greek theater: oedipus & antigone

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Page 1: Greek Theater: Oedipus & Antigone

Please take notes.Please take notes.You will have a QUIZ on this You will have a QUIZ on this

information.information.

Greek Theater Greek Theater Background InformationBackground Information

Page 2: Greek Theater: Oedipus & Antigone

The Athenian TheaterThe Athenian Theater• SophoclesSophocles’’ plays were written to be plays were written to be

performed in public at the great performed in public at the great Theater of Dionysus. Theater of Dionysus.

Page 3: Greek Theater: Oedipus & Antigone

The Athenian TheaterThe Athenian Theater• This theater was located in the heart This theater was located in the heart

of Athens on the slope of the rocky of Athens on the slope of the rocky hill of the Acropolis.hill of the Acropolis.

Page 4: Greek Theater: Oedipus & Antigone

The Athenian TheaterThe Athenian Theater• The Theater of Dionysus looked like a The Theater of Dionysus looked like a

semicircular football stadium.semicircular football stadium.

• The seats were carved out of stone. The seats were carved out of stone.

Page 5: Greek Theater: Oedipus & Antigone

•In front of the seats In front of the seats was a rounded was a rounded orchestra where the orchestra where the chorus sang and chorus sang and danced around an alter.danced around an alter.

•Behind the orchestra Behind the orchestra was a platform where was a platform where the actors spoke their the actors spoke their lines from behind huge lines from behind huge masks. masks.

The Athenian TheaterThe Athenian Theater

Page 6: Greek Theater: Oedipus & Antigone

The Athenian TheaterThe Athenian Theater• The masks had exaggerated mouthpieces The masks had exaggerated mouthpieces

that amplified the actorsthat amplified the actors’’ voices. voices.

• Many were stylized into familiar character Many were stylized into familiar character types that were easily recognized by the types that were easily recognized by the audience.audience.

Page 7: Greek Theater: Oedipus & Antigone

The Athenian TheaterThe Athenian Theater• Plays were usually staged Plays were usually staged

during the Festival of during the Festival of DionysusDionysus

• Crowds of 15,000 people Crowds of 15,000 people regularly attended the regularly attended the performances—even performances—even criminals were released to criminals were released to see the plays.see the plays.

Page 8: Greek Theater: Oedipus & Antigone

The Athenian TheaterThe Athenian Theater• Originally, dancing choruses of Originally, dancing choruses of

worshipers began competing for worshipers began competing for prizes.prizes.

• Tradition has it that a man named Tradition has it that a man named Thespis transformed the chorusThespis transformed the chorus’’s s hymns into songs that still honored hymns into songs that still honored Dionysus but also told a story of a Dionysus but also told a story of a famous hero or even another god. famous hero or even another god.

Page 9: Greek Theater: Oedipus & Antigone

The Athenian TheaterThe Athenian Theater• Then Thespis added another Then Thespis added another

innovation: one of the chorus members innovation: one of the chorus members would step away from the others to would step away from the others to play the part of that hero or god.play the part of that hero or god.

• This individual actor wore a mask and This individual actor wore a mask and entered into a dialogue with the entered into a dialogue with the chorus.chorus.

Page 10: Greek Theater: Oedipus & Antigone

The Athenian TheaterThe Athenian Theater• Drama was born when the Drama was born when the

playwright Aeschylus playwright Aeschylus added a second individual added a second individual actor to the performance, actor to the performance, thereby creating the thereby creating the possibility of conflict. possibility of conflict.

• Sophocles added a third Sophocles added a third actor, introduced painted actor, introduced painted sets, and increased the size sets, and increased the size of the chorus to fifteen of the chorus to fifteen actors.actors.

Page 11: Greek Theater: Oedipus & Antigone

The Athenian TheaterThe Athenian Theater• Attendance at these dramas was Attendance at these dramas was

perceived to be a civic dutyperceived to be a civic duty

• The dramatic part of the festivalThe dramatic part of the festival’’s s program was presented as a program was presented as a competition between playwrights, competition between playwrights, each of whom put on four plays in each of whom put on four plays in the space of one day. the space of one day.

Page 12: Greek Theater: Oedipus & Antigone

The Athenian TheaterThe Athenian Theater• The first three plays were tragedies, which The first three plays were tragedies, which

dealt with religious or mythical questions.dealt with religious or mythical questions.

• The fourth play was a The fourth play was a ““satyrsatyr”” play that play that poked fun at the serious subjects and poked fun at the serious subjects and characters of the three earlier plays.characters of the three earlier plays.

