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Mixed Messages in Greek Theatre: an Examination of Vases and Written Histories No one fully understands the nature of ancient Greek theatre. The barriers that stand between the scholars of the Twentieth Century and the truth of the theatrical practices of 5th an ....

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.... further complicate matters with the added condition that the vase must be depicting a scene that is theatrical in nature. Green asserts that the ancient artists "were not at work to provide visual aids for textbooks and lectures. We can, with care, use them in that way as aids to a modern imagination" (Green 1995, p.13). Green's statement brings to light the importance of cautious research into this area of history, especially keeping in mind the context in which the vases were made and used. Certainly, vases exist which are, as Green explains it, "inescapably" linked to the theatre. A sample of these well-understood vases is exami ....