynichus (512 n.c.) used this single actor of Thespis for the representation of female characters, although with him the lyric element predominated over the dramatic. No further improvement of any note was introduced into tragedy before the time of "Eschylus.