Theatre history traces the development of performance arts from ancient times to the present. It began in ancient Greece around the 5th century BCE with the works of playwrights like Aeschylus, Sophocles, and Euripides, who introduced structured plays and dramatic storytelling. The Roman Empire later adopted and adapted these traditions, leading to the creation of various theatrical forms. During the Middle Ages, theatre evolved with religious plays and morality tales, while the Renaissance sparked a revival of classical ideas, exemplified by figures like William Shakespeare. The 19th and 20th centuries saw the rise of diverse genres, including musicals, realism, and absurdism, shaping modern theatre as we know it today.