2. Greek Theatre Antigone By Sophocles

3. Athens: 5 th Century B.C. Four Playwrights: Aeschylus, Sophocles, Euripides, and Aristophanes. Blend of myth, legend, philosophy, social commentary, poetry, dance, music, public participation, and visual splendor

4. Origins and Evolution Origins in religion; theatre dedicated to Dionysus Annual festival of Dionysus is where new dramas performed Apart from drama, the festival was a week of drinking and sexual acts Performed only by a chorus

5. The Classical Period (5 th -6 th BC) Two forms of Drama: 1. Comedy 2. Tetralogy: four-play sequence consisted of a trilogy of serious interrelated plays(tragedy), and a comic play burlesquing a mythological play (satyr play) Tragedy literary means “goat song”

6. The Classical Period Cont. The Chorus: a nameless group of citizens who reacted to what was happening. 1. Reacted as Greek citizens 2. Commented on the action 3. Interpreted its meaning with chanted odes 4. Gave background info about events that occurred before the play began

7. The Classical Period Cont. Thespis: created hypokites or actor, and mask Aeschylus: increased number of actors to two Sophocles: added third actor; increased chorus to fifteen

8. Greek Theaters Theatron: (“viewing-place”) where spectators sat Orchestra: (“dancing space”) level space where chorus would dance, sing, and interact w/ actors Skene: (“tent”) directly behind the stage Parodos: (“passageways”) paths by which chorus and actors made their entrances and exits

10. Greek Play Structure Prologue: Spoken by one or two characters before the chorus appears. The prologue usually gives the mythological background necessary for understanding the events of the play Parodos/Ode: This is the song sung by the chorus as it first enters the orchestra and dances.

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

12. Greek Play Structure Cont. For the rest of the play, there is alternation between episodes and stasimon, until the final scene, called the... 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.