Greek Theater

Roots in Worship of Dionysus God of wine and revelry

Origins Celebration of Dionysus- God of Wine Performed in circular dancing place (orchestra) A chorus of men dressed in goat skins Trageoia= goat song A story about Dionysus by leader of the chorus

PRODUCTION  Orchestra  Chorus (from people)  Actors- always men, masked and in costumes  The playwright composed the music and the dance as well as the text, directed the production, and trained the chorus; some dramatists also played the leading roles.

Masks of Greek Theater

The chorus was dominant because there was usually one actor and that actor had to leave the stage several times during a show to change characters. The chorus was to be a representation of society, they often served as the “ideal spectator” by providing advice, opinions, questions to the audience and actors. The main actor(s) stood apart in the performance space because they typically played heroic figure that would realistically be separated from normal mortal beings. Their costumes and masks added spectacle and their movement and dance heightened the dramatic effect. Great actors were characterized by their voice quality and the ability to adopt their manner of speaking to the character. The chorus was dominant because there was usually one actor and that actor had to leave the stage several times during a show to change characters. The chorus was to be a representation of society, they often served as the “ideal spectator” by providing advice, opinions, questions to the audience and actors. The main actor(s) stood apart in the performance space because they typically played heroic figure that would realistically be separated from normal mortal beings. Their costumes and masks added spectacle and their movement and dance heightened the dramatic effect. Great actors were characterized by their voice quality and the ability to adopt their manner of speaking to the character. The Greek Chorus

Functions of Chorus The beauty of poetry and dancing Relieves tension Interprets events for audience Often converses with the actors; gives advice Gives background of events

Chorus

Tragedy A drama of a character, usually one in high position, (Aristotle’s Poetics) where a conflict usually develops between the protagonist/hero and a “superior force (such as destiny, circumstance, or society)” and the story ends in some sort of disaster or great fall of the protagonist. Tragedy n A drama of a character, usually one i high position, where a conflict usually develops between the protagonist/hero and a “superior force (such as destiny, circumstance, or society)” and the story ends in some sort of disaster or great fall of the protagonist.

Hubris and Hamartia n Hamartia: “A tragic flaw or error that in ancient Greek tragedies leads to the hero’s reversal of fortune.” n Hubris: Excessive pride or arrogance. Often leads to the downfall of the major character in Greek tragedy.

Thespis of Athens 535 B.C.E. Father of Drama The first actor to break away from the chorus, hence the thespian.

Moving on… New myths are used, not just Dionysus Aeschylus: introduced second actor Dialogue Sophocles: introduced third actor Dramatic action

GREAT GREEK TRAGEDIANS  AESCHYLUS (ca B.C.)  SOPHOCLES (ca B.C.)  EURIPIDES (c B.C.)

AESCHYLUS (ca B.C.)  The "Father of Tragedy"  Addition of a second actor  Made much use of imagery  His tragedy deals with fate and the justice of the gods  His plays reflect the contemporary belief that the gods, jealous and resentful of human greatness, typically inflict great persons with a character flaw that brings their ruin

Sophocles

SOPHOCLES (ca B.C.)  Won the competition at the Great Dionysia more often than any other of the great dramatists  He increased the potential for dramatic conflict by adding a third actor  wrote dramas which were complete in themselves, rather than always part of a trilogy  Sophoclean drama deals primarily with strong characters

EURIPIDES ( B.C.)  Wrote prolifically- some 90 plays, of which 19 survived  He won the prize for the best play only four times.  He wrote of less heroic, more realistic characters.

EURIPIDES Cont.  One device he uses (and it is often seen as a weakness in his plays) is the deus ex machina, a god, not involved earlier in the action, who descends in a stage machine to straighten out the mess humans have got themselves into.

Structure of Tragedy Prolouge-First Act Parados- Entrance of the Chorus Episodes- Acts Stasima-Choral Odes Exedus- Action after last stasimon

Typical Greek Theatre Theatron- where the audience sits Open air Hillside Seating capacity of the Theatron of Dionysus of Athens was about 17,000!

