Greek Drama Background Notes

Greek drama reflected the flaws and values of Greek society Greek drama reflected the flaws and values of Greek society. In turn, members of society internalized both the positive and negative messages and incorporated them into their daily lives. This concept of exposing society’s flaws and allowing the audience to learn from them is evident in contemporary theater.

Greek drama came from religious rituals honoring Dionysus The only god born of one god (Zeus) and one mortal parent (Semele) God of wine, fertility, grapes, ecstasy, madness, pleasure, festivity, etc. One of the 12 Olympians Responsible for human impulses Devine mission: to eradicate all care and worry

killed, dismembered, and reborn Dionysus continued… He was raised by satyrs killed, dismembered, and reborn Other gods had temples, the cult of Dionysus met in the woods It was believed that he could liberate and inspire man. It was also believed that he could endow man with divine creativity. Dionysus, thus, came to be considered a patron of the arts – specifically, theater.

During the 6th century B.C, these religious celebrations became annual festivals. Thespis changed the hymns into songs and told stories of famous heroes or other gods. He also had one chorus member step up and play that part of the hero or god. Thespis is immortalized in the word “thespian,” which refers to an actor or actress. Drama, as we know it, was born when the playwright, Aeschylus, added a second actor to the performance creating the possibility for conflict.

Athens as a center of Greek culture Athens was the Greek city-state known for its cultural, political, and military power between 550 and 220 BC The festival known as Dionysia was held in March in honor of Dionysus A statue of Dionysus was carried into the theater so that he could observe the performances

Four Qualities of Greek Drama Performed for special occasions (festivals) Athens had four festivals worshipping Dionysus 2. Competitive – prizes were awarded. Actors and playwrights competed. 3. Choral – The chorus was made up of 3-50 men. The chorus sang, moved, and danced. They moved the story along, summarized what just happened, and were the “voice” or collective conscience of Greek audience. Often in poetic chanting – they functioned as the “curtain” between scenes 4. The stories were based on myth or history

What is a myth? A myth is an old story, coming from a particular society, that explains a belief, a ritual, or some mysterious aspect of nature (they didn’t have the science yet to help explain these mysteries) Myths may also try to explain human suffering in terms of the workings of the gods – of fates that cannot be avoided, of curses that haunt generation after generation The mythological gods were the Ancient Greeks religion. They believed in the gods’ influences just as many believe in a higher spirit today.

Ancient Greek Theater

The first formal Greek theater was built in Athens between 550 and 534 BC Open-air theater Parts of a Greek theater: Theatron – “viewing place” Orchestra – “dancing space” Skene – “tent” Parados – “passageways” Thymele – the alter for Dionysus Skene – was directly in back of the stage and was usually decorated as part of the set. It had at least one set of doors for actors to make entrances and exits

Look familiar?

Actors All of the actors and playwrights were men. Women were not allowed to participate. Movements had to be dramatic because the theaters were so large and open that people would not be able to see tiny movements. Props, if any, were large and simple. The theaters were so large and so much was going on that they wanted to avoid too many distractions.

Masks served multiple purposes Actors played multiple roles, so masks were used to play different characters and to show different moods The actors spoke through the holes in the mouths to amplify their voices

The Greek Tragedy Structure Prologue: described the situation and set the scene Parados: an ode sung by the chorus as it made its entrance Five dramatic scenes: each followed by an Ode – an exchange of laments by the chorus (and sometimes the protagonist, too) Exodus: The climax and the conclusion

Violence and deaths occurred off-stage Greek Tragedy continued… Violence and deaths occurred off-stage Usually the acting takes place in a single location Frequent use of messengers to relay information such as action that occurred elsewhere (off-stage) Focus on psychological and ethical attributes of characters rather than physical Stories dealt with love, loss, pride, the abuse of power, and fraught relationships between men and the gods

Greek Tragedy continued… Typically, one of the main characters has a tragic flaw which becomes that characters downfall. Though many people may die in a Greek tragedy, there was always one left to suffer while his/her world crumbles around him/her. This tragic flaw and downfall creates what Greek philosopher Aristotle described as the Tragic Hero

Tragic Hero The hero must fall from tremendous good fortune The hero or heroine can be neither all good or all bad Should be someone of “highly renowned and prosperous” (well known and rich) – which in Aristotle’s day meant a member of the royalty. Why not an ordinary working person? The hero must fall from tremendous good fortune

The hero’s tragic flaw – a fundamental character weakness such as… Hubris – destructive pride Ruthless ambition Obsessive jealousy By the end, the tragic hero will come to recognize his/her own error The tragic hero does not curse fate or the gods Yet we, the audience, feels that the hero’s punishment exceeds the crime – that the hero gets more than he/she deserves

Myths Myth – an old story, coming from a particular society, that explains a belief, a ritual, or some mysterious aspect of nature Myths may also try to explain human suffering in terms of the workings of the gods – of fates that cannot be avoided, of curses that haunt generation after generation

The House of Thebes The basic plot of Antigone is part of a long myth that was very familiar to Athenian audiences The story of Oedipus is one that Athenians knew and the one that you must know if you are to understand Antigone