Lillian Young: In Class Reading: Ancient Art and Ritual Chapter 1

 Chapter 1 of Ancient Art and Ritual starts by delving into the relationship between art and ritual, offering explanations on how the two have intersected throughout history. While ritual ay seem rigid and bound by tradition, art is often viewed as a realm of freedom and creativity, and the author argues that art and ritual share a common root and cannot be fully understood without each other. The Spring Festival of Dionysus is used as an example of this, where dramatic performances were not merely entertainment but acts of worship. The presence of priests in the front row and the ceremonial procession of the god Dionysus underscore the ritualistic nature of theatrical events, blurring the lines between art and ritual. 

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