Public Ritual and Spectacle

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Presentation transcript:

Public Ritual and Spectacle GREEK DRAMA This lecture addresses western drama only, and is intended as a general introduction to some basic themes and ideas Public Ritual and Spectacle

from … SCHOLES ROMANCE TRAGEDY COMEDY SATIRE Schole’s is concerned with looking at the history of literature The idea of the ‘continuum’: history = realism, romance, fantasy These three categories are not mutually exclusive of one another but work as a kind of cyclic nature, each one feeding off of one another so that literature ends up overlapping these categories. Vertical axis: the nature of the world around us vs. Horizontal: which looks at the quality of that human experience in the world. Romance is the world as it ought to be: that is, beautiful, peaceful, Eden-like. Satire is the world as it actually is: flawed, imperfect, fallen. Comedy is the human experience where there is forgiveness and redemption as well as justice and fairness (i.e. land that is usurped is returned) Tragedy is the human experience where there exist excessive punishment or random punishment that doesn’t make any sense or follow any kind of justice TRAGEDY COMEDY SATIRE

WHAT IS DRAMA? Greek meaning: “to do” or “to act” = poetry + prose + fictional narrative No narrator to offer meaning or interpretation (limited views Performance = play / text = play No two productions are the same performance is dynamic Drama is meant to be performed. There is no play in the words themselves. In other words, the play is only a play when performed/acted. And, to take this even further a play is a dynamic spectacle. Two performances are never exactly the same since each performance changes based on the directors, actors, the delivery of the lines, the lighting, timing etc. In addition, different productions of plays depending on the choice of actors, stage design, music, props and lighting can offer radically different visions of the play

THE GREEKS Drama’s roots in ancient religious festivals Stories about the gods (ex: Dionysius) Theatre festival: full day event with critical audiences. Thesis (“Thespians”) wins play competition in 534 BCE Tragedy … from tragos = “goat” tragedy =“goat song” Dionysius as you may already know is the god of Wine and Spring. Later, stories are expanded to discuss the other gods as well. This information is based on information that is not entirely conclusive. That is, not much has survived. This is what we can gather regarding Thespis and the birth of drama. This is where we get our word “Thespian” which is used to refer to actors. Thespis writes this play in honour of Greek god Dionysius During these one day festivals audiences would stay in the theatre all day and offer a prize to the best play. They were very critical and made their feelings about play known.

THE GREEKS cont’d Only 3 speaking actors on stage at once protagonist, deuteragonist, tritagonist 3 unities: time, place, action 24 hours 1 setting 1 plot: no comic relief or sub-plot Chorus reminds us that men do not have complete control Sometimes strophe and antistrophe Choryphaeus chorus leader who delivers lines of spoken verse on behalf of the chorus as a whole The chorus offers moral comment on the action taking place in the play but does not participate in the action of the play. There is no relief in Greek tragedy. The focus is entirely on the one story. Comic episodes were considered to be inappropriate for the tragic form. Later, of course, Shakespeare would break all these rules.

THE GREEKS Aristotle on tragedy drama should “imitate nature” Hamartia (hero’s error of judgement due to ignorance or moral shortcoming) leads to Peripeteia (reversal of fortune) leads to Anagnorisis (moment of self recognition) leads to Catharsis (audience purgation of emotions: “pity and fear”) Aristotle’s Poetics deals with these ideas at length.

THE GREEK STAGE Theatres (usually) situated on a hill (amphitheatre) outdoors Skene (“scene”)= 1-storey structure used to store costumes and for entrances/exits Scenes painted on the side Orchestra = Circular space (apprx 85 ‘ diameter) used as main acting space

THE GREEK STAGE

FINAL THOUGHTS… Public spectacle and ritual The stage becomes a place where our fears, anxieties and desires are acted out Psychological functionality: theatre as therapy Theatre critical: vehicle for social and political commentary