• The audience made their preferences clear The audience made their preferences clear by booing or cheering, and the playwrights by booing or cheering, and the playwrights were judged by ten judges, each one were judged by ten judges, each one selected from one of the ten tribes of selected from one of the ten tribes of Athens.Athens.

Page 13: Greek Theater: Oedipus & Antigone

The Athenian TheaterThe Athenian Theater• The Chorus:The Chorus:

– The Greek word The Greek word choroschoros means means ““dance.dance.””– The chorus was a group of singers and The chorus was a group of singers and

actors who either commented on what actors who either commented on what was occurring in the main part of the was occurring in the main part of the drama or actually functioned as a drama or actually functioned as a character in the play.character in the play.

Page 14: Greek Theater: Oedipus & Antigone

The Athenian TheaterThe Athenian Theater• The Chorus:The Chorus:

– The chorus served as a link between The chorus served as a link between the audience and the actors, often the audience and the actors, often portraying a group of citizens not unlike portraying a group of citizens not unlike the audience themselves. the audience themselves.

– In In OedipusOedipus & & AntigoneAntigone the chorus is a group the chorus is a group of Theban elders.of Theban elders.

Page 15: Greek Theater: Oedipus & Antigone

SophoclesSophocles• 496 – 406 B. C. 496 – 406 B. C.

• He came from a He came from a wealthy family in wealthy family in Athens.Athens.

• He was well educated He was well educated and mixed with some of and mixed with some of the most powerful the most powerful figures of his day.figures of his day.

Page 16: Greek Theater: Oedipus & Antigone

SophoclesSophocles• He took an active role in He took an active role in

AthensAthens’’ political life. political life.

• He was a general in the He was a general in the Athenian military Athenian military

Page 17: Greek Theater: Oedipus & Antigone

SophoclesSophocles• He wrote 123 plays but only 7 of He wrote 123 plays but only 7 of

them have survived.them have survived.

• He won 24 competitions, making He won 24 competitions, making him the most successful playwright him the most successful playwright in Athenian history.in Athenian history.

Page 18: Greek Theater: Oedipus & Antigone

SophoclesSophocles• Sophocles:Sophocles:

– He was a religious conservative, deeply He was a religious conservative, deeply concerned with the individualconcerned with the individual’’s need to s need to find a place in the existing moral and find a place in the existing moral and cosmic order.cosmic order.

– His plays always contain a moral lessonHis plays always contain a moral lesson—usually a caution against pride and —usually a caution against pride and religious indifference. religious indifference.

Page 19: Greek Theater: Oedipus & Antigone

AristotleAristotle’’s View of Tragedys View of Tragedy• Aristotle, the Greek philosopher, was Aristotle, the Greek philosopher, was

the first to define the first to define tragedy.tragedy.• AristotleAristotle’’s definition of s definition of tragedytragedy: :

– to arouse pity and fear in to arouse pity and fear in the audience so that we may the audience so that we may be purged, or cleansed, of be purged, or cleansed, of these unsettling emotionsthese unsettling emotions

Page 20: Greek Theater: Oedipus & Antigone

AristotleAristotle’’s View of Tragedys View of Tragedy• CatharsisCatharsis: :

– emotional purgingemotional purging– a strangely pleasurable sense of a strangely pleasurable sense of

emotional release we experience after emotional release we experience after watching a great tragedywatching a great tragedy

– for some reason, we usually feel for some reason, we usually feel exhilarated, not depressed, after a exhilarated, not depressed, after a tragedytragedy

Page 21: Greek Theater: Oedipus & Antigone

AristotleAristotle’’s View of Tragedys View of Tragedy• As the audience, we feel:As the audience, we feel:

– PITYPITY: the hero: the hero’’s punishment is too harsh s punishment is too harsh for his crime, and he is a suffering human for his crime, and he is a suffering human being who is flawed like usbeing who is flawed like us

– FEARFEAR: the hero is better than we think and : the hero is better than we think and still he failed, so what hope do we have?still he failed, so what hope do we have?

• According to Aristotle, we can only feel According to Aristotle, we can only feel pity and fear after a tragedy if there is pity and fear after a tragedy if there is a tragic hero or heroine.a tragic hero or heroine.

Page 22: Greek Theater: Oedipus & Antigone

AristotleAristotle’’s View of Tragedys View of Tragedy• Tragic hero/heroineTragic hero/heroine: :

1.1. A character who is neither completely A character who is neither completely good nor completely bad but rather good nor completely bad but rather somewhere in the middle. He/she does somewhere in the middle. He/she does have good intentions.have good intentions.

