Unit 2, Lecture 1: Greek Drama:

1. Unit 2, Lecture 1: Greek Drama: Origins, Setting, Structure, Themes and Theory

2. Origins of Athenian Prominence • Western Democracy, drama, and philosophy develop and flourish the “golden age” of Athens (480-399) • The background of Athenian prominence as dramatic as the theater which developed in it. (See Norton 4-7) • The two greatest city states were Athens and Sparta • Sparta a totalitarian, militaristic state whose superior army led to control of much of the mainland. • Athens a “qualified” democracy whose naval power allowed it to dominate Aegean islands and much Asia minor coastland • Confidence and power of Athens greatly boosted by its leadership in turning back invading armies of Persian empires • Defeating Darius 1 at Marathon (490 B.C) • Xerxes at great sea battle Salamis (480 BC) • Momentous nature of the Persian wars: The Graeco-Persinan War was the most momentous conflict in European history for it made Europe possible. It won for Eujropean civilization the opportunity to develop . . . its own political institutions, free from the dictations of oriental kings. . . . The victory of little Hellas against such odds stimulated the pride and lifted up the spirit of its people; out of very gratitude they felt called upon to do unprecedented things.. . . Greece entered its gfolden age. (Will Durant, The Life of Greece. New York: Simon and Schuster, 1966, p. 242)

3. Origins of Greek Drama • Developed out of “dithyrambs”: choral and dance rituals honoring the god Dionysus. • Tradition says Thespis, the first playwright, added an actor (hence “thespian”) • This basic “floor plan” was maintained: Greek drama maintains combination of masked actor(s) and singing chorus • Actors grow to two under Aeschylus and three under Sophocles. • Spoken parts achieve dominance over choral singing • Ultimately tragic drama becomes the centerpiece of the major Dionysian festival—the City Dionysiaheld in late March or April.

4. The Festival Setting • City Dionysia “a kind of cross between Inauguration day, Super Bowl, the Oscars, and a religious holiday” (Source unknown) • Took place in late March or April: Drama became centerpiece of various “contests.” • “Archon” selected 3 tragic and 3 comic dramas and chose wealthy citizens as producers • Playwright chose chorus and acted in play himself. • Tragedians did 3 tragedies and a “satyr” play • The tragedies might be thematically linked • Comedies were performed throughout. • Prizes given

5. The Physical Setting • Theater of Dionysus in use only once a year • Unlike Broadway it WAS a worship center • The “stage” was large circular “orchestra” in which the altar to Dionysus is prominent • Behind it is the “skene” • Originally for costume changes • Later used for dramatic purposes • “Theatron is semicircle ampitheater set in the hillside. Like modern stadia, it was divided into various sections. • A section for each of the 15 tribes of Athens • Women perhaps towards the rear or in a separate section, as also “outsiders,” resident aliens.

6. Structure and Elements Greek Drama (1) • Plot Structure 101: • Exposition – Introduction of Protagonist and conflict • Rising Action – Complication of plot • Climax –Culmination of plot; irreversible actions • Falling Action – fallout from climactic events • Resolution – final outcome of climax • Greek Drama, like all drama, exhibits these patterns plus structural elements peculiar to it.

7. Structure and Elements of Greek Drama (2) (With thanks to Helen Schwartz, L203) • Dramatic Differences • Dramatic Structure • Prologue • Parodos • First Episode • First “Stasimon” • Exodos • Dramatic Elements • Chorus • Ritual of Supplication • Importance of oaths • Polis • Fear of Exile

8. Themes of Greek Drama • Themes held in common • ExcessIt is usually one tremendous urge---‘excess’ in the Greek view of the matter—toward justice, truth, vengeance, self-sacrifice, or love, an excess of pride, egotism, constancy, stubbornness or anger which drives them towards their doom” (Lind xviii) • “Hamartia” (Lind xviii) • Self-knowledge arising out of conlict with forces (Lind x) • Place of the gods • “Differentiating” themes among the “big three” • Aeschylus (525-456 BC): revenge and justice (Lind, xix-xx) • Sophocles (497-406 BC) : hopeless but admirable struggle against superior forces loneliness of decision; free will (xx) • Euripides (481-406 BC): “psychological as well as social problems,”; a “disturbing’ skepticism; in his works we also see signs of sympathy with the outsider; luck is a bigger factor in his plays than in his predecessors. (xx-xxi)

9. Theory of Greek Tragedy: Aristotle • Defining Characteristics • It is an imitation or representation of life • Has action, not narration, and actions serious • Elevated diction ("embellished language") • leads audience to a catharsis, or "purging," ("release" of the emotions of pity and fear) • It includes (though low down on the scale of its values) "spectacle" • Character and thought are the basis of action • The Plot is a combination of the actions and each one is caused by previous action.

10. Theory of Tragedy (Cont.) • Nature of Plot • Its importance for tragedy lies in the actions which occur. • There must be a beginning a middle and end, each part naturally following a pattern. • It involves a change of fortune for the protagonist • A good plot must be a unity, not a series of episodes essentially unconnected to each other. • In a complex, as opposed to a simple plot the reversal of fortune (peripeteia) will coincide with a recognition—an understanding of who is friend, who is foe and the conditions which have gone into producing the tragic situation. Recognition comes “too late” for anything but the self-knowledge and understanding prized by the Greeks. The very best plot is one in which the recognition virtually coincides with the reversal of fortune (as in Oedipus).

11. Theory of Tragedy (concluded) • Character and Audience • Protagonist ought to be someone whose reversal of fortune can excite pity and fear. • Therefore, cannot be a wholly virtuous man because a tragic reversal of fortune excites not pity but revulsion. • Nor a wholly bad person because this does not excite pity. • Pity comes from a person of stature neither wholly good nor bad whose reversal is not deserved (or is at least much more than he or she deserves). • Fear comes from the fact that the person is someone with whom we can identify—and therefore what happens to him haunts us with the sense that it could also happen to us!

12. Summary: • A tragedy is a drama in which a protagonist, motivated by some “excess” within his/her character, makes a tragic misstep (hamartia) leading to a reversal of fortune (peripeteia) and causing the audience to experience a purging of the emotions of pity an fear: pity because it had to happen, fear because such an experience might happen to anyone.