1. Greek Theater

2. History An Athenian phenomenon Golden age – 5th Century BCE
Generally three names: Aeschylus, Euripides, Sophocles
Performed for Dionysus- God of wine and grapes
Performed at three annual festivals
Partly religious, partly didactic, partly entertaining
A citizen’s duty to attend
Public money available for those who could not pay
Sponsored by a choregus, a wealthy citizen appointed by the government to perform this liturgy, or public service

3. Plot/ terms
During contests, each tragedian would put on three tragedies and one satyr- play- the tetralogy
Stories were derived from mythology, the Greek equivalent of the Bible
Focused on governmental, social, political, and religious themes
Revolve around a tragic figure of ambiguous morality (the most interesting literary figure)
Harmatia- the hero’s error or frailty
Peripetia- irony- where the opposite of what the protagonist hopes for occurs
Anagnorisis- the point where the protagonist realizes his folly, but too late
Catharisis- the release of emotion- Aristotle’s concept of release for the audience

4. Plot/terms continued Ate- a rash temper that leads to complete ruin
Hubris- overreaching pride

5. Theater terms/ layout Theatron- where the audience sat
Orchestra- where the chorus stood, danced, and acted
Parados- entrance passages from right and left
Skene- a wooden structure that served as dressing room and scenery
Proscenium- area in front of skene where most action took place
All male actors
Masks worn that depict character’s prime trait
Three actors in Sophocles’ time

6. Theater layout

7. http://upload. wikimedia

8. The chorus
Originally the “nucleus from which tragedy evolved and it continued to have a central place in the drama throughout classical times”(Milch 10).
Acted as the ideal “‘spectator’”(10)
Clarifies plot and reveals inner thoughts of characters
Creates setting, and emotional background to the events
Covers the passage of time between episodes
Serves as a narrator- we still see this today

9. Structure of the plays
Prologue- the opening- the background of the story is established, typically with a single actor or a dialogue between two
Parados- the entrance of the chorus, chanting, and this usually underscores the theme of the play
Episode- like a scene, featuring dialogue and action
Stasimon- a choral ode- serves of a choral common on the episode
Exodus- the final action after the ultimate stasimon, which ends with the actors and chorus exiting

10. Aristotle on Tragedy
Western thought, including science, highly relies on Aristotle
Studies the “Golden Age” of tragedy 200 years later
Six main elements: plot, character, diction, thought, spectacle, and song
On the hero:
“‘a man who is highly renowned and prosperous, but one who is not pre- eminently virtuous and just, whose misfortune, however, is brought upon him not by vice or depravity but by some error of judgment or frailty’”(Milch 14).

11. Sophocles Born 459 CE outside of Athens to a wealthy armorer
Received classical education in music, poetry, dancing, and gymnastics
First tragic tetralogy performed in 468 BCE
Wrote more than 120 plays
Won first prize 18 times
Only seven complete tragedies still survive
The Oedipus trilogy is out of order
Antigone: 440 BCE, Oedipus Rex: 430 BCE, Oedipus at Colonus: 401 BCE
So honored, the Spartans paused siege of Athens for his funeral(Milch 16-17).

12. Antigone_________________
Ismene___________________
Creon____________________
Leader___________________