Greek Tragedy by Rowil Santinlo

7/28/2019 Greek Tragedy by Rowil Santinlo

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The Origins of Tragedy Definition of Tragedy Which Cities Performed Tragedy When Tragedy was Performed The Major Playwrights The Way a Greek Tragedy Was Staged

a. number of actors c. the masksb. the costumes d. the audience


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Originated from the dithyramb: achoral song in honor of Dionysus Arion of Methymna (7th century)was the first to write a choral

song, practice it with a chorus, andperform it


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Lasus of Hermione was thefirst to do it at Athens

Connected with the worshipof Dionysus in Athens


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Theater was first officially recognizedin 534 B.C. when the AthenianGovernment began to subsidizedrama.

Some of the first accounts of Greek Dramaare documented by the Greek philosopherAristotle in his book Poetics.


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A dithyramb is a hymn that was sung anddanced for the god of wine and fertility. Worship of Dionysus was achievedthrough intoxication, sexual orgy andsacrificial offerings- sometimes human. The Greeks created the first permanenttheatre structure called Theatre ofDionysus in honor the fertility god.

It is located in Athens.


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Thespis of Corinth The first travellingactor Active c. 538-28BCE Added prologue and

speech to choralperformance Said to have inventedthe mask


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Defined theater art of acting a part on stage dramatic impersonation of anothercharacter than yourself

Uncertain whether he was a playwright,an actor, or a priest Thespian term comes from his name


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Aristotle defines tragedy as theimitation of an action which is serious,

complete, of a certain magnitude,couched in poetic language. It shouldbe dramatic, with incidents arousingpity and fear, which bring about apurgation of these emotions.


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Pity is aroused in the audience for thecharacter(s), and we fear lest the samemisfortune happen to us.Purgation/catharsis is a cleansing; arelease of emotions.

According to Aristotle, comedy portraysmen as worse than they are and tragedy asbetter than in actual life. He also notes that Sophocles drew menas they ought to be.


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Corinth: c. 600 (Arion) Sicyon: c. 550

- Cleisthenes (not the Athenian)- Epigenes Athens: c. 510

- only Athenian dramas left- school of Hellas


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City of Dionysia @ Athens- aka Greater Dionysia- end of March

Rural Dionysia- different demes had performances- off-Broadway- various dates in December

The Lenaea- less prestigious- sometime in late January/early February


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Almost every Greek city had atheater Theaters could be very small orhuge Each theater had specific parts Usually in the center of the city


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Three major tragedians

Aeschylus Sophocles Euripides

All active in the 5th century All won first place in multiplecompetitions Only Athenian plays survive


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b. 525 d. 456 (Sicily) Fought at MarathonAeschylus, Euphorion's son ofAthens, lies under this stone dead

in Gela among the whitewheatlands; a man at need good infight -- witness the hallowed fieldof Marathon, witness the long-haired Mede. First tragedy 499 First prize 484 (13 overall)


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Introduced the second actor Wrote over 70 plays (seven survive) Always revered Main interest is in situation and event

rather than character Pericles directed the chorus for Persians Both sons were very successful playwrights Oresteia, Seven Against Thebes Plays are deeply patriotic and religious


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b. 496 d. 406 Served as a general withPericles (441) Very active in city politics(413) First tragedy 468 First prize 468

Won 18 first prizes Never finished third


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Introduced the third actor Wrote over 120 plays (seven survive) The most successful of the Big Three Challenged conventional mores Introduced more dialogue between

characters (less Chorus) Oedipus Tyrannus, Oedipus at Colonus,

Antigone, Electra


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No innovations on the stage Wrote ninety plays (19 survive) Sophocles: I present men as they ought tobe, Euripides presents men as they are. More realistic than the other two Alcestis, Medea, Hippolytus, Bacchae,Orestes


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The audience knew every number byheart Most tragedies dealt with mythological themes

Performers wore high heels, loudcostumes and heavy make-up They wore elaborate clothes, tall boots, and masks

They relied on background singers,known as the Chorus. Especially after the introduction of the

third actor


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Maximum of three actorsAeschylus secondSophocles third

All roles played by men Same group of actors for each set of

plays for each author


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Playwrights did not act in their own playsafter Sophocles Chorus publicly funded

A choregos would pay for and train thechorus Viewed as a civic duty Could be prosecuted for failing to do itwealthy enough Choregos got a monument if his

chorus won


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Actor wore: Mask Robes Platform boots(kothornoi) Chorus could be

in costume(comedy)


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The most salient feature All parts by men, so maskdepicted gender Acted as a megaphone Voice inflection paramount

