Ancient Greek Theatre Project

1. Ancient Greek Theatre Project As preparation for reading Sophocles’ play Antigone, the Women in Literature students attended the Queensborough Community College performance of his play, Oedipus Rex. To further understand the Ancient Greek Theatre, students chose specific topics related to the time and the theatre.

2. Requirements • Students followed the directions for the Project from the Hillcrest High School English Department web site. • Students received instruction through the Internet and email. • Students used APA documentation for their PowerPoint Presentations.

3. Ancient Greek Theatre Project The removal of student names complies with the IAUP. Presenting ELL2-01 Advance by using the arrow keys or left click the mouse.

4. Ancient Greece A Woman’s Daily Life

5. Table of contents A Woman’s Daily Life • Women’s Duties • Woman At Work • Women’s Dresses • Greek Religion • Goddesses • Special Ancient Greek Dishes • References

6. Women’s Duties Greek women had no political rights at all, and were controlled by their husbands in almost every part of their life. The urban women’s most important duties were to have children, preferably male, and to take care of the house. The responsibility of women in the rural area included them harvesting olives and fruit. Yet, in both the rural and urban areas the woman had to weave their clothing, cook food for their family, and manage their slaves.

7. Woman At Work The first image shows a young woman in the kitchen cooking and the second picture is a loom which the Greek woman used to make clothing.

8. Women’s Dresses The Greek Woman’s Clothing Peplos was a woman’s dress made of wool. Chiton was the most commonly worn garments.

9. Dress The Greek women’s clothes were mostly made in their home from wool or flax that were available in their area. The two commonly worn garments were called chitons or tunic and the himation or cloak.

10. Greek Religion The ancient Greeks were very religious people. The Greeks worshipped many Gods, some of which they believed showed themselves in human form, but have superhuman strength and beauty that never fades. The Greek literature that was written about the gods and goddesses were called the Iliad and the Odyssey.

11. Goddesses Aphrodite is the goddess of sexuality and erotic love .She was born as a sea goddess and also worshipped as one.

12. Special Ancient Greek Dishes The Greeks had a very healthy diet. they ate a lot of bread, beans, and olives. Greeks lived very near the sea that is why they ate a lot of fish, squid and shellfish.

13. Special dishes Cuttlefish with leeks Baked eggplants with Tomatoes, Onions, Garlic

14. References Ancient GreeksCampus, Anglia. (2003-06).Retrieved May 17,2006, from http://www .angliacampus.com/public/pri/history/greeks/page17.htm TheAncient Greek World. Universityof Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology. (2002). Retrieved May 17,2006, from http://www.museum.upenn .edu/greek_world/Index.html

15. Construction of the Greek Theater An ancient beginning of modern plays

16. Location of Greek theaters This theater was placed at Mt.Parnassus which is near the temple of Opollo. Since the Greek people had drama that was related with religion the location of this theater is placed near a religious place.

17. A Greek Theater Today! This is the theater of Opollo once again as it is seen today. The stones have started to fade away and because of it’s condition this theater has become an historical monument.

18. Layout of Greek theater’s This is the actual layout of the first Greek theater it became the layout for every Greek theater which remained mostly the same from late 6th century BC to the 4th and 3rd centuries BC.

19. The Sequence of Greek Plays • The Prologue is the mythological background information needed in order to understand the play. • The Parodos is sung by the chorus when they first enter the play along with the orchestra . • The first episode is when the character’s and chorus talk. • The first Stasimon occurs after every episode when the chorus starts singing after the characters leave. • The exodos is a song sung by the chorus which tells the outcome of the play this occurs after the play is over.

20. Why were Skenes used? To the far right side of this picture a tent called a skene can be seen this is where the actors kept their masks and costumes and was where the actors were to change their clothes.

21. References Aristophanes, R.G. (1979). Greece and Rome New Surveys in the Classics, 13. Retrieved May 16, 2006 from http://academic.reed.edu/humanities/110Tech/Theater.html Brown, Kevin. (2001). Geographicus. Retrieved May 15, 2006 from http://www.geographicus. com/Merchant2/graphics/00000001/Theatre-white-1793-M.jpg 4 Ng, Justin. (1970). Lacation: Seattle, Washington Retrieved May 14, 2006 from http://www .letsblocking.com/justin/uploaded_images/IMG_1591-748576.jpg Raia, Ann. (1975). Theater of Apollo from the stadium. Retrieved May 14, 2006 from http://www.vroma.org/ images/raia_images/delphi_theater1.jpg Raia, Ann. (1975). Theater orchestra viewed form top seats. May 16, 2006 from www.vroma.org/ images/raia_images/epidaurus4.jpg

22. The Greek God: Dionysus

23. Multiple Names • God of Wine • Resurrection God • The Wanderer • Roman God Bacchus

24. History Dionysus was fortunate to survive birth. Zeus, the weather god, rescued Dionysus from the womb of his mother as she lay dying. Then, he stitched him into his thigh, carrying him there until the baby was ready to be born.

