Page:Tragedies of Euripides (Way 1896) v2.djvu/18

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xiv

EURIPIDES AND HIS WORK.

constantly to double parts, seem to have been paid directly from the treasury, and were, in the rehearsals, "coached" by the poet himself. The Choregus, thus responsible for the singing and dancing, and for the general staging of the four pieces under his charge, was, in his way, in competition with the choregi of the other poets, just as the poets were with each other; and, as it was a question of gaining the approval and favour of the sovereign people, and as any shortcomings would be sure to recoil upon himself, he had every motive for sparing neither expense nor pains. Hence it must be borne in mind that the literary excellence of a play, which is all that we can judge it by, constituted but a small element in its success at the public performance. The merits of the actors,^[1] the favour in which they stood with the public, the perfection of the drill of the chorus, the excellence of their singing and dancing, the beauty of the dresses, the equipment of the guards, handmaids, and other supernumeraries, together with the various stage accessories demanded by the peculiar features of each play—there were thousands of the audience with whom these would weigh far more than artistic development of plot, splendour of poetic diction, or depth and beauty of thought.

How the prizes were awarded.The judges were chosen by lot from amongst the audience, and, the chances being thus enormously against their possessing any special literary or artistic qualification of their own, we may safely assume that they were largely guided in their award by their general impression of the applause,

↑ Though nominally the actors were assigned by lot to the competing poets, the rule was continually being waived in deference to the predilections of the great actors, who preferred to stick to the poets in whose plays they had made their name, and who, like leading artistes in all ages, were not to be dictated to. Aeschylus could always command the services of Kleander and Myniskus, and Sophocles of Tlepolemus and Kleidemides: the latter poet is said indeed to have written some of his plays especially for these eminent actors.

[1] Though nominally the actors were assigned by lot to the competing poets, the rule was continually being waived in deference to the predilections of the great actors, who preferred to stick to the poets in whose plays they had made their name, and who, like leading artistes in all ages, were not to be dictated to. Aeschylus could always command the services of Kleander and Myniskus, and Sophocles of Tlepolemus and Kleidemides: the latter poet is said indeed to have written some of his plays especially for these eminent actors.

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