greek drama. how did drama begin? n traveling groups sang about myths and legends. n playwrights...
TRANSCRIPT
GREEK DRAMA
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 (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 day 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.
The Greek Theater
Amphitheatre-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 paragos / 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
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
MESSENGER Tells news happenings away
from the scene Reports acts of violence not
allowed to be seen onstage
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
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)