wThere are many theories about the beginning of drama in ancient Greece. The one
most widely accepted today is based on the assumption that drama evolved from ritual.
The argument for this view goes as follows. In the beginning, human beings viewed
the natural forces of the world, even the seasonal changes, as unpredictable, and they
sought, through various means, to control these unknown and feared powers. Those
measures which appeared to bring the desired results were then retained and repeated
until they hardened into fixed rituals. Eventually stories arose which explained or
veiled the mysteries of the rites. As time passed some rituals were abandoned, but
the stories, later called myths, persisted and provided material for art and drama