Ancient Greek Theater

1. Ancient Greek Theater

2. Origins Athens Religious rites. Myth - A traditional sacred story, typically revolving around the activities of gods and heroes, which tries to explain a natural phenomenon or cultural practice.

3. Dionysus The god of fertility/procreation, wine, and revelry. Festivals took place in spring to celebrate the god. Playwrights wrote a series of 3 plays to present as part of competitions.

4. Types of Plays: Comedy • Purpose: to hold a mirror up to society to reflect its follies and vices, in the hope that they will, as a result, be mended.

5. Types of Plays: Tragedy Tragedy, derived from the Greek words tragus (goat) and Ode (song). Intended to teach a lesson. Tragedy was viewed as a form of ritual purification (catharsis). Provides pathos, a Greek word meaning ‘instructive suffering.’

6. Types of Plays: Satyr Adopts a happy atmosphere and a rural background. The chorus is made up of satyrs Provides contrast and comic relief

7. The Greek Stage Where the audience sat Where the chorus danced and sang Where the actors performed

9. Actors and Costumes • Male and female parts, but all actors were males. • Wore detailed costumes and masks. • The mask invested them in their role (i.e. king, queen, slave etc.) but also inhibited them to a degree. • Different masks for comedy and tragedy.

10. Structure of Greek Tragedy 1. Prologue: A monologue or dialogue preceding the entry of the chorus, which presents the tragedy's topic.

11. Structure of Greek Tragedy 2. Parode (Entrance Ode): The entry chant of the chorus, often in a marching rhythm. The parode and other choral odes involve the following parts, repeated in order several times: Strophê(Turn): A stanza in which the chorus moves in one direction. Antistrophê(Counter-Turn): The following stanza, in which it moves in the opposite direction. Epode (After-Song): The epode is chanted by the chorus standing still. The epode is often omitted, so there may be a series of strophe - antistrophe pairs without intervening epodes.

12. Choral Parode from Medea Strophe       The waters in the sacred rivers      are flowing in reverse.      And all well-ordered things      are once more turning on themselves. Men's plans are now deceitful,      their firm trust in the gods is gone.      My life is changing—common talk      is giving me a better reputation.Honour's coming to the female sex.      Slander will no longer injure women. Those songs by ancient poets      will stop chanting of our faithlessness.      Phoebus, god of song and singing,      never put into our minds the gift of making sacred music with the lyre,      or else I would have sung a song      in response to what the male sex sings.      For our lengthy past has much to say      about men's lives as well as ours   You sailed here from your father's house,      your heart on fire, past those two rocks      that stand guard to the Euxine Sea.      You live now in a foreign land.      You've lost your marriage bed,      your husband, too, poor woman.      And now you're driven out,      hounded into exile in disgrace.       The honour in an oath has gone.      And all throughout wide Hellas there's no shame any more.      Shame has flown away to heaven.      So to you, unhappy lady,      no father's house is open,      no haven on your painful voyage. For now a stronger woman      rules in your household,      queen of his marriage bed. Strophe Antistrophe Antistrophe

13. Structure of Greek Tragedy 3. Episode: There are several episodes (typically 3-5) in which one or two actors interact with each other and/or with the chorus. Each episode is terminated by a stasimon. 4. Stasimon (Stationary Song): A choral ode in which the chorus may comment on or react to the preceding episode.

14. (end of) An Episode from Medea (beginning of) the Stasimon CHORUS      Love with too much passion      brings with it no fine reputation,      brings nothing virtuous to men.       But if Aphrodite comes in smaller doses,      no other god is so desirable.      Goddess, I pray you never strike me      with one of those poisoned arrows      shot from that golden bow of yours.   I pray that moderation,      the gods' most beautiful gift,      will always guide me.      I pray that Aphrodite      never packs my heart with jealousy or angry quarreling.      May she never fill me with desire      for sex in other people's beds.      May she bless peaceful unions,      using her wisdom to select      a woman's marriage bed. JASON I'm not arguing with you anymore                                                  about all this. But if you want me      to provide some money, some assistance      for you and the children in your exile,      just ask. I'm prepared to give you some,      and with a generous hand. I'll send my friends introductory tokens, so they'll treat you well.      You'd be mad not to accept this offer.      Woman, stop being so angry. If you do,      things will turn out so much better for you. MEDEA      I'll accept no assistance from your friends,      nor anything from you. Don't make the offer.      Gifts from a worthless man are without value. JASON      All right, but I call the gods to witness      I'm willing to help you and the children.       But you reject my goods and stubbornly       push away your friends, and that the reason      you suffer still more pain. MEDEA      Get out of here.      For someone so in love with his new bride      you're spending far too long outside her home.      Go act married. The gods will see to it      your marriage will change into one of those      which makes you wish you'd turned it down. [Exit Jason]

15. Structure of Greek Tragedy 5. Exode (Exit Ode): The exit song of the chorus after the last episode. *Slight deviation for comedies.

16. Exode fromMedea [Medea's chariot takes her and the children’s bodies up and away from the scene. Exit Jason] CHORUS      Zeus on Olympus,      dispenses many things.           Gods often contradict      our fondest expectations.      What we anticipate      does not come to pass.      What we don't expect      some god finds a way                                                                      to make it happen.      So with this story. [Exit Chorus]

17. Other Important Facts Indoor scenes and deaths happened off stage and were reported by messengers. The chorus is central: provides interpretation of previous scenes, gives advice to main characters, gives background information, relieves tension, sets mood.

18. Greek Playwrights • Aeschylus (525- 456) • Sophocles (496-406) • Euripedes (480-406) • Aristophones (448-380)

19. Sophocles’ Tragic Trilogy • Oedipus Rex • Oedipus at Colonus • Antigone