A History of Greek Theatre

1. A History of Greek Theatre With some random historical facts thrown in

2. Theatre of Dionysus, Athens 2010

3. The Battle of Marathon • In the year 490 B.C., the Athenians defeated an overwhelming force of Persians at the Battle of Marathon • The result of this upset was one of the largest flowerings of creativity the world has ever seen • Interesting fact: a Greek runner ran about 26 miles to carry the news to Athens

4. The Golden Age of Greece After the Battle of Marathon, Greece enters a Golden Age during the 5th century B.C. Athens, Corinth, Sparta, Argos are the citystates Greece forms a democratic government Every male citizen has the right to vote; however, women and slaves are not considered citizens A woman is considered the property of her husband

5. Greek Drama and Religious Worship • Drama begins as a form of religious worship of the Greek god Dionysus • Earliest forms of worship included religious chants and songs performed by the chorus • The chorus would walk back and forth on the stage chanting religious hymns • Tradition states that Thespis, a choral leader, stepped out of a chorus and spoke to the chorus; thus he is known as the first actor • This is where we get the word for an actor, “thespian”

6. Dionysus • Dionysus is the god of wine and vegetation • He was worshipped by the Maenads or Bacchantes female devotees who roamed the wilderness is ecstatic devotion to him • Dionysus was believed to die each winter and was reborn in the spring • The cyclical revival, accompanied by the renewal of the fruits of the earth, embodied the promise of ressurection

7. Dionysian Festival • The Greater Dionysia was held for 5 days during the spring • Each writer would present 3 tragedies and a satyr play • A satyr play is a farcical and bawdy parody of the gods and their myths • 15,000 people would watch the plays and vote for their favorite by casting stone ballots • Winners would receive a laurel wreath

8. The Greek Theatre • Theatres were built into hillsides • The Greek actors were all men • The actors wore larger than life masks, which indicated the nature of the character • If a character was happy, the mask would have a smile, etc. • Each mask also contained a megaphone so the voice would project

9. Sophocles, 496 B.C.- 406 B.C. • Sophocles was one of the three great dramatists of Athens • He was the most successful playwright at the greater Dionysia, winning at least 20 times • Of the 100 plays he wrote, only 7 survive today • Oedipus Rex and Antigone are 2 of his most acclaimed plays • His plays often deal with the pain and suffering caused when a person defies divine will

10. Aristotle and Greek Drama • Aristotle was the first literary critic and thinker • He defines a tragic hero as one who comes from nobility, has a tragic flaw, has a great fall (a reversal of fortune), has recognition • His 6 elements of drama are: • Plot • Character • Theme • Music • Spectacle (scenery and visual elements) • Diction/language (dialogue and poetry)

11. Aristotle’s Play Structure • Inciting moment • Rising action • Climax • Falling action • Denouement/resolution • Today this is also known as Freytag’s Pyramid