Greek Theater

1. Greek Theater

2. History • An Athenian phenomenon • Golden age – 5th Century BCE • Generally three names: Aeschylus, Euripides, Sophocles • Performed for Dionysus- God of wine and grapes • Performed at three annual festivals • Partly religious, partly didactic, partly entertaining • A citizen’s duty to attend • Public money available for those who could not pay • Sponsored by a choregus, a wealthy citizen appointed by the government to perform this liturgy, or public service

3. Plot/ terms • During contests, each tragedian would put on three tragedies and one satyr-play- the tetralogy • Stories were derived from mythology, the Greek equivalent of the Bible • Focused on governmental, social, political, and religious themes • Revolve around a tragic figure of ambiguous morality (the most interesting literary figure) • Harmatia- the hero’s error or frailty • Peripetia- irony- where the opposite of what the protagonist hopes for occurs • Anagnorisis- the point where the protagonist realizes his folly, but too late • Catharisis- the release of emotion- Aristotle’s concept of release for the audience

4. Plot/terms continued • Ate- a rash temper that leads to complete ruin • Hubris- overreaching pride

5. Theater terms/ layout • Theatron- where the audience sat • Orchestra- where the chorus stood, danced, and acted • Parados- entrance passages from right and left • Skene- a wooden structure that served as dressing room and scenery • Proscenium- area in front of skene where most action took place • All male actors • Masks worn that depict character’s prime trait • Three actors in Sophocles’ time

6. Theater layout http://academic.reed.edu/humanities/110tech/graphics/theaterdiagram.jpg

7. http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d4/Delphi_Composite.jpg/720px-Delphi_Composite.jpghttp://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d4/Delphi_Composite.jpg/720px-Delphi_Composite.jpg

8. The chorus • Originally the “nucleus from which tragedy evolved and it continued to have a central place in the drama throughout classical times”(Milch 10). • Acted as the ideal “‘spectator’”(10) • Clarifies plot and reveals inner thoughts of characters • Creates setting, and emotional background to the events • Covers the passage of time between episodes • Serves as a narrator- we still see this today

9. Structure of the plays • Prologue- the opening- the background of the story is established, typically with a single actor or a dialogue between two • Parados- the entrance of the chorus, chanting, and this usually underscores the theme of the play • Episode- like a scene, featuring dialogue and action • Stasimon- a choral ode- serves of a choral common on the episode • Exodus- the final action after the ultimate stasimon, which ends with the actors and chorus exiting

10. Aristotle on Tragedy • Western thought, including science, highly relies on Aristotle • Studies the “Golden Age” of tragedy 200 years later • Six main elements: plot, character, diction, thought, spectacle, and song • On the hero: • “‘a man who is highly renowned and prosperous, but one who is not pre-eminently virtuous and just, whose misfortune, however, is brought upon him not by vice or depravity but by some error of judgment or frailty’”(Milch 14).

11. Sophocles • Born 459 CE outside of Athens to a wealthy armorer • Received classical education in music, poetry, dancing, and gymnastics • First tragic tetralogy performed in 468 BCE • Wrote more than 120 plays • Won first prize 18 times • Only seven complete tragedies still survive • The Oedipus trilogy is out of order • Antigone: 440 BCE, Oedipus Rex: 430 BCE, Oedipus at Colonus: 401 BCE • So honored, the Spartans paused siege of Athens for his funeral(Milch 16-17).

12. Antigone_________________ Ismene___________________ Creon____________________ Leader___________________