1. Antigone An introduction to Greek tragedy:
Sophocles, the structure of the play and stage, and major themes

2. Introduction to Tragedy
When you hear the word “tragedy”, what comes to mind?
How is the word “tragedy” used in our society?
Make a list in your notebooks

3. Tragedy Tragedy in drama is a form of art based on human suffering
The Fab Four of Tragedy: Sophocles, Aeschylus, Euripides, Shakespeare

4. What Makes Tragedy a Tragedy?
“Death is not tragic in itself, not the death of the beautiful and the young, the lovely, and beloved. Death felt and suffered as Macbeth feels and suffers is tragic…The conflicting claims of law of God and the law of man are not what make the tragedy of the Antigone. It is Antigone herself, so great, so tortured.” --Edith Hamilton

5. The Cycle of Tragedy Pity: “Innocent” characters punished
Awe: Shock at the descent
Reconciliation: Acceptance of fate
Exaltation: A high ending (the light at the end of the tunnel) or moral of the story

6. History of Greek Drama
Greek plays were originally in homage to Dionysus, god of spring and vintage (wine)
Originally, group recitations
Groups of 50 would sing, a leader would recite
Focus on reciting more than singing

7. History of Greek Drama
Eventually, 2-3 reciting, chorus shrinks to men
Only 3 characters at a time allowed on stage
In the orchestra, the chorus stood
The chorus set the atmosphere, responded to scenes, etc.

8. The Chorus Links the actors, action and audience Explains events
Models reactions

9. Performing Greek Drama
Greeks gathered for dawn to dusk festivals
Several plays were presented in a competition
Actors wore elaborate costumes and masks with wide mouths
Masks made from wood, leather, cloth and flour paste

10. Performing Greek Drama
Semi-circle theatres, 18K seats
Good acoustics
Gestures had to be wide and broad to be seen
Violence occurs off-stage

11. Ruins of a Greek theatre

12. Masks for Greek drama

13. Sophocles 496-406 BC(E) Born in Athens, Golden Age
Grew up during Persian Wars
Popular politically, loyal to Athens
Had two sons, 1 became a playwright

14. Sophocles Wrote 123 plays Won 24 festivals, placed 2nd in all others
We only have 7 of his plays today: Ajax, Antigone, The Women of Trachis, Oedipus the King, Electra, Philoctetes, Oedipus at Colonus

15. Tragedy Vocabulary
Prologue: a song sung by a Greek chorus as they enter
Ode: elaborate lyrical poetry made up of a strophe, antistrophe, and epode
Strophe: (lit. “a turning”)
Antistrophe: answers the strophe

16. Tragedy Vocabulary Epode: concludes the ode Paean: a song of praise
Exodos: the exit scene of a Greek drama
Anagnorisis: a moment when a character makes a recognition or discovery of truth

17. Tragedy Vocabulary Catharsis: a release of emotional tension
Deus ex machina: (lit. a god from a machine) a sudden solution to an impossible situation
Peripeteia: a sudden change in fortune or circumstances

18. Tragedy Vocabulary Hamartia: a tragic flaw leading to a downfall
Hubris: excessive pride leading to a downfall

19. Themes in Antigone Natural Law v. Man-made law Civil Disobedience
Laws created by humans are pitted against laws that depend on family and the gods
Civil Disobedience
Breaking the law for a principle, usu. in a non-violent way

20. Themes in Antigone Family Loyalty Fate v. Free Will
Obligations to dead family members
Obligations to living family
Fate v. Free Will
Do we decide our future or is it decided for us?

21. Where Antigone Begins
Antigone is the daughter of Oedipus, former king of Thebes
Oedipus lived a cursed life, having killed his father and marrying his mother (Iocaste) unknowingly

22. Where Antigone Begins Oedipus and Iocaste’s children:
Antigone & Ismene, sisters
Eteocles & Polyneices, brothers
Eteocles & Polyneices are prophesied to kill each other in a battle for the throne of Thebes

23. Where Antigone Begins Antigone arrives in Thebes The brothers are dead
Eteocles is given a proper, military funeral
Creon, King of Thebes & Antigone’s uncle, declares Polyneices a traitor
No funeral can be held for him

24. Works Cited
Denault, Leigh T. “Drama: The Greek Theatre and Three Athenian Tragedians: Aeschylus, Sophocles, and Euripides.” The Glory That Was Greece: History and Culture in Ancient Athens May < drama.html> Didaskalia. “Introduction to Greek Stagecraft.” Didaskalia May < greekstagecraft.html> Hamilton, Edith. The Greek Way. New York: Time Incorporated, 1963.