Transcript Ancient Greek Theater basics

Ancient Greek Theater
Basics
Ancient Greek theater
• 5th-century B.C.E. Athens, dramas were
presented during festivals featuring dramatic
contests
• Most important festival honored god of wine,
Dionysus
Dionysus
• Dionysus (in Greek
Dionysos –Διόνυσος), the
god of wine, represents
not only the intoxicating
power of wine, but also
its social and beneficial
influences.
• Viewed as promoter of
civilization, a lawgiver,
and lover of peace, as
well as the patrol deity of
agriculture and the
theatre.
Dionysus
• Also known as the
Liberator, freeing one
from one’s normal
self, by madness,
ecstasy, or wine.
• Divine mission =
create beautiful
music on flute and
bring end to care and
worry
Dionysus and followers
•
Satyr:
–noun
1. Classical Mythology. one of a class
of woodland deities, attendant on
Bacchus, represented as part human,
part horse, and sometimes part goat
and noted for riotousness and
lasciviousness.
2. a lascivious man; lecher
•
Maenad:
–noun
1. Greek Mythology A woman member
of the orgiastic cult of Dionysus.
2. A frenzied woman.
[Latin Maenas, Maenad-, from Greek
mainas, raving, madwoman, Maenad,
from mainesthai, to be mad; see men1 in Indo-European roots.]
Dionysus cult
• The cult of Dionysos was at first spread to the
people. Not popular w/nobles – god who let
followers get drunk and what a “good man”
should avoid.
• But when the first tyrants seized power with the
help of the masses, they made the cult of
Dionysos a festival of all the city.
• During classical period, festival of Dionysos
becomes one of the official celebrations of the
city-state.
Ancient Greek theater
• Contests held for comedy, tragedy, and the
dithyramb, elaborate choral ode sung by a
chorus of 50.
• Dithyramb = precursor to the play, which is
why the chorus often plays a large role in
Greek theater
Ancient Greek theater
• Eventually, leader of chorus separated from group to
carry on "conversation" with them in performance.
• Leader became the first actor.
• Aeschylus added second actor, relied on chorus to
advance the action
• Sophocles lessened the role of the chorus and added
third actor, heightening the drama by allowing three
actors to interact simultaneously
• Euripides reduced the importance of the chorus so that
they relayed only incidental information in his plays; he
relied entirely on his actors to convey the action of the
piece.