Multiple Masks = MultipleCharacters Only three actors More than three speakingroles, need for costume andmask change Oedipus and his eyes


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Any male could attend Women most likely able to attend Aeschylus Furies

State funded attendance Cost was the average daily wage of a laborer Theoric Fund

Never suspended, even when Athens in dire straights Supplied public tickets

Must-see TV


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Catharsis learning through suffering Moderation is to be sought in all things,

even good things The mighty fall so far that we admirethem for being so high A spiritual cleansing of the audience Performances emotional


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Characteristics of a tragic hero: Undergoes a morally significant struggle thatends disastrously. Essentially a superior person who is treatedsympathetically (we like him in spite of whatthe hero might do) His destiny or choice is to go down fighting

rather than submit and thus pluck a moralvictory from a physical defeat. Not all good or all bad (very human) Has a high, respected position to

ignominy or unhappiness or death.


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Hamartia some defect in the tragiccharacter that helps cause his own ruin.For the Greeks this flaw is hubris(excessive pride). The flaw may seem tobe jealousy, anger, ambition, etc., but itwill always be because the character thinkshimself too superior in some way. Becauseof this hubris, whatever happens to thetragic hero is not all undeserved.


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1. Reversal of situation (peripety) goodbegins to slide or go bad2. Recognition (a.k.a. epiphany) discoveryof the critical fact the hero realizes hisown flaw has brought him to this lowpoint.3. Scene of suffering destructive or painfulaction such as a death on the stage, bodilyagony, wounds, etc. (the suffering and

final submission of the hero)


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2 Main types of drama: tragedy andcomedy. Theatrical events were performed annually

at the festival of Dionysus, which lasted 5or 6 days: the Dionysus. Going to thetheater was to take part in a religiousritual. Competition among writers: Each authorsubmitted 4 plays (tetralogy) to beperformed in one day (3 tragedies trilogy and a satyr play.


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Plots were religious and drawn frommythology (dealt with the relationshipbetween humans and the divine).Actors wore masks, costumes, and raisedshoes. Audiences were familiar with thestories.

Knowing the story allowed for dramaticirony (situations or speeches that haveone meaning to the plays characters butanother for the audience, who knowsmore than the character about a givensituation).


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Open air theater - The theater of Dionysusin Athens had more than 17,000 seats. Theatron the seats for the audience were

arranged like a horseshoe in rising tiers. Orchestra circular area at ground level. Thymele an altar in the center of theorchestra to Dionysus on which sacrifices

were made.


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Skene the scene building on the side of theorchestra that had a backdrop with doors forentrances and exits.

Proscenium the level area in front of the skenefor action of the play. Technical equipment:

Eccyclema wheeled platform rolled out of theskene to reveal action that had taken place indoors(very violent scenes) The machine mechanical contrivance to

lower gods to the proscenium from the topof the skene. Devices to imitate lightening and thunder. Painted scenery.


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The Greek Outdo or Amph itheatre


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Two major performance areas-

The Orchestra or Dancing Circleserved as the pr imary act ing area


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The Skene (sc ene bu ilding)-con sisted of a bui ld ing behind the

orch estra probably u sed as a dressing

room , later to b e integrated into th e stage

act ion by an innovat ive playwright .


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Greek Scenic Devices

Periaktoi-

a revolv ing tr iangular devices with

one scene painted on each s ide.


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Tunnel

from behind the Skene to the center of the stage.

Scenic wagons

revealed through do ors on the Skene.

Pinakes

painted panels that could b e at tached to the skene.

The Machina- a crane that

was used to representcharacters who were flying

or lifted off of the earth.

Deus ex Machina-

God From the Machine


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Time 24 hours for the action ofthe play. Place no change of scenery Action no subplot (an actionwhich happens elsewhere is toldby another character)


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1. Prologue introductory section thatgives the background (usually expositoryrather than dramatic)2. Parados entrance of chorus; choruschants more background to the story.3. Episodes and Stasimon Action beginswith the first episode (usually 5

episodes) followed by a parados(chorus). The choral odes arecalled stasima.


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1. Exodus the final action of the play. 2features: messenger speech and the deus exmachina, in which the deity is brought in tointervene in the action.2. Chorus there is always a chorus in Greektragedy. Chorus fulfills several functions:1. Members sang, danced and played instruments2. Ideal audience responding to the action as thepoet intended.3. Modulated the atmosphere and tone (representativeof typical Athenian citizens conservativebut not submissive)4. Questions new characters as to origin or purpose5. Choral odes showed the passage of time.


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Greek Tragedy by Rowil Santinlo