Download Classical Theatre History A Journey Through Time

Classical Theatre History A Journey
Through Time
Greek and Roman History
By Margaret Foland
AET 541
Dawn R. Tittle
Introductions to Classical Theatre History
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Week 1 Greek History
 this will focus on both the history of the Greek Culture
and Theatre. It will encompass philosophy, religion,
and the society of Ancient Greece.
Week 2 Roman History
 This will focus both the history of the Roman Culture
and Theatre. It will encompass philosophy, religion,
and the society of Ancient Rome.
Greek History
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5th century B.C.E.
standing achievements in politics, philosophy, science and arts
Western theatre born due to the culture of the period
Advances made in art such as pottery and also in the performance of
elaborate ceremonies such as those performed in Abydos, Egypt.
Advances in science, astronomy and math
Athens carried all these traditions forward
Start of the 5th century B.C.E. most important city-state was Athens, in Greek
History at the time
That changed between 431 to 404 B.C.E. – during the Peloponnesian Wars,
between Athens and Sparta.
Athens, otherwise, enjoyed a period of remarkable achievements – this time
was called the Classical period or the Golden Age of Greece
Birth place of Democracy – Athens, Greece
all male citizens had a voice
however, men who were slaves or non-Athenians had no voice in the political
and governmental bodies
women were subservient – not allowed to participate in government
Greek History cont’d
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Greek Philosophy
Socrates and Plato tried to explain the world around them
Herodotus transformed history into a social science
Scientific discoveries made
Pythagoras – Greek Mathematician, invited his theory (theory formulated) and it is still used
today and is one of the corner stones of geometry
Hippocrates – Greek Physician created the physicians oath – the Hippocratic Oath and it is still
in use today for our doctors – to do no harm.
Aristotle – philosopher, teacher of Alexander the Great, and first theatre critic of the ancient
world, wrote “The Poetics.”
Classical Greeks were also remarkable artists and architects
Greek sculptures from this period can be found in museums world wide
These monuments have with stood time and natural disasters – the Parthenon and the Temple
of Acropolis
The most significant field – theatre
We love color, beauty, competition, revelry, balance, and democracy
http://youtu.be/7SyAhSjj4KE
Discussion Questions
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What were some of the great achievements of the
Ancient Greeks during the Classic period?
Who were the philosophers and what did they contribute
to the society?
Greece was the birth place of Democracy, but why did
they feel that only the men of the city could run it, and
why were women subservient at this time?
The Theatron of Ancient Greece
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A state theatre
Archon – producer
Choreogus – Appointed to run chorus
Chorodidascolos – chorus was considered the most important thing; later star actors took over thanks to Thespis.
Theatre of Dionysus
Ancient Greek Theatre structure and performance
(Classical Greek, Hellene, and Roman Adaptation)
The basics
Capacity of 15,000 to 17,000
The grand and expensive demanded
Theatre – seeing place
Orchestra – dancing place, 66 ft. in diameter
Skene – scene house
In front of the skene was the proskenion (proscenium)
There were 3 doors – the native door on the right side of the stage, the kings door in the center of the stage, and
the alien or foreign country door on the left side of the stage it was called the thyromatae.
Paraskenia – side entrances
Episkenion – Roof or second level or structure
Paradoi – parade, chorus parades in…
Scenic Effects or Periakoti
Machane (Machine)
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Deus des Machina – crane – god from the or in the machine
Ekkyklema – used for reveals
Revolving or pivoting stage
Literally “a wheeled thing”
Used for reveals either wheeled on stage or rotated
Orange, Eretria, Athens, Epidaurus – Hellene theatres
Videos on Ancient Greek Theatre and its music:
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http://youtu.be/ynYpzrmpscc
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http://youtu.be/DISMbiJByw0
Tools of Theatre
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The mask
Onkos (onkos) – a giant headdress that gives extra height and grandeur
Megaphone? – They may have had one this is still not proven fact
Basic costume – everyman
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Chiton
Himation
Cotherni – for grandeur
Melpomene – muse of tragedy, holding a mask and wearing a Cothurnus – like a platform shoes
Arete – striving for excellence
Anake – I understand something maybe holding me back, necessity
Early Greek Festivals
Dionysian Feasts
Dithyrambs started around 600 B.C.E.
Thespis – becomes first hypocrite (actor) around 535 B.C.E.
The Dionysia and Rural Dionysia
December – Lenaia
January – City Dionysia
March – First contest 534 B.C.E.
Drama till you drop
7 day festival – seven day festivals
Proagon
Awards and punishments
Aristotle’s Dramatic Elements
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Aristotle argument in “The Poetics” was written in 322 B.C.E.
