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Tragedy:
Athens of the 5th century
What led to the birth of tragedy:
1. Democracy = adult male citizens who made decisions on public policy issues, and anyone invited
to get up and speak publicly and persuasively in this assembly;
Direct democracy.
2. Select council of 500 – who came up with the issues to come before the assembly.
3. Court system - Greeks were particularly litigious –
4. Many administrative positions which were filled by “lot” or “election”; a citizen could hold a
given an office only once and the assumption was that every male citi8zen would be involved.
The office of general was elected and could be re-elected. Pericles was elected over and over.
5. 5th century bracketed by Persian wars and Pelopponisian War.
a. 490 BCE – Athens had become involved in a revolt of Greek states against Persia, and
Persia wanted Athens to pay the price. A huge power difference. It was seen as a
matter of time before all of Athens would become a part of the Persian empire. Many
city states refused to succumb to the Persian request for “earth and water”. Persians
from North and East, and Athens lay right in the way of the rest of Greece. Athens
asked for help from Sparta, the great Greek military power, but the Athenians were left
on their own, and the Athenians with a small bit of help charged the Persians and
defeated them just outside Marathon. The few Athenians who died there were buried
there. Miltiades was the leader.
b. Ten years later, Xerxes returned from Persia, and the Spartans met them at the pass at
Thermopolae but all Spartans were killed. The Persians burned Athens and fought a
decisive naval battle as Salamis.
c. Unexpected victories gave Greeks and Athenians a sense of empowerment, and in
aftermath of Persian wars, Athens set herself up as protector of Greece, called Delian
league, with centre on island of Delos. Some small states tried to opt out of the Delian
league. 454 the treasury moved to Athens from Delos and the treasury used to beautify
Athens. At same time, Sparta continued as the land power.
6. Optimism, political power and wealth brought intellectual, rhetorical, arts, courtroom argument,
new ideas brought in. often derided for their relativism. Constantly questioned tradition and
convention, opening door to the philosophical.
7. Parthenon sculptural decoration: Athena and Poseidon vying to become deity of this city.
Stuggles depicted referred to victory of Greeks over Persians. One sculptural band refers to
workshop of Athena at the Parthenon; citizens were engaged with the gods, Athenians put
themselves with the gods on the wall of the temple. This enthusiasm was 431 – 404 quelled by
war with Spartans. The growth of Athenian power led to war with Sparta. Athens was naval
power and Spartans were land power. War dragged on. Brought great hardships to Athenians
and all Greeks and resulted in defeat of Athens. Euripedes plays use the Trojan war to comment
on what was going on during the Pelopennians war.
Two dramatic genres: tragedy and comedy.
Origins of tragedy pre-date the development of democracy. Thespis, 534 staged first tragedies. Public
festivals, choral performances developed into tragedy. The most prominent: the city dionysia open to
all Athenians and maybe even open to women. Festival planned and organized – three playrights and
three tragedies and 1 seder play.
Wealthy Athenians provided financial support the production of the plays.
Wealthy Athenian could also outfit a trireme.
One day for comedies and one day each for each of the tragic playrights.
This was religious festival. Tribute money from allies was brought out and displayed. War orphans of
those who died fighting for Athens. All civic duties suspended.
Judges chosen at the last minute, and prizes awarded and records kept of the winners.
Tragedy:
Subject matter from myth – all know the basic story
Prologue – parados – choral songs divide the
Episodes
Chorus reflect on action of the play
Trimester
Poetry
Choral songs in mixed and complex metres
Participants male
3 pseaking actors
Chorus was communal
Theatre space – large outdoor theatre – spectators sat on curved benches
Chorus sang and danced with orchestra
Chorus is privy to all that is going on on stage, the audience incorporated into the play
Difficult for modern audience to understand
Backdrop with doors to represent
Tragic actors and chorus actors all wore masks – fixed facial expressions
Dues ex machine – a god that solves the problem
Ecoclaima – a platform that could be rolled out for a scene to be played out
Tragedy – not a consistent, constant and popular genre – tragedy does not appear in all times in all
places –
What is tragedy: artistotle – imitation of an action that is serious and complete, leads to catharsis in
audience, leads to reversal of fortune, a good man has made a mistake.
Tragedy usually involves necessary choice between equally negative options.
Sophocles:
Lived to an old age
Introduced the third speaking actor
Less use of chorus
Less grandiose language in his style
Plots more intricate
Strong-willed individual who is not necessarily likable
Oedipus the King
The Theban plays were not a connected trilogy
Oedipus the King 420s
Oedipus Touranos, Oedipus Rex is Latin name
Often considered the single greatest Greek tragedy to have survived.
Oedipus at Colonnus 401
Antigone (440)
Mythological background comes out gradually in the course of the play: audience knew the details of
the myth, contributing to dramatic irony.
Laeus – your son will grow up to kill his father and marry his mother
Laeus marries Yocasta and they have a son, and they send him out to be exposed on a mountain. It’s
acceptable to leave him in the wilds. They pierce his ankles and tie them together with a leather strap.
Oedipus grows up as son of king of Corinth; as Oedipus reaches maturity, he hears a rumor that his
parents are not his parents. He goes to Delphi and asks the oracle who his parents are: you will kill your
father and marry your mother. O decides to avoid Corinth at all costs. As he leaves Delphi, O skirmishes
with and older man and kills him, O goes to Thebes where a sphinx is plaguing the city and O answers a
riddle that no one else can answer. This saves Thebes and so O is made king, and given the queen in
marriage.
Oedipus Rex is dramatic version of one small part of the myth, not a retelling of the myth. A play full of
coincidences. Sophocles picks up story when Oedipus is king and married to his mother.