Unlike Greek drama, the mystery plays did show violence--the murder of Able, the crucifixion of Christ. Biblical plays set a precedent that is abused today, but still is part of the legacy of dramatic freedom bequeathed to the culture. There is nothing morally wrong with the fencing scene in Hamlet, a battle in a war movie, or a death scene when the story calls for the character to de. The Greek perception that extreme violence can be an aesthetic distraction is still valid, although the problem is not so much the violence itself but how the violence is portrayed and what its effect is on the audience.

Gene Edward Veith, Reading Between the Lines, p. 158