What survives are lecture notes preserved over two millennia.
Tragedy is helpful as a purgative, called Katharsis, which eliminates antisocial urges
dormant in our nature.
The definition of drama: drama is the imitation of an action, and tragedy is serious,
important and tells one complete story
Tragedy is not narration, but shows the story in action
The aim of tragedy is to conjure up the emotions of pity and fear, leading to Katharsis
The elements of tragedy
in order of importance, the elements are
 plot
 character
 theme (idea)
 language
 music / musicality
 Spectacle – dancing, singing, set, costumes, etc.
Dramatizations and Playwrights
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When Drama Began and its Themes
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Dithyrambs
5 comedies
Trilogies, Satyrs
Structure of old comedy
Prologos – Prologue that begins the play with
dialogue indicating the focus or theme of play
Parados – (1) song sung buy the chorus when it
enters, (2) the moment when the chorus enters
Episodes – scenes in which the dialogue involves
one or two characters and the chorus
Agon – debate between characters
Parabasis – an ode in which the chorus
addresses the audience to express opinions of
the author
Stasimons – chorus sings a song, leading up to
the finale, the conflict is resolved
Exodus – final part, play ends
Themes
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love you wife, not your weapons of war
war is a senseless waist of lives, money and
energy
war not only divides nations it also divides
families
although men hold all power in Greek Society,
they back wisdom, common sense, and peaceful
nature of Greek women
the weak can be strong when here cause is just
in unity, there is strength
All small organized group can become united and
strength thru numbers
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Playwrights
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Aeschylus
Sophocles
Euripides
Aristophanes
Menander
Some Play Titles
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Prometheus Bound
The Suppliants
Antigone
King Oedipus
Hecuba
Ion
The Frogs
Lysistrata
The Grouch
The Girl from Samos
Video Clips of Ancient Greek Playwrights
http://youtu.be/elSGufIxc7s
 http://youtu.be/IGT24uYPb2Y
 http://youtu.be/gqpB5BgZDnE
 http://youtu.be/1SMiA
G-8nak
 http://youtu.be/YygOR5JxcnM
 http://youtu.be/S15s-HbCGIw
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Discussion Questions
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What are the parts of the Ancient Greek Theatre, called
the Theatron?
Why did they use masks?
What is the basic everyman costume?
Why are the Cothurnus compared to platform shoes?
Who are the Greek playwrights and who wrote what?
Roman History
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Rome was founded around 750 B.C.E.
over 200 years was ruled by a series of kings from Etruruia
500 B.C.E. the kings were over-thrown
Republic was to established that lasted nearly 500 years
3 main classes in Rome
 Patricians
 the rich upper class who ruled the country through the Senate
 plebeians
 ordinary citizens who had no voice at first and than eventually gained an equal voice in
government through a people’s assembly
 Slaves
 who made up roughly half the population.
During the 2nd and 3rd centuries B.C.E. – 264 to 146 B.C.E.
 Punic Wars
 Rome won
Rome controlled a large part Mediterranean including
 Spain
 Sicily
 Sardinia
 A portion of North Africa
1st century B.C.E. – signs of struggle
they had trouble with the following
 maintaining checks and balances in the government
 upheavals
Rome in the midst of this turmoil
 Julius Caesar declares to be the dictator of the Roman Empire
Roman History Cont’d
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Caesar was assonated by a group lead by Brutus
Brutus was in turn defeated by Mark Anthony and Octavius
27 B.C.E. – Rome became an empire with the following
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one supreme rule
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Most of the lands bordering on the Mediterranean Sea
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All of Europe, basically the following
 Spain,
 France,
 Britain
 all the Balkans
Religion
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importance in Roman history
The Romans worshipped gods
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counterparts of the Greek gods
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Also worshipped divinities from lands they conquered
Worshipped in their own pantheon
Romans stage religious festivals
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Which they incorporate elements of theatre
Romans persecuted the Early Christian
4th century C.E.
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Emperor Constantine splits the empire in two
 East - Byzantine
 West - Western
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the emperor Constantine’s Mother was a Christian
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Constantine converts to Christianity
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Conversion of the Roman world to Christianity begins
Early Christians deemed theatre
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evil
The Roman Catholic Church was a contributing factor to the decline of
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Roman Empire
The Coliseum of Rome, its remains that
has lasted for over 1,000 years.
Discussion Questions
When Rome was a Republic who was in
charge and why?
 How did Rome become an Empire?
 Who was Julius Caesar?
 Why did Brutus kill Caesar?
 Who was Constantine?
 Why did the empire get split into two
factions?
