It’s all Greek to me!

1. It’s all Greek to me! Ancient Greeks and the tragedy of “Antigone”

2. Aristotle’s Definition of Tragedy “Tragedy … is an imitation of an action that is serious, complete, and of a certain magnitude; in language embellished with each kind of artistic ornament, the several kinds being found in separate parts of the play; in the form of action, not of narrative; through pity and fear effecting the proper purgation of these emotions.”

3. Our definition of Tragedy A work written to be performed in which a central character, called a tragic protagonist or hero, suffers some serious misfortune. Tragedy stresses the vulnerability of human beings.

4. 6 Elements of Tragedy *** Published after tragedy had already been written*** • Plot • Character • Diction (choice of style and imagery, etc.) • Thought (the characters’ thoughts and the author’s meaning) • Spectacle (visual effects) • Song (hence, the chorus)

5. Tragic Protagonist • Must not be so virtuous that instead of feeling pity or fear at his downfall, we are simply outraged; • Cannot be so evil that for the sake of justice we desire his misfortune; • Should be famous or prosperous (like Oedipus) • Should be “neither outstanding in virtue and righteousness; nor is it through badness or villainy of his own that he falls into misfortune, but rather through some flaw [hamartia]”.

6. “Hamartia?” • An error in judgment • Example: When a character has the facts wrong or doesn’t know when to stop trying to get dangerous information. • A moral weakness • A tragic flaw, such as HUBRIS… The character defect that causes the downfall of a protagonist in a tragedy

7. Hubris (hyoo-bris) • Excessive pride or arrogance • Example: When a character is moral in every way except for being prideful enough to insult a god.

8. Pride 1.a high or inordinate opinion of one's own dignity, importance, merit, or superiority, whether as cherished in the mind or as displayed in bearing, conduct, etc. 2.the state or feeling of being proud. 3.a becoming or dignified sense of what is due to oneself or one's position or character; self-respect; self-esteem. 4.pleasure or satisfaction taken in something done by or belonging to oneself or believed to reflect credit upon oneself: civic pride.

9. Aristotle’s Poetics • The first literary critic • A “guide” to writing tragedy for contemporary (5th century B.C.) poets. • Also written to answer the objections to dramatic poetry expressed by his teacher Plato in the Republic.

10. Aristotle’s Poetics: The Basics • Tragedies should NOT be episodic - episodes must have a probable or inevitable connection with each other. • Complex plots are better than simple plots…

11. Poetics, continued… • Recognition (anagnorisis) - a change from ignorance to knowledge; • Anagnorisis - the critical moment of recognition or discovery, preceding peripeteia. • Applied to any self-knowledge the hero gains, as well as to the insight into the whole nature or condition of mankind; • Associated with the hero’s peripeteia - “reversal of fortune”.

12. Poetics, continued… 3. Suffering 4. The pity and fear which a tragedy evokes should come from the events and actions (not the mere sight of something on stage) 5. Catharsis of pity and fear • Catharsis - A purifying or figurative cleansing of the emotions, especially pity and fear, as an effect of tragic drama on its audience.

13. Poetics, continued… • Purification of the audience’s feelings of pity and fear, so that we understand better whether we should feel them; • Purgation of our pity and fear so that we can face life with less of these emotions or more control over them; • Purification of the events of the plot, so that the protagonist’s errors or transgressions become “cleansed” by his recognition and suffering.

14. Conventions of Greek Tragedy • Continuous presence of chorus after the prologue; no intermissions • No interior scenes (for obvious reasons) • No lighting effects (again, obvious) • No acts of violence in front of the audience • Mythological subjects; the audience is familiar with the main outlines of the plot in advance

15. Conventions of Greek Tragedy • Poetic form • Actors: • Only male • Wore conventional costumes (masks and boots) • Spoke in stichomythia - dialogue in brief, alternate lines, sometimes like actual conversation, sometimes building to an emotional climax • Would occasionally sing arias

16. Conventions of Greek Tragedy • Frequent use of a messenger • Uses of the machine - to lift some actors up above the stage, thus creating deus ex machina (“god of the machine”) • A miraculous character or event which/who appears at the end of a play to solve all the problems of a plot • Ex: the treasure at the end of “Dodgeball”

17. The First Greek Tragedies • Dithyrambs • Religious performances to worship Dionysus • Ceremonial dances accompanied by sung poetry which told the story of legendary gods and heroes • “Satyr-play” • Chorus of men dressed as goats performed rowdy celebrations of Dionysus • “Satire”

18. The First Greek Tragedies • Thespis • Presented the first tragedy ever performed at City Dionysia (534 B.C.) • Added masks • First speaking character • Aeschylus • Added a second actor to tragedy, thereby reducing the importance of the chorus • First to compose a real trilogy (with a single plot strand)

19. The First Greek Tragedies • Sophocles • Increased the size of the chorus from 12 to 15 members • Added a third actor • Euripides • Critical and skeptical attitudes toward gods and religion, human motives and vices

20. City Dionysia • Honored Dionysus, the Greek god of wine • Held in late March or early April • Part of a fertility rite • Plays were judged • All citizens attended; the state paid admission for the poor • Playwrights were assigned a chorus and a choregus

21. City Dionysia • Choregus - wealthy citizen who was honored with being taxed by the polis to pay the high cost of the production • Liturgy - the tax paid by the Choregus

22. THE END