Antigone—by Sophocles Greek Theatre Overview of Theater Greek Gods Antigone—by Sophocles and (Medea—by Euripides)
Overview of Greek Theatre The land The myths The stage
The Land Greece has thousands of inhabited islands and dramatic mountain ranges Greece has a rich culture and history Democracy was founded in Greece Patriarchal (male dominated) society Philosophy, as a practice, began in Greece (Socrates (Socratic discussions!), Plato, Aristotle)
Located in Europe in the Aegean Sea The Land Located in Europe in the Aegean Sea
The Land
Overview of Greek Theatre The land The myths The stage
The Stage
The Stage Three Main Portions of Greek Theatre: Skene – Portion of stage where actors performed (included 1-3 doors in and out) Orchestra – “Dancing Place” where chorus sang to the audience Theatron – “seeing place” Seating for audience
Other parts of the theater: Parados=“Passageway” (plural is paradoi) Eisodos=long ramps Skene=“Tent”/“booth” in English—3 doors for entrances Paraskenium/Proscenium--stage in front of curtain, with projecting sides Altar (Thymele)—place for offering to Dionysus Logeion-a platform above the proskeneum Thelogeion—roof above logeion wher the gods and the mechane (deus ex. Machina) sat.
Further parts… The mechane (machina) was a crane mounted on the roof of the skene to lower the gods into the action of the play. “Deus ex machina”—god out of the machine.—surprise or god-like entrance.
Seating capacity 78 rows of the Theatre of Dionysus would seat between 15,000 and 16,000 people, approximately 1/3 of the population of Athens. In contrast, a large Broadway theatre, designed primarily for musicals, seats about 1,200.
The Stage
The Stage First Greek plays were performed during religious ceremonies held in honor of Dionysus, the Greek god of wine and revelry (altars generally on stage) Banks would shut down for days, people would travel from all around to see the drama competitions—even prisoners were temporarily released to see the plays Tragedy translated means “goat song” (relates to Dionysian rituals)
The Stage
Where and how were the dramas performed? …In an amphitheatre, open-air. …With a chorus who described most of the action. …With masks, all male casts …With all the fighting and movement going on off stage. ….With tragedy first, then comedy later.
Three Major Greek Dramatists Aeschylus 524 B.C. Seven Against Thebes Sophocles 496 B.C. Antigone Oedipus Euripides 480 B.C. Medea Dramatist Born Wrote
What is Sophocles’ contribution to the art of playwriting? He added the third actor to the stage—allowing for more complex stories.
Sophocles’ Antigone Set in Thebes (a city in ancient Greece) Antigone is the daughter of Oedipus and Jocasta Antigone’s father, Oedipus, murders his father and marries his mother…(as seen in Oedipus Rex) Antigone’s brothers, Eteocles and Polyneices, took opposite sides in a war Eteocles and Polyneices killed each other in battle Antigone’s uncle, Creon, became king of Thebes
Copy Only The Boxed Portion!
Perfect Tragedies… Unity of Time: The play takes place in a 24 hr. time period. Unity of Place: The play has a simple, one setting Unity of Action: The play has one plot and no mix of tragedy and comedy.
TRAGEDY and Tragic HERO Morally instructive and entertaining Stories of the nature of humans in conflict with themselves, with society, and with the Gods. Develop the tragic hero=a high born person who displays hubris (too much pride/arrogance in the face of the gods) shown through hamartia (tragic flaw, or an error in judgment) that leads to their downfall/suffering. Once realized, character enters the stage of anagnorisis (recognition) and will undergo a peripeteia (reversal of fortune or fall from high to low). Eventually, this leads the audience to a catharsis, or feeling of emotional cleansing, pity, fear, or relief that we do not face the same outcome.
Tragedy: Reaffirms that life is worth living, regardless of suffering or the pain of human existence Tragedies are about spiritual conflicts, never about everyday events. Tragic protagonist goes from high to low—and have a noble soul. The audience must care about the protagonist. The protagonist is good, not perfect.
TRAGIC ACTION ARETE, ARISTEIA: excellence HUBRIS: arrogance HAMARTIA: fatal mistake PERIPETEIA: reversal of fortune ANAGNORISIS: understanding CATHARSIS
5 sections of Greek Tragedy: The Prologue—opening portion of the play, sets the scene and contains the exposition. The Parados—The entrance song of the chorus. Named after the broad aisles on either side of the theatron, along which the chorus entered/exited.
Continued… The Episodes (Scenes): Scene in the action of the drama. Episodes, performed by actors, are distinguished from the Stasimons, performed by the Chorus. The episodes alternate with the Stasimons. The Stasimons (Odes)—a choral passage alternating with the episodes of the plot of the drama. A type of lyric poem, using exalted, dignified diction. The chorus sang and danced the tragic odes accompanied by musical instruments.
SECTIONS CONTINUED: The tragic ode consists of both Strophes and Antistrophes—essentially stanzas of the poems. Exodos: The concluding section, contains the resolution, tragedy, and outcome.
Overview of Greek Theatre The land The myths The stage
Myths played a key role in Greek drama
The Myths – Why they were written Explained the unexplainable Justified religious practices Gave credibility to leaders Gave hope Polytheistic (more than one god) Centered around the twelve Olympians (primary Greek gods)
Explained the Unexplainable When Echo tried to get Narcissus to love her, she was denied. Saddened, she shriveled to nothing, her existence melting into a rock. Only her voice remained. Hence, the echo!
To justify religious practices Dionysian cults in ancient Greece were founded to worship Dionysus, god of grapes, vegetation, and wine.
To give credibility to leaders The Romans used myths to create family trees for their leaders, enforcing the made-up idea that the emperors were related to the gods and were, then, demigods.
To give hope The ancient citizens of Greece would sacrifice and pray to an ORACLE. An oracle was a priest or priestess who would send a message to the gods from mortals who brought their requests. Where DID hope come from? After unleashing suffering, famine, disease, and many other evils, the last thing Pandora let out was HOPE.
The Oracle at Delphi Most famous oracle in Greek mythology.
Mount Olympus… …Where the Olympians lived. Who are the Olympians?
The Olympians Are the 12 Main Gods
Zeus King of gods Heaven Storms Thunder lightning
Poseidon Zeus’s brother King of the sea Earthquakes Horses
Hades Brother to Zeus and Poseidon King of the Underworld (Tartarus) Husband of Persphone
Ares God of war
Hephaestus God of fire Craftspeople Metalworkers Artisans
Apollo God of the sun Music Poetry Fine arts Medicine
Hermes Messenger to the gods Trade Commerce Travelers Thieves & scoundrels
Dionysus God of Wine Partying (Revelry)
Hera Queen of gods Women Marriage Childbirth
Demeter Goddess of Harvest Agriculture Fertility Fruitfulness Mom to Persephone
Hestia Goddess of Hearth Home Community
Athena Goddess of wisdom Practical arts War
Aphrodite Goddess of love and beauty
Artemis Goddess of hunting and the moon.
Temperaments of the Olympians
The End
Jason’s Voyage on the Argo Jason and Medea meet Corinth: Where Jason and Medea settle down
Euripides’ Medea Medea is a princess from Colchis Medea marries Jason, who is in Colchis on a quest for the Golden Fleece Medea betrays her father and murders her brother for her love of Jason Medea has magical powers Jason takes Medea back to his homeland, Corinth, where they have children Jason takes another wife, the king of Corinth’s daughter