Transcript Ancient Greek Drama

Ancient Greek Drama
Origins of theatre
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Theatre began with religious festivals in honor of
Dionysus
 During the spring, they held a festival in Athens called
“City Dionysia”
 Men would perform songs to welcome and honor
Dionysus (these were called dithyrambs)
 Plays were only presented during this festival
 Chorus-group of about fifty who sang and danced
 Athenians spread these festivals to its allies in order
to promote a common identity
 There were three types of plays:
tragedy, comedy, and satyr
Origins of Tragedy
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Thespis (6th century BC)
 Known
as the “father of drama”
 Won a prize for tragedy in 535 B.C.
 Considered the first Greek actor and
originator of tragedy
 Was said to have introduced the first actor
and thus, dialogue
 Tragedy originally meant “Goat song,”
possibly because goats were sacrificed to
Dionysus prior to performances
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Aristotle’s Poetics is the first known theory about
Greek tragedy.
He says tragedy evolved from dithyrambs, songs sung
in praise of Dionysus
 Dithyrambs were originally frenzied and improvised
 By the 600s B.C., the poet Arion is credited with
organizing the song into a formal narrative with a
chorus
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Three main tragedy poets: Aeschylus,
Sophocles, and Euripides
Aeschylus
525-426 B.C.
 Added a second actor to the stage
 Create trilogies based on unified themes

Sophocles
496-406 B.C.
 Added a third actor to the stage
 Fixed the number of chorus to 15
 Introduced painted scenery
 Created each play of a trilogy as separate
in nature
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Euripides
486-406 B.C.
 Reduced the participation of the Chorus in
the main action on stage
 Relied on heavy prologues and deux ex
machina endings
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 Deus
ex machina: literally, “god from the
machine;” where an actor playing a god was
lowered onto the stage using a crane. The
gods were used to solve “unsolvable”
problems at the end of the play.
Origins of Comedy
There is no trace of the origin of comedy
 Comedic plays were derived from imitation
 Aristophanes wrote the majority of
comedy plays
 11 surviving plays by Aristophanes

The Theatre Structure
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Theatron: seeing place where audience sat
Orchestra: Circular dancing place where actors
and Chorus performed.
Thymele: altar to Dionysus in center of
orchestra.
Skene: building used as a dressing room.
Proskenion: front of skene building which
served as backdrop
Parados: entrance to theater used by Chorus.
Actors

Hypocrites- the answerer-playing roles
 Actor
and dramatist originally the sameplaywright took leading role
 Never have more than three-changed
characters (protagonist, deuteragonist,
tritagonist)
 All male performers; played female roles as
well.
Costumes and Masks
Long flowing robes were colored symbolically
 High boots, often with raised soles
 Larger than life masks, made of linen, wood,
and/or cork
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Identified age, gender, and emotion
Used exaggerated features, such as large eyes and an
open mouth
Music and Dance

Choral odes often had musical
accompaniment:
 Flute
 Lyre
 Percussion
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Dance was defined as expressive
rhythmical movement
Role of the Chorus
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To set the overall mood and express theme
Add beauty to the play through song and dance
Give background information
Divides the action and offers reflection and
commentary on events
Questions, advises, and expresses opinion—
usually through the chorus leader
Conventions of Theatre
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Unities
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Messenger
-
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Action- simple plot
Time- single day
Place- one scene throughout
Tells news happening away from scene
Report acts of violence not allowed to be seen
Limitations of Theater
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Continuous presence of Chorus
No intermissions, continuous flow of action and choral
odes
No lighting; no curtains