The Beginning of Drama

There are many theories about the beginning of drama in ancient Greece. The one most widely accepted today is based on the   (1)   that drama evolved from ritual(宗教仪式). The argument for this view goes as follows. In the beginning, human beings   (2)   the natural forces of the world—even the seasonal changes—as unpredictable, and they sought through various means to   (3)   these unknown and feared powers. Those measures which appeared to   (4)   the desired results were then kept and repeated until they changed into   (5)   rituals.

  (6)   stories arose which explained or masked the mysteries of the rituals. As times passed, some rituals were   (7)  , but the stories, later called myths, continued to exist and provided material for art and drama.

Those who believed that drama evolved out of ritual also argue that those rituals contained the   (8)   of theatre because music, dance, masks, and   (9)   were almost always used.   (10)  , a suitable site had to be provided for performances and   (11)   the entire community did not participate, a(n)   (12)   division was usually made between the “ area of acting” and the “ area in which an audience sits ”. Besides, there were performers, and, since considerable importance was   (13)   to avoiding mistakes in the practice of rituals, religious leaders usually   (14)   that task. Wearing masks and costumes, they often imitated (模仿) other people, animals, or supernatural beings, and mimed (用哑剧表演出) the   (15)   effect—success in hunt or battle, the coming rain, the revival of the Sun—  (16)   an actor might. Eventually such dramatic representatives were separated from   (17)   activities.

Another theory traces the theater’s origin from the human interest in   (18)  . According to this view, tales about the hunt, war or other things are told and gradually spread,   (19)   through the use of action and dialogue by a narrator and then through the assumption of each of the roles by a different person. A closely related theory traces theater to those dances that are primarily gymnastic or that are   (20)   of animal movements and sounds.