Greek Theatre

The origins of our stage

Ancient Greeks held ceremonies to honor the gods

In one ceremony, to honor the god Dionysus, a group of chanters called a chorus danced around an altar upon which a goat was sacrificed.

These ceremonies evolved into dramatic contests

with written plays.

www.clevelandart.org/exhibcef/ mg/html/6269124.html

The members of the chorus were called the “goat singers” and their ritualistic chant was called the tragos seido or “goat song.”

Who? Average citizens

What? Performances

When? c. 500 B.C.

Where? Greece

Why ? ? ? ? To worship the godsGreeks worshipped their gods by

performing on religious holidays

One of these celebrations paid tribute to

Dionysus, God of Fertility,

Wine and Rebirth

homepage.mac.com/cparada/GML/

The Festival of Dionysus

Each year three playwrights were chosen to present

3 tragedies and 1 satyr play (comedy)

in the festival competition

The Festival was held in Athens, Greece each Spring

www.culture.fr/culture/arcnat/ vienne/en/theatre3.htm

Three major Greek playwrights

Aeschylus

These three men were often the playwrights chosen to present their plays.

Prometheus Bound EuripedesMedea

SophoclesOedipus Rex

Won 24 timesWon 13 timesWon 5 times

The Festival of Dionysus is

considered the birthplace

of true tragedy.

Common Themes of Greek Theatre

Man’s Relationship to the Gods and the Universe

Limits of knowledge Moral responsibility Human suffering

The Structure of Greek Tragedy

Prologos (1st episode)

2nd Episode

Ode (strophe and antistrophe)

Ode (strophe and antistrophe)

Ode (strophe and antistrophe)

Ode (strophe and antistrophe)

3rd Episode

4th Episode

Exodos (5th episode)

Greek plays begin in medias res, in the middle of things, and

build toward a climactic ending with alternating episodes and odes.

Odes feature the chorus explaining or reflecting on the action of the play.

Episodes carry the plot forward. The action of the play occurs here.

ChorusThe chorus traveled back and forth across the stage narrating the story in chants and dance. The leader of the chorus was called the choragos.

Strophe and AntistropheStanzas delivered as chorus moved first in one, then in the opposite direction.

Choruses originally contained 50 actors, but Aeschylus reduced the number to around 15.

TragedyAccording to philosopher Aristotle, tragedy is…

a dramatic representation of an action, severe, which evokes pity and fear and leads to a catharsis in the audience.

A catharsis is a release of emotions, a purging or cleansing. In other words, a

kind of “soul therapy.”

In order for a play to be considered a tragedy, the audience must be led to feel a catharsis.

A central figure in evoking

this catharsis is

the main character,

or tragic hero.

The tragic hero… is a man of Arête

noble stature, or high estate

who possesses Hamartia

which causes his Perepeteia

but leads to his Anagnorisis.

some error of judgment

reversal of fortune

ultimate discovery or recognition

The most common hamartia, or tragic

flaw is hubris, excessive pride.

Thespis…our first “actor”In 534 B.C., a man named Thespis of Attica “invented” acting by designating one member of the chorus to stand apart from the others and respond to them.

www.edta.org/call_board/ who_is_thespis.asp

www.uni-leipzig.de/~antik/ ai/forschung.html

Thespis, an actor/

playwright won the first

dramatic contest at Festival of Dionysus.He is also credited

with introducing masks to the Greek stage.

Thespians are those like Thespis.

Theatre as we know it has its roots in the Greek theatre.

we speak its language…

and we perform on its stage.

We perform its plays…

we wear its masks…

Travel to a local outdoor amphitheatre that is structured like the ancient Greek theatres and…

…perform scenes from a Greek play.

…compare and contrast your local amphitheatre with the ancient Greek theatres.

Ways to “Travel through time” to ancient Greece

Don’t have a local outdoor amphitheatre? Find a hillside and create one using your imagination!

Created by

Amy Pugh Patel

S.R. Butler High School

Huntsville, AL

6/18/03