25. Further History Hera, Zeus’ wife and sister who is the goddess of marriage and birth, had the newborn Dionysus killed by Titan assassins who tore him to bits and  boiled the pieces of his body in a great cauldron. Miraculously, he was resurrected by his grandmother though in some accounts it was by his half sister, Athena and was entrusted to the goddess Persephone for safekeeping. Persephone, the goddess of the underworld, in turn hid him with the king and his wife.

26. Images Zeus Zeus and baby Dionysus Dionysus Dionysus Hera and Husband/ Brother Zeus Persephone

27. References Apiryon T. (1999) Ordo Templi Orientis. Retrieved May 12, 2006, from http://www.hermetic.com/ sabazius/dionysus.html Dean Gordon. (1998) The Olympians. Retrieved May 12, 2006, from http://www.mythweb.com/gods/Dionysus.html Gross Rachel and Grote Dale. (2003) Dionysus. RetrievedMay 15, 2006,from http://www.pantheon.org/ articles/dionysus.html Lewis & Clark College.(2006) Images. Retrieved May 15, 2006, from http://www.lclark.edu/~ndsmith/ sculpture.html Lichtenfels Lisa.(2005) Images. Retrieved May 15, 2006, from http://home.earthlink.net/ ~jcarruth/persephone.html Macary Maggie.(2005) Images. Retrieved May 15, 2006,from http://www.mythandculture.com/weblog/ 2005_04_01_archive.html Wilson Pip.(2001) Images. Retrieved May 16, 2006, from http://www.wilsonsalmanac.com/ dionysus_bacchus.html

28. Masks of Ancient Greek Theater

29. Introduction A mask is a form of disguise. It is an object that is frequently worn over or in front of the face to hide the identity of a person and by its own features to establish another being. This essential characteristic of hiding and revealing personalities or moods is common to all masks. As cultural objects, they have been used throughout the world in all periods since the Stone Age and have been as varied in appearance as in their use and symbolism.

30. Images of the Greek masks

31. HISTORY OF GREEK MASKS Masks have been designed in innumerable varieties, from the simplest of crude “false faces” held by a handle to complete head coverings with ingenious movable parts and hidden faces. Mask makers have shown great resourcefulness in selecting and combining available materials. Among the substances utilized are woods, metals, shells, fibers, ivory, clay, horn, stone, feathers, leather, furs, paper, cloth, and corn husks. Surface treatments have ranged from rugged simplicity to intricate carving and from polished woods and mosaics to gaudy adornments.

32. HISTORY OF GREEK MASKS Masks generally are worn with a costume, often so complete that it entirely covers the body of the wearer. Fundamentally the costume completes the new identity represented by the mask, and usually tradition prescribes its appearance and construction to the same extent as the mask itself. Costumes, like the masks, are made of a great variety of materials, all of which have a symbolic connection with the mask's total imagery. Ideally the costume should be seen with the mask while the wearer is in action.

33. HISTORY OF GREEK MASKS The morphological elements of the mask are with few exceptions derived from natural forms. Masks with human features are classified as anthropomorphic and those with animal characteristics as theriomorphic. In some instances, the mask form is a replication of natural features or closely follows the lineaments of reality, and in other instances it is an abstraction. Masks usually represent supernatural beings, ancestors, and fanciful or imagined figures and can also be portraits. The localization of a particular spirit in a specific mask must be considered a highly significant reason for its existence.

34. History of Greek Masks The change in identity of the wearer for that of the mask is vital, for if the spirit represented does not reside in the image of the mask, the ritual petitions, supplications, and offerings made to it would be ineffectual and meaningless. The mask, therefore, most often functions as a means of contact with various spirit powers, thereby protecting against the unknown forces of the universe by prevailing upon their potential beneficence in all matters relative to life.

35. How to Make a Mask: To make paper Mache:         1) Mix water with white flour until it makes a paste (a little thinner than glue).  Remember, you can always add water or flour, so don't get upset if your mixture is too thick or too thin.         2) Tear newspaper into strips.  If you're at school, and there isn't enough newspaper for everyone, the brown paper towels in your school bathroom will work just as well, and even turn out a little smoother than the newspaper.  (Those of you using newspaper might want to put a layer of paper towels over the newsprint when you're finished.)         3) Dip the newspaper (or paper towel) strips into the flour-water mixture, so that the entire strip is covered.

