Final answer:
The "Big Three" of Ancient Greek Tragedy were Aeschylus, Sophocles, and Euripides. They are celebrated for evolving the genre of tragedy in Greek theatre, introducing innovations in dramaturgy and infusing their plays with human-centric themes and complex characters.
Step-by-step explanation:
The "Big Three" of Ancient Greek Tragedy refers to the playwrights Aeschylus, Sophocles, and Euripides. These three tragedians are renowned for their contributions to Greek theatre and their lasting impact on the dramatic arts. Aeschylus is known for his trilogy the Oresteia, and his innovations like introducing a second actor. Sophocles, famous for Oedipus Rex and Antigone, increased the number of actors to three and made changes to the chorus, enhancing the complexity of his plays. Euripides, with works like Medea, shifted focus to humanize his characters and often incorporated strong female protagonists. Together, they helped mature the art form, moving away from the dithyrambic origins to develop tragedy into a refined expression of human experience, distinct from the satiric and comedic works that also emerged in this period.