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Ancient Athenian Tragedy

Ancient Athenian Tragedy. Origins, Context, Practice. Imitation – What’s It Good For?. Absolutely nothing?. What Is Aristotle Saying to…. Gorgias? “Tragedy is a form of deception in which the deceiver is more righteous than the non-deceiver, and the deceived wiser than the undeceived”

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Ancient Athenian Tragedy

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  1. Ancient Athenian Tragedy Origins, Context, Practice

  2. Imitation – What’s It Good For? Absolutely nothing?

  3. What Is Aristotle Saying to… • Gorgias? • “Tragedy is a form of deception in which the deceiver is more righteous than the non-deceiver, and the deceived wiser than the undeceived” • Plato? • Plato to poets: “Tell us what State was ever better governed by your help?” (i.e., by your imitations)

  4. Thoughts To Gorgias… To Plato…

  5. Aristotle’s Uses of Imitation? Csapo

  6. Recap and Update From Impersonation to Imitation

  7. Dionysian Masks Red-Figure Athenian Vase,500s BCE Red-Figure Athenian Vase,500s BCE

  8. Procession of the Phallus Pole Proto-Dramatic Performance Komos Phallic procession Komasts: archaic Corinthian vase ARISTOTELIAN GLOSS?Impersonation as therapeutic… Csapo

  9. Dionysus Hephaestus padded, phallic costume Proto-Drama (?): komos-like Performance of the Return of HephaestusProtocorinthian vase painting , 600-575 BCE Csapo

  10. Tragic chorus: masked, dancing, singing (ancient vase)

  11. Dionysus Religious-Civic-Social Context • Rural Dionysia (Dec.) • Lenaea (late Jan/Feb, from 440/430-) • citizens • Anthisteria (Feb) • City/Greater Dionysia (late March) • anyone • (theoric fund) Csapo

  12. Greater Dionysia: Program Dramatic preliminaries “Showtime” Dithyramb — 10 men’s choruses of 50 boys’ choruses of 50 Comedies — 5 Tragedy — 3 tetralogies • Prefest • chorus assignments • Proagōn • “Introduction” • Pompē • Ceremonies Csapo

  13. Tragic Tetralogy Four plays, one playwright Aeschylus’ Oresteia (458 BCE) Agamemnon Libation Bearers Eumenides Proteus • Tragedy • Tragedy • Tragedy • Satyr drama Csapo

  14. Tragedy: Structure & Elements Scene sequence Special scenes messenger speech amoibaion kommos stichomythia agōn • prologue • parodos • episodes • stasima (sing. stasimon) • exodos Csapo 1

  15. Athenian Acropolis

  16. Athenian Acropolis N Parthenon Odeon Roman Theater of Herodes Atticus Temple of DionysusEleutherius Theater of Dionysus

  17. Theater of Dionysus ca. 420 BCE theatron (“viewing place,” auditorium, theater) wooden bleachers stone seats (dignitaries) orkhēstra(“dancing space” for chorus) kerkis (“wedge”seating section) altar entry (parodos) entry (parodos) Low wooden stage with, steps, skene (from ca. 420 BCE) skene (stage building)

  18. Production: Personnel & Gear Personnel Gear, etc. Masks Costumes Music Props Scenery Special effects mekhanē ekkuklēma • poet • poiētēs, “maker” • producer • khorēgos • director • didaskalos, “teacher” • actors • hupokritai • chorus, “chorus leader” • khoros, koruphaios • piper • aulētēs Csapo

  19. Aristotle’s Poetics Tragedy Explained?

  20. Poetics: Approach Method Criteria Organic coherence Plausibility Emotional impact Utility pleasure therapy pedagogy • Definition • Classification • Aetiology • origins/causes • Critical evaluation

  21. Imitation, Imitation, Imitation DEFINITION OF TRAGEDY:“Tragedy, then, is an imitation of an action that is serious, complete, and of a certain magnitude; in language embellished with each kind of artistic ornament, the several kinds being found in separate parts of the play; in the form of action, not of narrative; through pity and fear effecting the proper purgation of these emotions.” (p. 61) POETRY VERSUS HISTORY:“Poetry, therefore, is a more philosophical and a higher thing than history: for poetry tends to express the universal, history the particular.” (p. 68) Poetics

  22. Chief Concepts Poetics

  23. Antigone: Application? Poetics

  24. What do We Learn? Poetics

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