1. Objective: To understand and recognize the structure of Greek drama.
English 10 Honors Day 42
Objective:
To understand and recognize the structure of Greek drama.

2. Who are some examples of tragic heroes?
What is a tragic hero?
Who are some examples of tragic heroes?
Create your own tragic hero using the worksheet provided.

3. Greek Drama
Take notes over the basic elements of Greek drama

4. Origins of the Greek Play
Greek plays were originally performed as part of religious festivals
Unless later revived, plays were performed only once.
Plays were funded by the polis, or city, and always presented in competition with other plays, and were voted either the first, second, or third (last) place.

5. Types of Greek Plays Tragedies always ended in catastrophe.
They almost exclusively dealt with stories from the mythic past (there was no "contemporary" tragedy),
Comedies always end happily.
They almost exclusively dealt with contemporary figures and problems.

6. Greek Play Structure
The basic structure of a Greek tragedy is fairly simple.
After a prologue spoken by one or more characters, the chorus enters, singing and dancing.
Scenes then alternate between spoken sections and sung sections.

7. Greek Play Structure
Prologue: Spoken by one or two characters before the chorus appears. The prologue usually gives the background necessary for understanding the events of the play.

8. Greek Play Structure
Parodos: This is the song sung by the chorus as it first enters the orchestra and dances.

9. Greek Play Structure
First Episode: This is the first of many "episodes", when the characters and chorus talk.

10. Greek Play Structure
First Stasimon: At the end of each episode, the other characters usually leave the stage and the chorus dances and sings a stasimon, or choral ode.
The ode usually reflects on the things said and done in the episodes, and puts it into some kind of larger mythological framework.

11. Greek Play Structure
For the rest of the play, there is alternation between episodes and stasima, until the final scene, called the exodos.
Exodos: At the end of play, the chorus exits singing a processional song which usually offers words of wisdom related to the actions and outcome of the play.

12. Greek Theaters
Greek tragedies and comedies were always performed in outdoor theaters.
The basic layout of the Greek theater remained the same throughout centuries. The major components of Greek theater are labeled on the following diagram.

13. Greek Theaters

14. Greek Theaters
Orchestra: The orchestra was normally circular. It was a level space where the chorus would dance, sing, and interact with the actors who were on the stage near the skene.
In the center of the orchestra there was often a thymele, or altar.

15. Greek Theaters
Theatron: The theatron (literally, "viewing-place") is where the spectators sat.
The theatron was usually part of hillside overlooking the orchestra, and often wrapped around a large portion of the orchestra.

16. Greek Theaters
Skene: The skene was the building directly behind the stage.
The skene was usually decorated as a palace, temple, or other building, depending on the needs of the play.
It had at least one set of doors, and actors could make entrances and exits through them.
There was also access to the roof of the skene from behind, so that actors playing gods and other characters could appear on the roof, if needed.

17. Greek Theaters
Parodos: The parodoi (literally, "passageways") are the paths by which the chorus and some actors (such as those representing messengers or people returning from abroad) made their entrances and exits.
The audience also used them to enter and exit the theater before and after the performance.

18. Actors in Greek Plays
Greek plays were almost always performed by a chorus and three actors.
No matter how many speaking characters there were in the play, only three actors were used; the actors would go back stage after playing one character, switch masks and costumes, and reappear as another character.

19. Actors in Greek Plays
Actors wore large masks with exaggerated expressions so that everyone in the audience could see them.

20. Recognize Structure of Greek Drama
Using your notes, identify what occurs at each point in the following video that is structured like a Greek drama.
In other words, summarize what occurs during the prologue, parodos, etc.