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Ancient Greek Theatre: Tragedies, Festivals, and Contributions

Explore the history and significance of Greek theatre, including its beginnings, festivals, staging, actors, rules, and notable playwrights like Aeschylus, Sophocles, and Euripedes. Discover the impact of Greek comedy and how it paved the way for Roman theatre.

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Ancient Greek Theatre: Tragedies, Festivals, and Contributions

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  1. Theatre History

  2. GREEK THEATRE • Considered to be the greatest theatre in history • Classic or Golden Age of Greece- 500-400 BC • great tragedies • architecture • government

  3. GREEK THEATRE • Beginnings of Greek theatre: 1. Dionysian rites 2. Festival for fertility 3. singing and dancing and drinking wine 4. play contest called dithyrambs 5. honored Dionysis • tragedies were performed • tragedy means “goat song” in Greek (tragos) • goats were sacrificed at the festival

  4. GREEK THEATRE • Festivals- 4 each year • City Dionysia- March • festival for tragedies • week-long national holiday • all attend • Plays- only men acted- true many places • 6 day festival • plays at the theatron- seeing place • three days of competition for plays

  5. GREEK THEATRE • Each play a Trilogy- three tragedies- one theme • Each day also a satire-a farce about the tragedies • performed outdoors • City Lenaea- festival for comedies (komos) • held in February • performed outdoors

  6. GREEK THEATRE- Physical parts • semicircle seating for audience- on hillside • circular altar and acting area- orchestra • back area behind orchestra for actors to change-skene • skenehad three doors with side passageways called-parados • raised area behind orchestra- proskenion • side areas called- paraskenia • large acting area -not close to audience

  7. GREEK THEATRE-Actors • all men • large masks with megaphones to project voices- made of cork or wood- showed age and emotion • large shoes on platforms- appear taller-corthurnus • large headpiece- onkus • costume: colorful, patterns sleeveless tunic with a belt-chiton long cloth over the shoulder-himation short cloak- chlamys

  8. GREEK THEATRE-staging • pinakes- boards painted to show scenes • periaktos- pyramid with different scenes on each side turned to show new scenes • drums-sound effects • eccylama- used to show dead bodies- could not show killing on stage • deus-machina- used to fly in gods • stories were usually Greek myths

  9. GREEK THEATRE-rules for tragedies • Aristotle wrote rules for performing tragedies 1. must make audience want to lead a better life-often through fear 2. hero with a tragic flaw 3. a change of fortune for the character- growth of the main character 4. written in poetry form 5. the three unities- related events, occurs in 24 hours, one location

  10. GREEK THEATRE- parts of the play • prologue- intro to get audience up to speed • parados- chorus enters • epeisodon-dialogue of actor • stasimon-chorus speaks or sings • exodus- play ends

  11. GREEK THEATRE-writers • Thespis – won the first award= Thespians • three great tragic writers: • Aeschylus • Sophocles • Euripedes

  12. GREEK THEATRE-contributions • Aeschylus • father of tragedy • added the second actor • reduced chorus from 50 to 12 • wrote: Agamemnon-return from Trojan War and killed by his wife Clytemnestra Libation Bearers-Orestes kills his mom to avenge dad’s death The Furies-gods pardon Orestes

  13. GREEK THEATRE-contributions • Sophocles • added third act0r • chorus set at 15 members • plot and character development expanded • wrote: Electra Oedipus Rex-killsdad and marries own mom Antigone-war, sequel to Oedipus Rex

  14. GREEK THEATRE-contributions • Euripedes: • emphasized psychologial motivation • told about the plight of women and the outsiders of society • humanized the theatre with emotions • wrote: Medea- about a man who is driven mad due to his jealousies

  15. GREEK THEATRE-comedy writers • Aristophanes and Menander • wrote satires about Greek people and their lives. • wrote about daily lives of servants, lovers, weird relatives- much like sitcoms of today

  16. GREEK THEATRE-its dec • Roman invasions -took over the country and started their own drama • Next week- Roman Theatre

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