Dionysus Theater in Athens

Orchestra-dancing place of the chorus Skene- dressing room for actors Proscenium- the façade of the skene where scenery was- No curtains Dues et Machina- technical device- crane atop the skene with a dummy hung representing gods.

The Greek Outdoor Amphitheatre

Tunnel from behind the Skene to the center of the stage. Scenic wagons revealed through doors on the Skene. Pinakes painted panels that could be attached to the skene. Tunnel from behind the Skene to the center of the stage. Scenic wagons revealed through doors on the Skene. Pinakes painted panels that could be attached to the skene. The Machina- a crane that was used to represent characters who were flying or lifted off of the earth. Deus ex Machina- “God From the Machine” Deus ex Machina- “God From the Machine”

Differences… Drama, Then and Now Greek drama (GD) is a religious experience GD get their subjects from mythology GD outlines the plot in advance, very little suspense GD main interest is religion and ethical instruction

Rated G No violent action Scenes of horror happen off stage Reported to the audience

Unity Unity of action- no subplots Unity of place-no change of scenery Unity of time- max of one day Sometimes called the Three Unities No intermissions Twice a year in the day, one in the fall, one in the spring

Staging an ancient Greek play  Plays were funded by the polis  Plays presented in competition with other plays  Tragedies almost exclusively dealt with stories from the mythic past  Comedies almost exclusively dealt with contemporary figures and problems.  The great tragedies of Aeschylus, Sophocles, and Euripides were performed annually at the spring festival of Dionysus, god of wine, and inspiration.

Theater at Epidaurus

Dionysus Theater in Athens

Chorus

Aristotle’s Poetics

Central Character is of the Elite Class

Central Character suffers a Downfall

Central Character is Neither Wholly good nor wholly evil

Downfall is the result of a Fatal/Tragic Flaw

Misfortunes involve characters who are related or who are friends

Tragic actions take place offstage

Central Character has a moment of recognition

Audience experiences pity and fear (Catharsis)

Oedipus and Sphinx

Masks of Greek Theater

Maenads and Satyrs

Audience at Theater of Delphi

Dionysus and Satyrs

TIMELINE OF GREEK DRAMA 7th Century BC  c. 625 Arion at Corinth produces named dithyrambic choruses 6th Century BC  Cleisthenes, tyrant of Sicyon, transfers "tragic choruses" to Dionysus  Pisistratus, tyrant of Athens, founds the festival of the Greater Dionysia

TIMELINE OF GREEK DRAMA  Thespis puts on tragedy at festival of the Greater Dionysia in Athens  525 Aeschylus was born  Phrynichus' first victory in tragedy  c. 500 Pratinus of Phlius introduces the satyr play to Athens

TIMELINE OF GREEK DRAMA 5th Century BC  Aeschylus' first dramatic competition  c. 496 Sophocles was born  492 Phrynicus' Capture of Miletus (Miletus was captured by the Persians in 494)  485 Euripides was born  484 Aeschylus' first dramatic victory  472 Aeschylus' Persians  467 Aeschylus' Seven Against Thebes  468 Aeschylus defeated by Sophocles in dramatic competition

TIMELINE OF GREEK DRAMA  463? Aeschylus' Suppliant Women  458 Aeschylus' Oresteia (Agamemnon, Libation Bearers, Eumenides)  456 Aeschylus dies  c. 450 Aristophanes was born  447 Parthenon begun in Athens  c. 445 Sophocles' Ajax  441 Sophocles' Antigone  438 Euripides' Alcestis  Peloponnesian War (Athens and allies vs. Sparta and allies)

TIMELINE OF GREEK DRAMA  431 Euripides' Medea  c. 429 Sophocles' Oedipus the King  428 Euripides' Hippolytus  423 Aristophanes' Clouds  415 Euripides' Trojan Women  406 Euripides dies; Sophocles dies  405 Euripides' Bacchae  404 Athens loses Peloponnesian War to Sparta

TIMELINE OF GREEK DRAMA  401 Sophocles' Oedipus at Colonus 4th Century BC  399 Trial and death of Socrates  c. 380's Plato's Republic includes critique of Greek tragedy and comedy  c. 330's Aristotle's Poetics includes defense of Greek tragedy and comedy

Delphi