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Insight into Greek Theater Drama: From Dionysus to Sophocles

Explore the rich history of Greek theater drama, from the Acropolis to the works of Sophocles. Learn about tragic heroes, principles of Greek drama, and the evolution of theater through different eras.

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Insight into Greek Theater Drama: From Dionysus to Sophocles

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  1. History of Theater Drama Unit The Acropolis in Athens, Greece The Theater of Dionysus

  2. What is Drama? • Drama is an art form in which a story dealing with human conflict is acted out on stage. Drama means to DO or to ACT. • Formal theater: actors follow script (play) • Informal theater: actors rely on their imaginations (mimes)

  3. Greek Theater • Began as a religious celebration associated with the worship of Dionysus, god of wine and revelry • Festivals lasted 5-6 days • 534 B.C.-Thespis won first contest • Word “thespian” comes from his name, meaning “actor.” • Presented in an amphitheater setting

  4. Greek Ampitheatre www.aug.edu/~cshotwel/2001.Greeks.htm Reove frae

  5. Greek amphitheater at Ephesus http://www.ozturk.com.au/sultanitin1.html

  6. Principles of Greek Drama • Catharsis: release of emotions in the audience • Main character: noble birth • Main character: suffers fall from grace • Written in poetic language • Shakespeare follows all these principles.

  7. Characteristics of a Tragic Hero According to Aristotle: • Usually of noble birth • Hamartia – a.k.a. the tragic flaw that eventually leads to his downfall; often this leads to a mistake in judgment. • Peripeteia – a reversal of fortune brought about by the hero’s tragic flaw; this is often also influenced by “fate” or the gods. • His actions result in an increase of self- awareness and self-knowledge…though he may not choose to act on this! • The audience must feel pity and fear for this character

  8. The “tragic flaw” • The “flaw” in the character is a defect which keeps him/her from being aware of the situation around him/her. The character does not understand (for much of the story) his/her part of creating the situation. • Ex: Pride (“Hubris”) • Skywalker thinks he is so good, he can take on an experienced Jedi all by himself

  9. Examples of Flaws

  10. Shakespearean Tragic Plot • Act I: Exposition • This is where the setting, characters, and conflicts are introduced. • Act II: Rising Action (inciting incident) • Act III: Turning Point (Climax) • This is where the reversal of fortune occurs and it all starts to go badly for the tragic hero. • Act IV: Falling Action-downhill spiral (moment of final suspense) • Act V: Catastrophe/Resolution • The conflicts are resolved (usually death); chaos returns to order.

  11. Greek Playwrights • Aeschylus – added second actor and reduced chorus size. Known as the “father” of tragedy. • Sophocles – greatest of Greek tragedians. Established definite plot structure. Added third actor. His characters remain among the strongest ever created. His works Oedipus Tyrannus and Antigone

  12. Greek Playwrights • Euripedes – works questioned life. Emphasized human relationships and becam emaster of pathos, human sorrow and compassion. Medea remains a classic work of his. • Aristophanes – Greek comedic playwright. Lysistrata remains a classic work of his.

  13. Roman Theater • 200 B.C. Rome overtook Athens as the cultural center for drama • Imitated Greek dramas-so considered inferior • Major contribution: modern elevated stage

  14. Middle Ages • Formal theater disappeared for ages • 10th century-church took over • Presentations dealt with biblical events and parables (A simple story illustrating a moral or religious lesson) • Continued until 16th century • Pageant wagons used (movable stages to act out biblical stories)

  15. Middle Ages • Miracle plays: dramatized events from the bible • Mystery plays: presented events from the saints’ lives • Morality plays: presented allegorical stories in which characters personified religious or moral abstractions (Seven Deadly Sins) saved by Mercy, Justice, Temperance, and Truth

  16. Gluttony

  17. Mystery/Miracle

  18. Renaissance Theater • 1300-1600 • “rebirth”-renewed interest in Greek and Roman tragedies • Original comedies, tragedies, and pastoral plays were created and performed • Commedia dell’ arte-popular comedy in which professional actors improvised • Shakespeare-YEA!-Scavenger Hunt

  19. Renaissance TheaterThree important developments • Secular themes (nonreligious) • Rise of professionalism in acting and play writing • Plays preformed in English rather than Latin

  20. French Theater-Renaissance • Moliere (1622-1673) • Considered comic genius • Plays ridiculed people, ideas, medicine, forced marriage • Raised status of comedy to level of tragedy • Quote: “The duty of comedy is to correct men by amusing them.”

  21. Restoration Theater • Restoration of Royal family of Stuart to throne (1660-1700) • Comedy of manners-satirizes social customs. • Women were allowed to act for the first time in England!

  22. Nineteenth Century Theater • Romanticism-the belief that humans should be guided by feelings and emotions • Freed artist from rules, lots of special effects • Experimentation in theater! • operas

  23. Romanticism • Three Main Types of American Romantic Dramas • Quasi-historical characters interacting in a scenically romantic distant locale (affection, sorrow, and romantic longing) • Plays dealing with historical figures • Sinister gothic performances of mysterious and supernatural adventures (horrify and amaze) • modern horror novels and women's romance novels are both descendants of the Gothic romance

  24. Romanticism • Common Themes • Libertarianism: free from convention and tyranny, the Democratic spirit • Nature: unspoiled scenery • Lure of the Exotic: picturesque, romanticized view of the past, mystery, superstition • The Supernatural: folktales, connection of identity of self

  25. Nineteenth Century Theater • Late 19th century, modern drama was born • Henrick Ibsen (Norway) • August Strindberg (Sweden) • Anton Chekhov (Russia) • John Galsworthy (Great Britain) • Bernard Shaw (Great Britain) • Realism-portray people and situations as they really are in everyday life

  26. Contemporary Theater • Experimented with many styles (not one style exists today) • Theater of the absurd-life viewed as meaningless and people’s strivings as absurd, since they cannot do anything to improve the human lot

  27. Theater of the Absurd • Samuel Beckett-Waiting for Godot (1953)

  28. Two types of Drama • Comedy-happy ending, exaggerated or eccentric behavior, goal to entertain, to make people laugh, or to be scornful • Tragedy-sad or disastrous ending, serious story

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