Antigone Pre-reading Notes Test Date: _____________________

Antigone Pre-reading NotesTest Date: _____________________ Mrs. Davidson English 5

Apollo, The Sphinx, and Dionysus • Apollo: • The Sphinx: • Dionysus:

Oracles, Curses, and Fate • Oracles: Jocasta and Laius: • Greek concept of a curse: • Greek concept of Fate: Jocasta and Laius:

The Origin of Tragedy • Religion • Plays • Chorus • Audience

Greek Playwrights • Thespis (6th Century B.C.) • Aeschylus (525-426 B.C.) • Sophocles (496 – 406 B.C.) • Euripedes (486 – 406 B.C.)

Structure of Greek Theater • Theatron – the “seeing place” • Orchestra – circular dancing place for performance • Thymele – altar • Skene – building used as dressing room • Proskenion – façade used as backdrop • Parodos – entrance used by chorus

Actors and Acting • Hypocrites (hypocrite) • Actors • Musical Accompaniment • Dance • Chorus • Mood • Costumes and Masks • Robes • Boots • Masks • Three characters • Protagonist • Deuteragonist • Tritagonist

Aristotle and Theatric Conventions • “Poetics” (circa 350 B.C.) • Catharsis – the function of tragedy • Tragic Hero – a flawed character • Other Conventions – • Messenger • Chorus • Intermission • Curtains • Lighting effects

The “Three Unities” • Unity of Action • Unity of Time • Unity of Place

The Structure of Plays • Dialogue • Episodes • Strophes • Antistrophe • Order • Prologue • Parados • Alternating • Kommos • Exodus (Epilogue)

Typical Greek Theater Plan A Theatron D Skene B Orchestra E Proskenion C Thymele F Parados

Episodic Structure of a Greek Tragedy

Antigone Pre-reading Notes Test Date: _____________________