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In addition to exploring the possible antecedents of theater, scholars have also theorized about the motives that led people to develop theater. Why did theater develop, and why was it valued after it ceased to fulfill the function of ritual? Most answers fall back on the theories about the human mind and basic human needs. One, set forth by Aristotle in the fourth century B.C., sees humans as naturally imitative—as taking pleasure in imitating persons, things, and actions and in seeing such imitations. Another, advanced in the twentieth century, suggests that humans have a gift for fantasy, through which they seek to reshape reality into more satisfying forms than those encountered in daily life. Thus, fantasy or fiction (of which drama is one form) permits people to objectify their anxieties and fears, confront them, and fulfill their hopes in fiction if not fact. The theater, then, is one tool whereby people define and understand their world or escape from unpleasant realities.
A.
Some theories of theater development focus on how theater was used by group leaders to group leaders govern other members of society.
B.
Theater may have come from pleasure humans receive from storytelling and moving rhythmically.
C.
The human capacities for imitation and fantasy are considered possible reasons why societies develop theater.
D.
Many theorists believe that theater arises when societies act out myths to preserve social well-being.