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The Roman Theatre
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Capacity 50, 000
 4 tier theatre
Auditorium
 partially covered
 hydraulics
 awesome spectacles
Theatre organization
 Curale Aediles – hired by government, producer,
 Ludi – sports (gladiators)
 Circenses – spectacle, theatre
 Giant head – Dominus Gregius – director, theatre representative
 Siparium – 2nd drapes
 Auleum – grand drape, 2nd behind it
 Pulpitum – Stage of Roman Theatre, 4 to 5 ft. raise length to Colosseum Stage
Theatre Structure
 They kept the Orchestra, Scaenae (Skene), and the cavea (theatron)
 Scaenae frons - scene house
 Porta dexter, (right, entrance port),
 porta hospitale (left entrance port)
 porta regia (center entrance port)
 Side entrances
 Versurae – doors on sides
 Periatoi, panels, mechane
 Drop curtain
 Stage 300 X 40¹
 Average capacity 25,000
 Dexter – Rome door
 Hospitale – foreign door
 Regia – king’s door
Horace – Rome’s Theatre Critic
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Horace – Quintus Horatius Flaccus – theatre critic
Famous for his literary poetry
 Satires and
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Epodes
The Art of Poetry
Horace’s rules of theatre
 comedy and tragedy must never combine
 Plays should have 5 acts
 Only 3 speaking characters should appear at the same time
 The gods should not be used unless it is absolutely necessary to resolve a plot
 The chorus should be used to forward the action, set a high moral tone and give “good and
sage counsel.”
Felt that the purpose of drama was “to profit and to please”
Writers should both entertain and instruct their audience
Horace’s concerns emphasized during the Renaissance was decorum
Decorum – meant that the language and actions of characters must fit traditional ideas of
suitable behavior for their age, gender, social status and emotional state, Wilson, E., &
Goldfarb, A. (2008).
He wanted writers to avoid using extremes – or extreme emotions and to attempt to be truthful
Anything overly offensive or overly marvelous needed to be kept off stage
Playwrights of Rome
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Tragic playwright
Lucius Annaeus Seneca – 4 B.C.E – 65
C.E.
Plays of Seneca
Some of his works survived, here are
some titles
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The Madness of Hercules
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The Trojan Women
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The Phoenician Women
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Phaedra
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Medea
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Thyestes
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Agamemnon
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Oedipus
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Comic Playwrights
Plautus (Titus Maccius Plautus) 254-184
B.C.E.
Terence – Publius Terentius Afer 185 to
159 B.C.E
Plays of Terence
All 6 survived
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Andria – 166 B.C.E.
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The Mother – In – Law 165 B.C.E.
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The Self – Tormentor – 163 B.C.E.
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The Eunuch – 161 B.C.E.
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Phormio – 161 B.C.E.
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The Brothers – 160 B.C.E.
Plays of Plautus
20 plays and one if fragment survived,
here are 8 of them
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The Merchant
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The Carthaginians
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The Rope
Casina
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This is a picture of Titus Maccius
Plautus, an actor and Playwright of
Ancient Rome.
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The
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Pot of Gold
Haunted House
Captives
Churl
Girl from Persia
Menaechmi
Video Clips of Ancient Roman Playwrights
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Videos on Ancient Roman Theatre and
Music :
 http://youtu.be/GDMfjvqGuyc
 http://youtu.be/uJLXyBzMci0
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Roman Playwrights Video Clips:
 http://youtu.be/WHX-cM_tBjI
 http://youtu.be/uX-aWZa2qqA
 http://youtu.be/_32z0k3r9v4
Discussion Questions
What is the structure of the Ancient
Roman Theatre?
 How many people could sit in the Ancient
Roman Amphitheatre?
 How was the theatre Organized?
 Who are the three major Playwrights of
Ancient Rome?
 Who is Horace?
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References
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Ancient Greek Theatre. (n.d.). Retrieved from
http://academic.reed.edu/humanities/110tech/theater.html
Hellene Theatre. (2004). Retrieved from
http://www.wildfiregames.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=6255 .
Julius Caesar. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://fany.savina.net/wpcontent/uploads/2010/10/JuliusCaesar.jpg
Roman Theatre. (n.d.). Retrieved from
http://www.vroma.org/~plautus/theatmodlab.jpg
Titus Maccius Plautus. (n.d.). Retrieved from
http://www.rightwords.eu/imgupl/author/t-232x250xffffff/titusmacchius-plautus--924--t-232x250xffffff-rw.jpg
Wilson, E., & Goldfarb, A. (2008). History of the Theatre: Living
Theatre (5th ed.). New York, New York: McGraw Hill.