Passageway to Stage and for Civic Unification: Reconsideration of the Function of Parodos in Ancient Greek Theatre

무대 진입로에서 시민 참여와 소통으로 -고대 그리스 파로도스 공간의 기능과 의미에 대한 재고-

Parodos, the side entrances to orchestra (acting space), was one of the intrinsic elements for the ancient Greek theatre structure. It is worth noting that parodos was the sole structural component that remained the original form while all the other elements such as orchestra, skene, and theatron experienced drastic or gradual changes in form throughout the passage of time. On the reason for parodo's maintenance of the original form, this study suggests a possibility that parodos could be the most intrinsic among the elements for Greek theatre buildings. For evidence, this paper indicates the historical fact that the procession tradition was the key event in the national or civic festival known as City Dionysia, and that the single-direction passageway, as seen in the Panathenaic Way passing through the City Athens, could be the easiest and most efficient way to realize the cause for the procession tradition that is the citizens' participation and subsequent unification. This study suggests another possibility that the single-direction passageway in the procession could be the archetype of parodos. For evidence, this study finds that this type of passageway was ubiquitous around the City Athens especially in the Agora, the most popular place in the city and the gateway to the processional event for Dionysian Cult as well as the space for the earliest Greek theatricality and, therefore, was familiar to the citizens. From the discussion, this paper argues that the Greek theatre should be the miniature of the Agora in terms of form (single-direction passageway) and function (civic participation and unification), and that parodos was the theatrical version of the processional passageway in the Dionysian Cult. In conclusion, this paper argues that parodos played a double role. It satisfied the theatrical necessity by functioning as the passageway to dramatic action (entrance and exit of actor/chorus) and as the literal door for the entrance of the audience members. At the same time, it satisfied the social cause, that is civic participation and subsequent unification, by functioning as the processional passage to relay the theatre space to civic events for the national religious cult.