Oedipus the king Unit notes Mr. perry

Modern Day Theaters…

GREEK DRAMA BASICS Ancient Greeks invented drama (plays) Started off with the chorus First actor was Thespis (thespian) Eventually stories were written to depict important Ancient Greek beliefs

GREEK DRAMA BASICS Plays took place during the Festival of Dionysus Plays were performed in outdoor theaters, and attended by thousands Playwrights competed against each other to see who was the best writer Three genres – Tragedy, Comedy, and Farce Tragedies were important types of plays performed Plays were choral lyrics, based on myths, with song alternating with dialogue

GREEK RELIGION Polytheistic – worshipped many gods FATE was a divine force that was stronger than the gods They felt the gods became angry with people who were guilty of pride or any other kind of excess People were supposed to live moderately and correctly

apollo “Sun God” -known as the archer and for slaying the Python at Delphi -lover of music and poetry -bringer of plagues

Sophocles Author of Oedipus Known for introducing a third actor to the stage Brought Greek drama to its highest form of art

Sophocles A member of the ruling class Was sympathetic to social inequalities in his society Warned other Greeks that their prejudices and social inequality would result in their destruction

actors Performing in plays was a civic duty One actor would play several roles, so costumes were simple and very symbolic Actors wore simple costumes called a chiton, as well as platform shoes, and a dramatic mask

MASKS

Dramatic masks were a way for actors to quickly switch roles - They also projected voice They identified social class and gender of characters Masks were in the expression most dominant of character’s personality

Theater of Dionysus at Athens

The theater Theaters were built into mountainsides with the stage (proscenium) and background (skene) at the base of the hill The seats (theatron) were built into the hill and made of stone The orchestra was in front of the seats – it was a circular area where the chorus would perform

oracles Oracles were well-respected shrines where one could seek answers to questions about one’s future The Oracle of Apollo at Delphi was one of the most important of Greek oracles Messages were vague and open to interpretation

FORM OF GREEK TRAGEDY Greek Tragedies alternate between dramatic scenes (interaction between two or three characters) and the stasimons Stasimons – The chorus (representing the common citizens) reflects on events from the play, and asks questions about the future - Stasimons are broken down by the strophe and the antistrophe

Drama terms Tragedy – Translates to “goat song”; tells the story of the rise and fall of a tragic hero Tragic Hero – A successful person who has a tragic flaw Tragic Flaw – A negative personality trait that leads to a hero’s downfall Hubris – Excessive pride, often portrayed as a tragic flaw in the main character Catharsis – purging or cleansing of the audience’s emotions through tragedy of the main character

Drama terms Chorus men represent the citizens They were always onstage and they frequently sang and danced They always had a leader who carried on a dialogue with the main characters or with the rest of the chorus.

Drama terms Function of the chorus: –Set the tone and give background info –Recall, interpret and summarize past events –Ask questions –Give opinions and advice, if asked –Stay objective –Act like a jury

Drama terms THE THREE UNITIES: UNITY OF TIME – all the action of the play took place within 24 hours; dialogue provided background info. UNITY OF PLACE – action was limited to one setting; one unchanged set was used. UNITY OF SUBJECT – the focus was on the main character. No sub-plots.

Rhetorical terms Paradox – A statement or idea that contradicts itself, but is still true Oxymoron – a word or phrase that contradicts itself Juxtaposition – placing opposite ideas side by side for the sake of contrast Dramatic Irony – When the audience knows something that a character on stage does not Apostrophe – Calling out to an abstract idea (death) or a deceased person Epithet – descriptive nickname attached to a person’s real name