Theatre and democracy in the Athenian city state

This article discusses the relationship between theatre and democracy in the Athenian city-state. The multivocal form of theatre and its dialogical character were essential to a functioning democracy. In tragedy, the dialogical and participatory aspect also involved the staging of ambivalence, linguistic ambiguities, the characters’ misunderstandings, their selfish hubris and fatal choices. Tragedy shows the democratic potential of theatre to open up the acknowledgement that no single voice or way of living is absolutely or completely true. Tragedy was also an option when it came to giving marginalized groups (women, youth, slaves and foreigners) a voice, and challenging hegemonic perspectives and traditional conceptions; however, I will also show how both these institutions fortified men’s dominance in society.