Transcript Greek Theatre notes

ANCIENT GREEK THEATRE
Theatre began during the
Golden Age of Greece (5th
Century B.C.)
 Each year in the spring the
Greeks celebrated The
Dionyseia, a festival of rebirth

DIONYSUS,
THE GOD
OF
WINE &
FERTILITY
Performers are dressed as satyrs
wearing goat skins…
THE AMPHITHEATRE
THE THEATRON
ORCHESTRA
PARADOS
ALTAR
( PARADOI )
SKINA
TRAGODIA = “GOAT SONG” = TRAGEDY
5-DAY FESTIVAL
• DAY 1: Procession of Dionysus
• DAYS 2-4: Play presentations
Each day: 3 tragedies
1 satyrlude
1 comedy
• DAY 5: Parade again
THE WINNERS?
• Best tragedy?
• Best comedy?
A JUG OF WINE
OR
A GOAT
A BASKET OF FIGS
First actor and playwright to
win the contest?
Thespis
thespian= actor
THE GREEK ACTOR
• Professionals
• Males
• Incredible
projection
• 3 actors cover all
roles
THE FUNCTIONS OF THE
CHORUS
• A single actor
• Moral or ethical
framework
(narrator)
• A spectator
• Scenery/
atmosphere
COSTUMES
• Elaborate
• Religious
• Masks (allow for
actors to double
up on roles)
SCENERY
MACHINA
PERIAKTOI
Aeschylus
• Theme: Suffering
OUCH!!
and what we
learn from it
• Trilogy: The
Oresteia
• Trivia
Sophocles
• Theme:
Forgetting
religion will lead
to decay and
destruction
• Play: Oedipus
Rex
• Trivia
Euripedes
• Themes: antiwar; women’s
rights; breaking
the class
structure
• Play: Medea
• Trivia