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Greek Drama Background Notes What is Greek Drama? Flourished between 550 – 220 BCE Originated as part of rituals honoring Dionysus, god of wine and fertility. Thespis (thespians) transformed hymns sung to gods into songs telling the stories of famous heroes. Why do we care? Source of Western Theater Maintains a strong influence on performance art through history (plays, films, etc.) Maintains a sustained impact on western culture as a whole 3 Types of Greek Drama Tragedy: centered on the suffering of a major character, ends in disaster. Comedy: revolves around mistakes or blunders, yet all is resolved in the end Satyr Play (named for wood demons): comic and unruly treatments of tragic themes The Theater Shaped like a semi-circle stadium Actors amplified their voices through special mouthpieces worn in their masks All actors men, chorus was well trained boys By switching masks, each actor could play multiple roles Sophocles Considered to be the greatest of the ancient Greek playwrights His plays always contain a moral lesson – typically a caution against pride and religious indifference Sophocles’s Innovations Added a third actor to the original two Introduced painted sets Expanded the size of the chorus to fifteen The “Theban” Plays Sophocles wrote three plays telling us the story of Oedipus of Thebes and his family. – Oedipus Rex – Oedipus at Colonus – Antigone Antigone Background Audience knew the story – suspense came from the dramatic irony The audience pitied these characters Oedipus Myth See handout Theme of Antigone The conflict in Antigone – individual conscience at odds with established authority – is universal When we know those in power are morally wrong, do we break their laws? Or, do we obey, making us collaborators? Tragedy According to Aristotle: the function of a tragedy is to arouse feelings of pity and fear in the audience, so that we may be cleansed of these feelings This concept is known as Catharsis – emotional release, or purge Tragic Hero Tragic hero – experiences a reversal of fortune/downfall This character is not all good or bad Downfall brought about by tragic flaw – some sort or error or frailty Tragic Hero (cont) Often a tragic flaw is hubris – excessive pride or arrogance Tragedy concludes with recognition and reversal – the tragic hero understands they are at difference with the world as they understood it. Greek Theater Format Begins with a prologue – exposition that presents the background, situates the conflict Chorus – comments on and explains the action of the play (serves as the collective voice of humanity) Opening chorus sings a parados – opening song Greek Theater Format (cont) Ode – chorus’s song that divides scenes, and serves the same purpose as a curtain During the odes, the chorus leader (choragos) mights exchange thoughts with the group in a dialogue During that recital, the group would rotate from right to left, singing the strophe (twist, turn) Greek Theater Format (cont) During the antistrophe (turning back), the chorus would go from left to right Play would conclude with a paean (thanks to Dionysus) and an exodus (final exiting scene)