Greek Theater

3. Origins Celebration of Dionysus- God of Wine Performed in circular dancing place (orchestra) A chorus of men dressed in goat skins Trageoia= goat song A story about Dionysus by leader of the chorus

4. PRODUCTION Orchestra Chorus (from 12-15 people) Actors- always men, masked and in costumes Early plays of Aeschylus- only two actors; by about 450 B.C., a third had been added The poet composed the music and the dance as well as the text, directed the production, and trained the chorus; some dramatists also played the leading roles.

8. Functions of Chorus The beauty of poetry and dancing Relieves tension Interprets events for audience Often converses with the actors; gives advice Gives background of events

10. Tragedy A drama of a character, usually one in high position, where a conflict usuallydevelops between the protagonist/heroand a �superior force (such as destiny,circumstance, or society)� and the storyends in some sort of disaster or great fallof the protagonist. Tragedy n A drama of a character, usually one in a high position, where a conflict usually develops between the protagonist/hero and a �superior force (such as destiny, circumstance, or society)� and the story ends in some sort of disaster or great fall of the protagonist.

11. Hubris and Hamartia n Hamartia: �A tragic flaw or error that in ancient Greek tragedies leads to the hero�s reversal of fortune.� n Hubris: Excessive pride or arrogance. Often leads to the downfall of the major character in Greek tragedy.

12. Thespis of Athens Ca. 535 B.C.E. Father of Drama Created the first actor Hypokrites

13. Moving on� New myths are used, not just Dionysus Aeschylus: introduced second actor Dialogue Sophocles: introduced third actor Dramatic action

14. GREAT GREEK TRAGEDIANS AESCHYLUS (ca.525-456 B.C.) SOPHOCLES (ca.495-406 B.C.) EURIPIDES (c 480-406 B.C.)

15. AESCHYLUS (ca.525-456 B.C.) The "Father of Tragedy" Addition of a second actor Made much use of imagery His tragedy deals Fates and the justice of the gods His plays reflect the contemporary belief that the gods, jealous and resentful of human greatness, typically inflict great persons with a character flaw that brings their ruin

17. SOPHOCLES (ca.495-406 B.C.) Won the competition at the Great Dionysia more often than any other of the great dramatists He increased the potential for dramatic conflict by adding a third actor wrote dramas which were complete in themselves, rather than always part of a trilogy Sophoclean drama deals primarily with strong characters

18. EURIPIDES (c 480-406 B.C.) Wrote prolifically- some 90 plays, of which 19 survived He won the prize for the best play only four times (but then the Academy Awards usually get it wrong too). He wrote of less heroic, more realistic characters

19. EURIPIDES Cont. One device he uses (and it is often seen as a weakness in his plays) is the deus ex machina, a god, not involved earlier in the action, who descends in a stage machine to straighten out the mess humans have got themselves into.

20. Structure of Tragedy Prolouge-First Act Parados- Entrance of the Chorus Episodes- Acts Stasima-Choral Odes Exedus- Action after last stasimon

21. Typical Greek Theatre Theatron- where the audience sits Open air Hillside Seating capacity of the Theatron of Dionysus of Athens? About 17,000

24. Orchestra-dancing place of the chorus Skene- dressing room for actors Proscenium- the fa�ade of the skene where scenery was- No curtains Dues et Machina- technical device- crane atop the skene with a dummy hung representing gods.

27. Differences� Drama, Then and Now Greek drama(GD) is a religious GD get their subjects from mythology GD outlines the plot in advance, little suspence GD main intrest is relgioun and ethical instruction All Short plays 17,000 longest to 900 shortest

28. Rated G No violent action Scenes of horror happen off stage Reported to the audience

29. Unity Unity of action- no subplots Unity of place-no change of scenery Unity of time- max of one day No intermissions Twice a year in the day

31. Staging an ancient Greek play Plays were funded by the polis Plays presented in competition with other plays Tragedies almost exclusively dealt with stories from the mythic past Comedies almost exclusively dealt with contemporary figures and problems. The great tragedies of Aeschylus, Sophocles, and Euripides were performed annually at the spring festival of Dionysus, god of wine, and inspiration.

55. TIMELINE OF GREEK DRAMA 7th Century BC c. 625���������Arion at Corinth produces named dithyrambic choruses 6th Century BC �600-570 �����Cleisthenes, tyrant of Sicyon, transfers "tragic choruses" to Dionysus ��540-527 �����Pisistratus, tyrant of Athens, founds the festival of the Greater Dionysia

56. TIMELINE OF GREEK DRAMA 536-533 �����Thespis puts on tragedy at festival of the Greater Dionysia in Athens 525���������Aeschylus was born �511-508 �����Phrynichus' first victory in tragedy c. 500���������Pratinus of Phlius introduces the satyr play to Athens

57. TIMELINE OF GREEK DRAMA 5th Century BC ��499-496�Aeschylus' first dramatic competition c. 496������Sophocles was born 492���������Phrynicus' Capture of Miletus (Miletus was captured by the Persians in 494) �485���������Euripides was born �484���������Aeschylus' first dramatic victory �472���������Aeschylus' Persians ��467��������Aeschylus' Seven Against Thebes 468���������Aeschylus defeated by Sophocles in dramatic competition

58. TIMELINE OF GREEK DRAMA 463?��������Aeschylus' Suppliant Women ��458���������Aeschylus' Oresteia (Agamemnon, Libation Bearers, Eumenides) ��456���������Aeschylus dies c. 450���������Aristophanes was born ��447���������Parthenon begun in Athens c. 445���������Sophocles' Ajax ��441���������Sophocles' Antigone ��438���������Euripides' Alcestis ��431-404 �����Peloponnesian War (Athens and allies vs. Sparta and allies)

59. TIMELINE OF GREEK DRAMA 431���������Euripides' Medea c. 429���������Sophocles' Oedipus the King ��428���������Euripides' Hippolytus ��423���������Aristophanes' Clouds ��415���������Euripides' Trojan Women ��406���������Euripides dies; Sophocles dies ��405���������Euripides' Bacchae 404���������Athens loses Peloponnesian War to Sparta 

60. TIMELINE OF GREEK DRAMA 401���������Sophocles' Oedipus at Colonus 4th Century BC ��399 ���������Trial and death of Socrates c. 380's��������Plato's Republic includes critique of Greek tragedy and comedy c. 330's��������Aristotle's Poetics includes defense of Greek tragedy and comedy

62. � Indeed, some say that dramas are so called, because their authors represent the characters as "doing" them (dr�ntes). And it is on this basis that the Dorians [= the Spartans, etc.] lay claim to the invention of both tragedy and comedy. For comedy is claimed by the Megarians here in Greece, who say it began among them at the time when they became a democracy [c. 580 BC], and by the Megarians of Sicily on the grounds that the poet Epicharmas came from there and was much earlier than Chionides and Magnes; while tragedy is claimed by certain Dorians of the Peloponnese. They offer the words as evidence, noting that outlying villages, called d�moi by the Athenians, are called k�mai by them, and alleging that k�m�doi (comedians) acquired their name, not from k�mazein (to revel), but from the fact that, being expelled in disgrace from the city, they wandered from village to village. The Dorians further point out that their word for "to do" is dr�n, whereas the Athenians use prattein. �(Aristotle: Poetics Chapter 3)