Survey
* Your assessment is very important for improving the workof artificial intelligence, which forms the content of this project
* Your assessment is very important for improving the workof artificial intelligence, which forms the content of this project
ANCIENT GREEK/ROMAN DRAMA As long as humans have existed in communities ("tribes"), there has been a need for entertainment to explain the natural world. Over the course of thousands of years a tradition of "live performance" was established. Origins of Drama • Began as ritualistic, tribal and religious in nature Communicated: 1. accumulated knowledge, traditions and morality 2. supernatural events (the natural world) 3. history of a people (heroes, wars, events) 4. entertainment and pleasure. Elements of tribal/ritualistic drama • • • • • • • Stories maintained as an oral tradition Music Dance Speeches Costumes Performers/audience “stage.” Greek Drama Tradition • Descended from the lyric traditions of Homer and epic poets 10th-8th century BC • The center of the growing society of dramatic culture was Athens Greek Drama Tradition Factors that helped establish the social impulse towards a formalized dramatic tradition: • advances in philosophy • phenomena in the natural world • aspects of nature • self-understanding • self-consciousness Greek Drama Tradition • Ancient Greeks combined singing, dancing, chanting to present narrative • Dithyramb-group chanted narrative Greek Drama Tradition • After hundreds of years of evolution, individuals began chanting alone • Legend states that “Thespis” was the first “actor” Greater City Dionysia A six day religious festival that commemorated the god Bacchus/Dionysus in order to please him for a successful spring harvest. What began as a purely religious event transformed into a massive social spectacle over six days that culminated in the presentation of theatre. • Day 1: Massive ceremonial parade • Day 2: Dithyramb competition • Day 3:Presentation of comedies • Days 4-6:The Drama competition • Each playwright presented plays in groups of four (a trilogy or group of three plays united by plot, theme, or characters, and a bawdy satyr play) Ancient Greek Play Structure • Prologue-introductory scene • Parados-first appearance of chorus in the orchestra. The chorus is made up of several singers/dancers who comment on the actions of the play, symbolize public reaction, and/or present the universal theme of the play. • Episode-actors play out a scene from the play • Stasimon-Chorus performs • (The episode and stasimon alternate until the end) • Exodos-closing scene Presentation of ancient Greek drama Actors used: • Large masks • Elaborately colored costumes presented themes • Cothurnus-wooden, platform shoes over 1 ft. high The Greek Theatre • Koilon-The theater • Diazoma-the audience area • Orchestra-the chorus utilizes this area • Parados-entrance/exit • Proscenion-the stage/acting area • Scene-large building (up to three stories) that serves as background and entrance/exit for actors Ancient Greek Theatre Stage Machines • Eccyclema-platform on wheels • Machina-crane like device that lowered actors or other objects Aristotle The Poetics Six Unities of Drama 1. Plot (action/events of play) 2. Character 3. Diction (language) 4. Reasoning/thought 5. Spectacle (visible part of play) 6. Sound (audible part of play) I am Aristotle! Tragedy involves: 1. a tragic hero a great person who strives to do the right thing in a world of chaos who eventually succumbs to: 2. tragic flaw some character flaw such as extreme pride, etc. 3. catharsis a purging of extreme emotions by the end of the spectacle. We are Aeschylus & Sophocles! Aeschylus (525-455 BC) • "The father of tragedy" • Introduced the 2nd actor • Reportedly wrote over 90 plays; only 7 exist • Great works: The Orestia Trilogy; The Suppliants SOPHOCLES (496-406 BC) • Introduced the 3rd actor • Shakespeare emulated style in monologues • Main theme-fate • Only 7 of 123 survive • Great works: Oedipus trilogy; Electra We are Euripides & Aristophones! EURIPIDES (480-406 BC) • • • • • • • • Prologue and opening scene Realism/psychological themes Female protagonists Most modern of Greek writers Moral and social issues Not popular during time Seventeen of his plays exist Greatest works: Medea; Trojan Women; Alcestis ARISTOPHONES 445-387 BC • Primarily wrote comedies • Style consisted of "old comedy" • Great works: The Frogs, Lysistrata