Greek DramaHistory of Drama

Greek Timeline Golden Age of Greek Drama: 500-400

B.C. Called “Golden Age” because it

produced the biggest advances of drama in history.

HOW IT BEGAN… Greeks paid homage

to Dionysus, the god of wine and fertility.

Outdoor festival lasted 3 days.

Dancing and singing led to an actor, which evolved into drama as we know it.

Dionysian Festivals 4 times a year, spring festival was

most popular Business was suspended for one week

and people paid cheap admission. Those who could not pay were

admitted free. Both sexes invited, only men could act. Drama was not recreation, it was

sacred and religious.

DIONYSIAN FESTIVALS cont…

Contest between authors for Ivy wreath

Each author presented 3 plays3 tragedies with same

theme Comedy writers

presented 1 satire, a comedy with a chorus of satyrs (half man/half beast)Tragedy literally

means “goat song”

THE EVOLUTION OF GREEK DRAMA Thespis came up with having 1 actor If one actor, why not two? Sophocles said, if two, why not 3?

The Chorus Eventually about 12-15 dancers/actors Remained on stage throughout entire

play Sang choral odes similar to worship

liturgy Also set forth to introduce characters

and events to audience, such as in Oedipus.

Pictures of Chorus

Violence on Stage Ancient Greek civilization believed that

violence for the sake of violence was “low” and not worthy of serious consideration.

Only the aftermath of violence was ever shown on stage. (Sometimes very gory!)

Violence could be relayed through dialogue, but actual acts of violence were not seen.

Violence on Stage Aftermath shown:

Carts with “dead” bodies on them (ekkyklema)

Masks & Costumes reflecting brutality

Speeches that relayed violent acts were acceptable.

Example: Oedipus pokes pins in eyes offstage, runs out with blood streaming down face.

Concessions The plays were performed during

festivals, so people would travel to Athens, and stay for several days.

To accommodate the masses, olives, flat bread, wine, feta/goat cheese, and figs were sold as concessions.

People could also bring in their own food!

SCENERY/EFFECTS “Pinakes” – scenery painted on boards and

placed against skene “Periaktois” – triangular prisms that could

be revolved for scenery changes Drums for thunder “Ekkyklema” – wagon to show corpses

Deus Ex Machina[dey-uh s eks mah-kuh-nuh ]

Literally means “God out of the machine”

Crane apparatus to fly in a god to “save the day”

Now Deus ex Machina is a literary term indicating that a conflict in the story or play was solved through some kind of divine or unexpected supernatural intervention.

Costuming Costumes (Robes)

Color = status Raised Boots

Made characters “larger than life”

Wigs (braided) and reflective of gender

Masks

Worn by all (chorus and actors)

Recognizable characters

Made it possible for the same actor to play many parts

Showed character’s station and emotion

More Greek Masks

Style of PerformanceSing-song qualityGesturingDramatic PauseBased on previous knowledge or

well-known storiesRhetorical

Question format to generate interest

Tragedy Tragedy = “Goat Song” Tragic Hero (180 degree change) Tragic Flaw Catharsis

“Cleansing or Purging of Emotion”An extreme emotion

Thespis First author to win Dionysian

playwriting prize in 534 B.C. Prize-winning play introduced a chorus

leader Became first Greek actor First began use of masks Word “Thespian,” meaning actor, is

derived from his name.

Aeschylus (525-456 B.C.)

Father of Greek TragedyCame after THESPIS

Wrote almost 100 plays (only 7 remain)

Won Dionysian playwright prize 13 times

Warrior at Battle of the Marathon

Aeschylus cont. Invented the trilogy Added 2nd actor to Thespis’ first Reduced Chorus from 60 to 12 Enjoyed a spectacle, had dramatic

deaths and frightening masks in plays

Sophocles Wrote 123 plays (7

remain) Made the Chorus the

“Frame of Action” Wrote famous

Oedipus Trilogy Increased Chorus

from 12-15 (497-406 B.C.)

Sophocles, cont. Handsome, well-educated, well-

rounded Musician, singer, athlete, politician,

warrior. Won 18 Dionysian Festivals Introduced 3rd actor Literary genius, skilled in language,

plot, and character portrayal.

Euripides (485-406 B.C.) Great Humanizer (characters were

more human and prone to error; less god-like)

First Modern – Challenged accepted ideals

Deus ex Machina (stage crane) Prologue by god or main character Trap doors (more spectacle)! Wrote “Medea,” about a woman driven

mad with jealousy

Aristophanes & Menander 450-380 B.C. Considered finest

Greek comedy writer

Wrote satires of well-known tragedies

Wrote about social aspects

342-291 B.C. Unlike

Aristophanes, wrote about domestic issues (servants, relatives, family figures)

Copied by Roman writers

Little work exists today

ARISTOTLE’S BOOK POETICS 6 parts—plot, characters, thought,

diction, melody, spectacle Rules:

1. Tragedy should provide “catharsis,” spiritual purge, to urge the audience to live moral lives

2a. Hero should be a nobleman or a god

2b. Hero should possess a TRAGIC FLAW: a character trait or a failure in judgment that brings disaster

ARISTOTLE’S BOOK “POETICS”

3. There must be a change in fortune

4. The plays should be written in poetry

5. The plot must conform to the three unities

The Three Unities:Time – play’s action

occurs in REAL timeAction – all action

centers around MAIN CHARACTER; no subplots

Place – action occurs in one locale