36. References Introduction. (2004). Retrieved May 13, 2006, from http://www.anymask.com/historyofmask.html Image. (n.d.) Retrieved May 13, 2006, from http://cgi.ebay.com/Ancient-Greek-Art-Theater-Masks-Comedy-TragedyLBL_W0QQitemZ9316209770QQcategoryZ553QQssPageNameZWD1VQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem Image. (n.d.). Retrieved May 13, 2006 from http://cgi.ebay.com/Ancient-Greek-Art-Theater-Masks-Comedy-Drama-BLL_W0QQitemZ9316209840QQcategoryZ553QQssPageNameZWD1VQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem Image. (n.d.) Retrieved May 14, 2006 from http://cgi.ebay.com/bearded-mask-greek-zeus-jupiter-sculpture-classical_W0QQitemZ9320220212QQcategoryZ553QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem Image. (n.d.). Retrieved May 12, 2006, from http://cgi.ebay.com/ZEUS-WALL-FOUNTAIN-PLAQUE-cast-iron-GREEK-TRAGEDY-MASK_W0QQitemZ7415212544QQcategoryZ4708QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem Image. (n.d.). Retrieved May 12, 2006, from http://cgi.ebay.com/GREEK-THEATER-MASKS-MUSEUM-COPYWALLHANGING_W0QQitemZ9301449671QQcategoryZ553QQssPageNameZWD1VQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem#ebayphotohosting

37. Greek Theatre:Costumes in Ancient History

38. Around 1,200 B.C., waves of Dorian invaders came into Greece from Illyria, on the east of the Adriatic and brought about the downfall of the Mycenaean civilization. The following four centuries are known as the “Dark Ages” of Greece. The period started with a civilization of people dressed in bell-shaped skirts and tightly fitted bodices, and ended with a race dressed in draped clothes, the costume we now associate with the Greeks and the Romans. From this period on, this style of costume has been used. The Costume:How It All Came To Be

39. Lighting, Properties and Costumes The sun provided lighting. Torches were used, more as properties in order to heighten the power of the appearance of certain passages or characters. The surroundings around the actors determined the size of character the actors wanted to portray in the play. For example, if an actor was playing a dwarf, it’s surrounding props would be made much larger than him to create the appearance that he was small. It was hard for the audience to see the facial expressions of the actors because they were too small to see.

40. Lighting, Properties and Costumes Gestures had to be large and sweeping and costumes had to be large and flowing in order to allow free, athletic movement, and to make a strong visual impression upon the audience. The actor’s role in a play was determined by the type of mask they wore. Masks were an important part of theater up until the seventeenth century. In the tragedies, these types were few and simple. There was the protagonist, the noble man/woman; the messenger; the sightless seer, and the serious or careworn man, the figure of respect and responsibility.

41. Masks The origin of masks, in Ancient Greece, came from the ancient Dionysian cult. The first writer to use masks in his plays was Thespis. Actors and chorus members, both, wore masks. Although they differed entirely, especially from the leading actors. Actors had to change their masks, in many occasions, during the play, to be able to portray more than one character. The use of masks, along with costumes, also helped the men portray women in plays, because women were not allowed to set foot on the orchestra. This was because the people of Ancient Greece considered the orchestra to be holy and sacred.

42. References Englert, Walter. (2004, July). Ancient Greek Theatre. Retrieved May 16, 2006, from http://academic.reed.edu/humanities/110Tech/Theater.html Karayannakos Elias. (2000). Retrieved May 18, 2006, from http://users .panafonet.gr/ekar/

43. Women in Literature GREEK DRAMA

44. GREEK DRAMA • Drama is an art from that tells a story through the speech and actions of the characters in the story. Most drama is performed by actors who impersonate the characters before an audience in a theater. • Drama was reborn in Ancient Greece. Much of our knowledge of Greek theater comes from archaeological studies and historical writing of the time. By the 600’s B.C. the Greeks were giving choral performances of dancing and singing at festivals honoring Dionysus. The earliest record of Greek drama dates from about 534 B.C. when a contest for tragedy was established in Athens.

45. Tradegy and comedy Tragedy, Comedy and Satyr Plays Three types of drama which were composed in Athens. Comedy concerns average, or below average, people who enjoy a transition from bad circumstances to good and who speak everyday language. Greek playwrights did not mix tragedy in the same play. There are two types of comedy, one is old comedy and the other one is new comedy. The most comedies written after 338 B. C. are called new comedy. GREEK DRAMA

46. Greek Drama Tragedies were part of a religious festival to Dionysus. Originally, it was associated with religious celebrations being solemn, poetic, and philosophic. Almost all the surviving tragedies were based on myths. Greek tragedies consisted of a series of dramatic episodes separated by choral odes. The episodes were performed by a few actors, the actors wore masks to indicate the nature of the characters they played. The poetic language and the idealized characters suggest that Greek acting was dignified and formal. One of the most famous Greek tragedy writer is Aeschylus, he wrote many Greek tragedies. He was a master of the trilogy, a dramatic form consisting of three tragedies that focus on different phases of the same story.

47. References Denault, Leigh T. (2003). The glory that was Greece. Retrieved May 15, 2006, from http://www.watson.org/~leigh/rivendellmoving.html

48. Greek CHORUS

49. What is a CHORUS? • The chorus offered background and summary information to help the audience follow the performance, commented on main themes, and showed how an ideal audience might react to the drama as it was presented. • They also represent the general populace of any particular story. The chorus usually communicated in song form, but sometimes the message was spoken. • The people who sing the CHORUS would walk back and forth across the stage chanting religious hymns.

50. Example of a women’s CHORUS