2.2. Someone Someone ““who is highly renowned and who is highly renowned and prosperous,prosperous,”” which in Aristotle which in Aristotle’’s day s day meant a member of a royal family or meant a member of a royal family or someone who holds a high or elevated someone who holds a high or elevated place in society.place in society.

Page 23: Greek Theater: Oedipus & Antigone

AristotleAristotle’’s View of Tragedys View of Tragedy• Tragic hero/heroine continuedTragic hero/heroine continued::

3.3. The character must possess a flaw (tragic The character must possess a flaw (tragic flaw) in his/her personality that is taken to flaw) in his/her personality that is taken to an extreme and impairs his/her judgment.an extreme and impairs his/her judgment.

4.4. This tragic flaw leads to the heroThis tragic flaw leads to the hero’’s/ s/ heroineheroine’’s own downfall (a major s own downfall (a major catastrophe).catastrophe).

5.5. By the end of the play, the tragic hero By the end of the play, the tragic hero recognizes his/her own error, accepts its recognizes his/her own error, accepts its tragic consequences, and is humbled.tragic consequences, and is humbled.

Page 24: Greek Theater: Oedipus & Antigone

AristotleAristotle’’s View of Tragedys View of Tragedy

• Tragic flawTragic flaw: a fundamental character : a fundamental character weakness, such as excessive pride, weakness, such as excessive pride, ambition, or jealousyambition, or jealousy

Page 25: Greek Theater: Oedipus & Antigone

Literary TermsLiterary Terms• ChorusChorus

– Groups of dancers and singers who Groups of dancers and singers who comment on the action of the play; in comment on the action of the play; in ancient Greece, their songs used to ancient Greece, their songs used to make up the bulk of the playmake up the bulk of the play

• ChoragusChoragus– Leader of the chorusLeader of the chorus

Page 26: Greek Theater: Oedipus & Antigone

Literary TermsLiterary Terms• Tragic FlawTragic Flaw

– A fundamental character weakness, A fundamental character weakness, such as excessive pride, ambition, or such as excessive pride, ambition, or jealousyjealousy

• HubrisHubris– Arrogance or overweening pride that Arrogance or overweening pride that

causes the herocauses the hero’’s transgression against s transgression against the gods; usually, the tragic flawthe gods; usually, the tragic flaw

Page 27: Greek Theater: Oedipus & Antigone

Literary TermsLiterary Terms• ProloguePrologue

– Introductory speech delivered to the Introductory speech delivered to the audience by one of the actors or audience by one of the actors or actresses before a play beginsactresses before a play begins

• ParodosParodos– The first ode, or choral song, in a Greek The first ode, or choral song, in a Greek

tragedy that is chanted by the Chorus as tragedy that is chanted by the Chorus as it enters the Orchestrait enters the Orchestra

Page 28: Greek Theater: Oedipus & Antigone

Literary TermsLiterary Terms• SceneScene

– One of the series of structural units into One of the series of structural units into which a play or acts of a play are which a play or acts of a play are divideddivided

Page 29: Greek Theater: Oedipus & Antigone

Literary TermsLiterary Terms• StropheStrophe

– The part of the ode that the Chorus The part of the ode that the Chorus chants as it moves from right to left chants as it moves from right to left across the stageacross the stage

• AntistropheAntistrophe– The part of the ode that the Chorus The part of the ode that the Chorus

chants as it moves from left to right chants as it moves from left to right across the stageacross the stage

Page 30: Greek Theater: Oedipus & Antigone

Literary TermsLiterary Terms• OdeOde

– Each scene is followed by an ode. These Each scene is followed by an ode. These odes serve both to separate one scene odes serve both to separate one scene from the next, since there were no from the next, since there were no curtains, and to provide the Choruscurtains, and to provide the Chorus’’s s response to the preceding scene.response to the preceding scene.

Page 31: Greek Theater: Oedipus & Antigone

Literary TermsLiterary Terms• EpodeEpode

– The final stanza of the ode, following the The final stanza of the ode, following the strophe and antistrophestrophe and antistrophe

• KommosKommos– A lyrical exchange between an actor (or A lyrical exchange between an actor (or

actors) and the chorusactors) and the chorus

Page 32: Greek Theater: Oedipus & Antigone

Literary TermsLiterary Terms• PaeanPaean

– A choral hymn in praise of a god—in A choral hymn in praise of a god—in AntigoneAntigone, the Chorus is praising , the Chorus is praising DionysusDionysus

• ExodusExodus– The final, or exit, sceneThe final, or exit, scene