that something would be dead bodies (Harwood 48). Since murders would very rarely take place on stage, the eccyclema became a frequently employed machine. For example, it appeared at the end of Aeschylus Agamemnon when Clytaemestra emerged from the palace doors, revealing the bodies of Agamemnon and Cassandra. It was probably a low platform, semi-circular in shape so that it may easily be brought out from any of the three back doors. While all of the information presented thus far seems reasonable enough to be fact and is predominantly accepted by scholars, there does remain a certain level of doubt and opposing views regarding many topics. Even elements of the theater as basic as the stage and when it first emerged are often debated. Some scholars challenge the widely accepted (however not unanimously accepted) view that the Theater of Dionysus embodied a stage as early as the fifth century. Those who take this stance argue that there are no architectural remains to prove them wrong. Also, they argue that any type of man-made stage would have prevented many of the special effects used in the theater (Brockett 34).Another frequently debated topic is over where the actor stood on stage. Due to the presence of the altar in the center of the orchestra, the actor was essentially robbed of the most prime place to stand in order to address the entire audience (Harwood 50). Therefore, he was forced to find a new place where both he and the audience would find his presence acceptable.Scholars also have trouble agreeing on exactly where the skene of the fifth century B.C. theaters was located, in relation to the orchestra. Some hold the belief that the skene was built directly atop the orchestra, while others place it behind the orchestra (Allen 29). There will always be room for speculation regarding these issues do to the lack of conclusive evidence. It is likely that many of these issues will never be unanimously agreed upon...
