Greek Drama

1. Greek Drama

2. Dramatic Beginnings • Began in 6th century B.C. • Religious festivals honoring Dionysus, the god of wine and fertility, or new growth • Masked dancers performed on a circular stage

3. Thespis of Icaria, a Greek poet, introduced the first actor to the stage • The term thespian, meaning actor, comes from his name • The one actor would represent multiple characters through the use of masks and costumes

4. Plays continued to be religious in nature • Asked questions about the role of fate in human life and the relationship between mortals and the gods • tragedy comes from the Greek word for goat, a sacred animal to Dionysus

5. And then… • Plays evolved into a form of entertainment • Writers competed for prizes before thousands of spectators at the festivals of Dionysus in Athens • Hundreds of Greek tragedies were performed • Only 35 have survived

6. Plays were based on familiar myths and legends that audiences were familiar with • Audience is aware of things that the characters are not (Dramatic Irony)

7. Imagine watching a play about Little Red Riding Hood or any other familiar fairy tale. What would you know that the characters would not?

8. Four Great Play Writers • Sophocles, Euripides, Aeschylus (tragedy) • Aristophanes (comedy) • Each contributed something significant to the stage.

9. What They Did for the Tragedy: • Aeschylus: added a second actor, which created dialogue • Sophocles: added a third actor, which created more intriguing plots • Euripides: added stage effects and more realistic characters

10. More about Sophocles • In his youth, he was a wrestler, a dancer, and a musician • He became a military leader, and worked in politics • He served as an ambassador and a public treasurer. • Helped establish the first Athenian hospital • Handsome, charming, friendly, and well-educated • Highly regarded in Athenian society

11. Tragic Hero • Character in a drama who is dignified or noble, yet possesses a tragic flaw that brings about or contributes to his or her downfall. • Recognizes the flaw only after it is too late to change the course of events. • Examples of tragic flaws: poor judgment, pride, weakness • Oedipus is a tragic hero

12. The Legend of Oedipus:Somebody Call CPS • Born to King Laius and Queen Jocasta of Thebes • An oracletold Laius that a son born to him would kill him • Laius ordered servant to pin baby’s feet together and leave him to die on a mountain • The servant pitied the infant and, instead, gave him to a shepherd. • The shepherd gave him to King Polybus and Queen Merope of Corinth • Oedipus means “swollen foot”

13. The Plot Thickens • Oedipus learns that his father was not actually his father from a drunken partier • Oedipus goes to see the oracle at Delphi (local psychic) to find out the truth about his parents. • The oracle reveals a terrible prophecy: • Oedipus would kill his father and marry his mother.

14. I Know Something You Don’t Know • Oedipus flees Corinth in an attempt to prevent the prophecy from coming true • On his way to Thebes, he runs into King Laius and some servants at a crossroad (symbolic?) • Remember, he does not know this is his dad (but we do: dramatic irony) • They get into an argument and Oedipus kills Laius

15. What’s That Egyptian Thing Have to Do With This? • When Oedipus gets to Thebes, there is a monster (The Sphinx) terrorizing the town • The Sphinx has the face of a woman, the body of a lion, and the wings of a bird. • A riddle for you: “What is it that walks on four legs in the morning, on two at midday, and on three in the evening?” • It (she?) ate anyone who could not solve the riddle.

16. And the Answer is: • Oedipus was a smart guy: “Man, for he crawls as a baby, walks erect in maturity, and uses a staff in old age.” • With the riddle answered, the Sphinx destroyed itself, and Thebes was freed from the terror • Go Oedipus!

17. Now Presenting • Oedipus is named the new king of Thebes (of course) • AND he scores a new lady: the late King Laius’ widow • He rules Thebes for many years – he is a good king. • Prophecy, Prophecy, Prophecy • Irony, Irony, Irony

18. Thebes in Trouble Again • The Sphinx is dead, but now the city is dealing with a terrible plague • It is in his effort to bring the plague to an end that Oedipus discovers the secret of his birth • Some scholars believe that this drama may have first been performed after Athens had suffered through a terrible plague, which began in 430 B.C.

19. Things to Ponder as We Read • Does Oedipus fit the definition of a tragic hero? • How do the words and actions of minor characters help you understand the main characters? • What strategies do you need to use in reading a play? • Where do you see examples of dramatic irony? • How does this add to the telling of the story? • Preview the questions that you will be answering at the end of the play.

20. Key Terms • Drama: a story acted out on a stage for an audience • Tragedy: a dramatic work that presents the downfall of a dignified character, usually ending in a character’s death. • Comedy: a dramatic work that is light and often humorous in tone, usually ending happily, with a peaceful resolution of the main conflict.

21. Key Terms • Irony: usually involved a misunderstanding or difference in understanding, creating a gap in understanding that is appreciated by the audience. • Situational or Dramatic Irony: the reader or audience has knowledge of a situation that the characters do not know. The characters’ subsequent actions based on that missing information creates irony. • Tragic Irony: a noble character is undone by mistaken judgment