Introduction To Greek Theatre and Tragedy

1. Introduction To Greek Theatre and Tragedy

2. What is Tragedy Anyway? • You know, we say something is a tragedy pretty casually in daily life. • If we drop ice cream cone on our shirt, we say it's a tragedy. • If our team loses an important game, we say it's a tragedy. • If a pelican steals our beach hat, we say it's time to get a new beach hat.

3. Genre: Greek Tragedy • is a work of art (in this case, dramatic art, because it's a drama) and its form is that of a tragedy. Though the play can be described as sad or depressing, because it's a great work of artwe can also describe it as intellectually enlarging, ennobling, and uplifting. • The word "tragedy" refers primarily to tragic drama: a tragic hero sufferssome serious misfortunewhich is not accidental and therefore meaningless, but is significant in that the misfortune is logically connected with the hero's actions. Tragedy stresses the vulnerability of human beings whose suffering is brought on by a combination of human and divine actions, but is generally undeserved with regard to its harshness.

4. Theatre of Dionysus

5. Theatre of Dionysus

8. Greek Masks • Functions of Greek Masks • Portrayed different emotions • Amplified voices • Allowed actors to portray different characters • Allowed audience in back to see

9. Attire • The Chiton • Chotharnus- elevating shoes • Chalmys- short cloak • Himation- long cloak

10. Qualities of Greek Drama • Performed on special occasions or festivals for worshipping Dionysus • Competitive- prizes awarded (maybe a goat!) • Choral-singing was very important, Greek Theatre evolved from a chorus singing

11. The Greek Chorus • The Chorus began in numbers as large as 50, then smaller sizes (approx. 12) as actors become more predominate. • Idealspectator: reacts as the audience should. Asks questions, takes part in the play • Establishes framework, sets the standard by which action will be judged • Heightens dramatic effect through movement, song and dance. Their dance and chanting provided the visionary experience that separated audience from the actor and the essence of tragedy. • Rhythmical Function-pauses/paces the action so audience can reflect and actors can rest/prepare . They provided time for scene changes, introduced background and summary information.

12. Structure of Greek Drama Here are a few characteristics of the structure of Greek Drama: • Violence and Death Offstage • Frequent use of messengers to relate information • Usually a single place (setting) • Stories based on myth or history, but varied interpretations of both

13. Greek Culture • Mythology • Olympians • Apollo god of Truth • Oracles • Reside in Delphi • Prophets • Tiresias • Values • Independence • Education • Hospitality

14. So what does all this mean? • Big Theatre • Big Characters • Big Emotions • Big Consequences- for one person! Who could that be?!

15. THE TRAGIC HERO!

16. Aristotle’s Tragic Hero • Tragedy should evoke a sense of pity and fear in the audience • Tragedy can only arouse the sense of pity and fear if the hero is neither completely good nor completely bad • The tragic hero should be highly renowned and prosperous because the hero must fall from tremendous good fortune in order to feel pity and fear • The hero experiences a downfall because of his “error or frailty”. This means either: • a single error of judgment • His tragic flaw ( a fundamental character weakness, such as destructive pride, ruthless ambition or obsessive jealousy.)

17. Tragic Hero Continued • Regardless of how one interprets the “error or frailty”, the key point is that the hero is on some level responsible for his downfall. • By the end of the play the hero comes to recognize his error and accept the consequences as his own fault • The real tragic hero is humbled and enlightened b/c of the tragedy • The tragic hero evokes our pity because he is not evil and his misfortune is greater than he deserves, and he evokes our fear because we realize we are fallible and could make the same error

18. Why ? Why? Why? • Catharsis – purging of emotion • William Butler Yeats described tragedy as a "terrible beauty." Audience is enlarged and ennobled by the hero’s dignity in the face of severe suffering • Real life is disordered and jumbled. Art doesn't have to be. So, when crafting a tragedy (or any piece of art), the artist can focus on the essentials of the story, consider causes, and reasons, and make the experience of the tragic character our experience.

19. That’s Greek to me Tragic hero = tragic protagonist • King = Rex • tragic flaw = hamartia • Pride = hubris • Misfortune = catastrophe • Revelation too late = anagnorisis Plot • Reversal of fate = peripeteia • Suffering too great = pathos • Audience feels fear and pity = catharsis

20. Euripides • The father of the modern psychological tragedy • Focused on strong, complex female characters and their motives • Questions authority and reveals a fascination for the oppressed (women, slaves, barbarians) • Least successful of his contemporaries (won only 4 times)

21. Sophocles • Emphasis on individual characters • Reduced role of the Chorus • Complex characters, psychologically well-motivated • Characters subjected to crisis which leads to suffering and self-recognition • Common Theme: The choices people make have consequences