GREEK DRAMA

Background for Oedipus Rex and Antigone10th grade English

Mrs. Duke

Edited and Added to by Mrs. Russell

How did drama begin? Traveling groups sang about myths and

legends. Playwrights decided to write down the

stories in a form that could be acted out.

Playwright acts out the play by himself 1st actor- Thespis 534 B.C.

Aeschylus (525-456 B.C.), added the second actor, so there was interaction.

Sophocles added a third actor.

Sophocles (496-406 B.C.)

Abolished the “trilogic form”

Each play could be a complete entity in itself

Responsible for the invention of scene painting and “periaktoi”- a three-sided revolving apparatus painted with scenery and used at each side of the stage.

Sophocles

Wrote 100-120 plays; seven have survived in their entirety

Wrote the “Theben Plays”

Oedipus the King (Oedipus Rex)

Oedipus at Colonus Antigone

“DIONYSIA” Religious event held in the spring of

each year Festival honoring the Greek god,

Dionysus Play competitions held at the Theater of

Dionysus at Athens (TDA) Audience would cast stone

ballots to vote for the winner

Play competitions 3 playwrights chosen to perform three

tragedies and one satire each Satire--humorous play about the three

tragedies just presented– A SATYR PLAY IS A FARCICAL, OFTEN BAWDY PARODY OF THE GODS

AND THEIR MYTHS.

Lasted three days, sunrise to sunset Each playwright presented on one day At the end of the third day, a laurel

wreath and a cash award was given to the winning playwright.

Winners Aeschylus and Sophocles won the most

competitions. Sophocles won at least 20 times.

Euripides (480-406 B.C.), while winning less competitions, foreshadowed the ultimate form of drama as we know it -- employing a far more naturalistic or human approach in his works, in contrast to the remote scale and formalized conventions used by his contemporaries.

Comedies Aristophanes (448-380 B.C.) and Menander

(342-292 B.C.) were the greatest comic writers.

A separate competition for comedy which, while also dedicated to Dionysus, took place at the smaller winter festival, rather than the major spring festival at which the tragedies were presented.

These were dependent on topical humor and satire for much of their content, and have not survived the ages as well as tragedies -- which deal with more universal themes.

One of two gods of the earth along with Demeter

God of poetry, drama, the song, and wine

Son of Zeus and Semele (or Persephone)

Worshipped by a religious cult

Believed to be able to take the form of animals to be sacrificed

Worshipped during the festival and given credit for being able to have drama

He was believed to have died every winter and revived every spring.

Outdoor stadium--3,000 spectators – the largest ultimately held twenty thousand people

Theatron--“the seeing place”-- was audience seating

Orchestra--circular area for the chorus Skene building--building used for

dressing, entering and exiting the performance area

Structure of the Greek theater--THEATER

Theatron Located on a sloped surface, usually a

hillside Half or semi-circle Contained wooden or stone benches

built into the hillside Patrons looked down onto the

performance area Segregated seating Patrons were from ALL classes

Orchestra

A flat, circular area where the chorus stood

Separated from the audience by a stone retaining wall

Contained a Thymele in the center of the circle (an altar to Dionysus)

Chorus proceeded to the orchestra by way of the parados

Skene

Flat-roofed scene building Temporary construction of wood, later

became permanent Located across the rear of the orchestra

circle Used as a dressing area for actors

The Greek Theater

The Greek Theater

theatron

orchestra

skenethymele

paragos

The Greek TheaterTheater of Dionysus in Athens, Greece

The Greek Theater

The Greek Theater

The Greek Theater

The Greek Theater

The Greek Theater

Theater--Machinery used Trap door on the skene--divinities

could appear on the roof Mechane--a crane supported by a

large stone that allowed characters to “fly”

Ekkyklema--”thing which rolls out”--low rolling platform used to display dead bodies or to wheel out characters who were ill

Who acted out the plays?

“Hypocrits”=Actors, role players Actor and playwright were originally

the same Never have more than three

hypocrits All male performers--played female

roles also

Costumes Long flowing robes, often with

vertical stripes Oversized and well-padded High boots with raised soles or

stilts Colors were symbolic

Masks Made of linen, wood, or cork

“Larger than life” Identified age,

gender, emotion Exaggerated

features-large eyes, open mouth

Amplified sound

Masks Made of linen, wood, or cork

“Larger than life” Identified age,

gender, emotion Exaggerated

features-large eyes, open mouth

Amplified sound

Masks Made of linen, wood, or cork

“Larger than life” Identified age,

gender, emotion Exaggerated

features-large eyes, open mouth

Amplified sound

Masks Made of linen, wood, or cork

“Larger than life” Identified age,

gender, emotion Exaggerated

features-large eyes, open mouth

Amplified sound

Chorus

Contained 15 men who chanted and danced

Choragos--the spokesman or leader of the chorus

Commented on the action of the play and interpreted its meaning for the audience in chants and odes

Function of the Chorus Sets the overall mood and expresses

theme Adds beauty (theatrical effectiveness)

through song and expressive dance Gives background information Divides action and offers reflections on

events Questions, advises, expresses opinion

(choragos)

Chorus

Location of the chorus

Structure of a Greek TragedyI. Prologue – exposition – provides

background information to set up the conflict

II. Parados – entrance of the chorus with the opening choral ode

III. Episodes – scenesIV. Stasima – choral odesV. Paean– song to DionysusVI. Exodus – action after the last

stasimon, final scene

Odes Poems chanted that

were used to conclude each scene

Musical accompaniment--flute, lyre, percussion

Also called stasima (stasimon)

Epode-final stanza

Paean

Song/Poem of

thanksgiving to

Dionysus

Given just before the

exodus (final scene)

Conventions of Greek Drama Convention = agreement

between artist and audience

MESSENGER Tells news happenings away

from the scene Reports acts of violence not

allowed to be seen onstage

Conventions of Greek Drama

“STAGE DECENCIES” No violent action in

front of the audience Scenes of horror occur

off-stage and are reported to audience

Dialogue or messenger report

Limitations of the Theater

Continuous presence of the chorus “on-stage”

No intermissions, continuous flow of action and choral odes

No lighting no curtains

Aristotle's Six Elements of Drama

1. Plot (the incidents or story line) 2. Character (physical, social,

psychological, moral--people represented in the play)

3. Thought/Theme (insights into humanity and life

4. Music (all sound) 5. Spectacle (scenery and other visual

elements) 6. Diction/language (the dialogue and

poetry)

Conventions of Greek Drama

UNITIES – a way of providing a central focus to a play. Aristotle believed perfect tragedies had:

Unity of Action – simple plot with no mixture of tragedy and comedy

Unity of Time – single day

Unity of Place – one location of scenes

For More About Greek Drama:

The Glory that was Greece Greek Drama and Culture Greek Drama Aristotle Ancient Theatre Greek Theatre Dr. J's Illustrated Greek Theater