Greek Tragedy

Background Information

The Career of Æschylus

The House of Atreus

Development of Greek Tragedy

– Dithyramb and Satyrika• Strophic choral poetry

• Associated c. Dionysiac worship

• Originated in Corinth ca. 600 B.C.

– Thespis• Probably NOT the creator of tragedy

• Perhaps introduced the prologue and speech

– Æschylus: introduced the 2nd actor– Sophocles introduced the 3rd actor

Greek Tragedy in the 5th Century

– Location• Theater of Dionysus in Athens

• Syracuse

– Setting• Festivals in Attica

– City Dionysia

– Rural Dionysia

– Lenæa

• Competition

Athenian Acropolis and Environs

Theater of Dionysus

Theatre at Syracuse

Theatre Plan

• 1. Orchestra• 2. Eisodoi• 3. Skene• 4. Skene building• 5. Cavea

The Tragic Machinery

• Chorus– 12-15 Members

– Masked

– Dancing

– Strophic Songs (c. antistrophes)

– Characters

– Stasimon vs. Parodos

• Actors (also masked)• Skene• Mechane• Ekkyklema

Skene, Mechane, and Ekkyklema

Masks

The Greater Dionysia

– 3 Tragedians– 12 Plays– Satyr Plays– Choregia/Choregos (liturgies)– Comedy– Ritual

Æschylus’ Career

– Ca. 525: Born in Eleusis

– 499: First Tragic Production

– 490: Marathon

– 484: First Victory

– 480: Salamis

– 472: Persians (Pericles is choregos)

– 467: Seven against Thebes

– ???: Suppliants

– 458: Oresteia

– ca. 457: Goes to Sicily

– 456?: Prometheus Bound

– 456/5: Dies

The House of Atreus

• 1st Generation– Names

• Pelops

• Hippodameia

• Oinomaos

• Myrtilos

– Events• The Race

• 2nd Generation– Names

• Atreus

• Aërope

• Thyestes

– Events• The Seduction

• The Ram

• The Feast

The House of Atreus3rd Generation

– Agamemnon

– Menelaos

– Clytemnestra• Orestes

• Electra

• Iphigeneia

– Ægisthos

• Events Important to Agamemnon– The Feast of Thyestes

– The Blood Curse

– The Sacrifice of Iphigeneia at Aulis

– The Trojan War