Notes on Antigone by Sophocles and the Greek Theater Dr. Gingrich 10th Honors English

Dionysus, Greek God of wine and song Bacchus in Roman Dithyramb choral lyric Tragoedia goat song Actors often dressed as satyrs Took place in a circular dancing place called an orchestra The word choros means a “dance in a ring” The chorus both sang and danced—the early Greek tragedies would resemble what we today call operas

Actors were known as hypokrites, original one actor, Sophocles added two more to make three actors Greek theaters were in the open air and involved a competition2. Competitive -- prizes awarded Actors and playwrights competed --Oedipus apparently didn't win (was 2nd) -- 430 B.C. The were celebrations that usually took place in the spring in Late March/ early April The Theater of Dionysus held about 12,000

Characteristics of Greek Theater Structure of Greek Tragedy: Late point of attack Violence and death offstage (Sophocles's Ajax  is an exception) Frequent use of messengers to relate information Usually continuous time of action (except Aeschylus's Eumenides) Usually single place (except Ajax) Stories based on myth or history, but varied interpretations of events Focus is on psychological and ethical attributes of characters, rather than physical and sociological.

But choral songs in tragedy are often divided into three sections: strophe ("turning, circling") antistrophe ("counter-turning, counter-circling") and epode ("after-song"). So perhaps the chorus would dance one way around the orchestra ("dancing-floor") while singing the strophe, turn another way during the antistrophe, and then stand still during the epode. Usually they would enter going west to east and exit going east to west

Had temples and public building built, including the Theatre of Dionysus (Dionysus) and the Parthenon Athens was defeated in the Peloponnesian War in 404 B.C. Greek society viewed gods in human terms - gods held grudges, etc., fought with each other - therefor their destiny (and those of humans) was uncertain A strong concern for humanity - the founders of philosophy came from this period Humans were elevated from animals, but harmony depended on a conjunction of human and divine forces. If disharmony, peace was endangered. Drama therefore focused on human struggles, but with a "supernatural" element.

Characteristics of Sophocles' plays: emphasis on individual characters reduced role of chorus complex characters, psychologically well-motivated characters subjected to crisis leading to suffering and self-recognition - including a higher law above man exposition carefully motivated scenes suspensefully climactic action clear and logical poetry clear and beautiful few elaborate visual effects theme emphasized: the choices of people

Definition: Tragedy depicts the downfall of a noble hero or heroine, usually through some combination of hubris, fate, and the will of the gods. The tragic hero's powerful wish to achieve some goal inevitably encounters limits, usually those of human frailty (flaws in reason, hubris, society), the gods (through oracles, prophets, fate), or nature. Aristotle says that the tragic hero should have a flaw and/or make some mistake (hamartia). The hero need not die at the end, but he / she must undergo a change in fortune. In addition, the tragic hero may achieve some revelation or recognition (anagnorisis--"knowing again" or "knowing back" or "knowing throughout" ) about human fate, destiny, and the will of the gods. Aristotle quite nicely terms this sort of recognition "a change from ignorance to awareness of a bond of love or hate."

The Tragic Hero The tragic hero is "a [great] man who is neither a paragon of virtue and justice nor undergoes the change to misfortune through any real badness or wickedness but because of some mistake." a) a great man: "one of those who stand in great repute and prosperity, like Oedipus and Thyestes: conspicuous men from families of that kind." The hero is neither a villain nor a model of perfection but is basically good and decent. b) "mistake" (hamartia)[*]: This Greek word, which Aristotle uses only once in the Poetics, has also been translated as "flaw" or as "error." The great man falls through--though not entirely because of--some weakness of character, some moral blindness, or error. We should note that the gods also are in some sense responsible for the hero's fall.

Acting Actors usually played more than one role Men played all the parts Stylized - used masks, choral declamation, etc. Tragedy leaned toward idealization; comedy toward burlesque. Other elements affecting 5th century Greek productions: The chorus – tragedies

Functions of the chorus 1. an agent: gives advice, asks, takes part 2. establishes ethical framework, sets up standard by which action will be judged 3. ideal spectator - reacts as playwright hopes audience would 4. sets mood and heightens dramatic effects 5. adds movement, spectacle, song, and dance 6. rhythmical function - pauses / paces the action so that the audience can reflect.

Here is the structure of a typical tragedy (some tragedies have one more or one less episode and stasimon)3: Prologue tells basically what will happen, also tells events that have happened before the plays action Parodos A parodos is both the first entrance of the chorus into the orchestra and the choral ode that they sing and dance as they enter (which is usually the first choral song of the drama). First Episode most closely thought of as an act or a scene First Stasimon stationary song sung after the chorus has taken up its position in the orchestra Second Episode Second Stasimon Third Episode Third Stasimon Fourth Episode Fourth Stasimon Exodos –conclusion, “exit”, what we would today call an epilogue

Theatron where people sat Orchestra circular dancing place where actors and chorus performed Thyleme altar to Dionysus in center of orchestra Skene building used as a dressing room Proskenion façade of skene building which served as a backdrop Parados entrance to the theater used by chorus (this is also the same word which is used as structure of drama itself)