Download Origins of theatre

ORIGINS OF
THEATRE
THEATRE I
GREEK TRAGEDY
• The Greek tragedy started in the form of dithyrambs.
• Dithyrambs: choral hymns to the god Dionysus
• Thespis is thought to be the playwright that moved
theatre from this form of poetry to the classical form of
Greek tragedy.
• Did this by allowing actors to speak as individuals in
their own voice, rather than singing as a group
• Despite the fact that the influence of Thespis is not agreed
upon, to this day actors are known as thespians in his
honor.
STRUCTURE OF
GREEK PLAYS
•
Actors usually played more than one role
• Men played all the parts
• Stylized - used masks, choruses, etc.
• Violence and death usually offstage
• Frequent use of messengers to relate information
• Usually continuous time of action
• Usually single place
• Stories based on myth or history, but varied interpretations of
events
• Focus is on psychological and ethical attributes of characters,
rather than physical
FOUR QUALITIES OF
GREEK TRAGEDIES
1. Performed for Special Occasions
Athens had four festivals worshipping Dionysus.
• Dionysus: according to Greek mythology, the god of wine,
fertility, and rebirth.
• The son of Zeus (King of the Gods) and Semele (a mortal)
2. Competitive
Prizes were awarded, and Thespis is believed to be the first
theatrical contest winner.
The most famous of all Greek Tragedies, “Oedipus Rex,” finished
second around 430 BCE.
3. Plays Closely Related to Religion
• Most stories focused on the gods, myths, and history
• Each playwright had his own interpretation of such events
FOUR QUALITIES OF
GREEK THEATRE
4. Had a Chorus
• Singing was an important part of the foundation of theatre (dithyrambs)
• Moved from being the entire performance to contained within the
chorus.
• Chorus: a group of actors singing/speaking together
• Offer a variety of background and summary information to help the
audience follow the performance
• Represent the population in any particular story
• Comment on themes and shows how an ideal audience might
react to the drama
• Express to the audience what the main characters could not say,
such as their fears or secrets
• Usually communicated in song form but sometimes spoke their
lines in unison.
• Added movement, spectacle, song, and dance
THREE GREEK
TRAGEDIANS: AESCHYLUS
1. Aeschylus (es/skil/us)
• His are the oldest-surviving plays
• Began competing 449 B.C. at Dionysus Theatre.
• His characters have limited number of traits, but clear and
direct
• Plays emphasize forces beyond human control
• Most famous play: The Oresteia – a trilogy
• Made up of “Agamemnon,” “The Libation Bearers,” and
“The Eumenides”
THREE GREEK
TRAGEDIANS: SOPHOCLES
2. Sophocles (sof/o/clEs) 496-406 B.C.
• Won 24 contests, never lower than 2nd place
• Fixed the chorus at 15 (had been 50)
• His plays emphasized individual characters
• Had complex characters who were psychologically wellmotivated
• Theme emphasized: the choices of people
• Most famous plays: Oedipus the King (Oedipus Rex) and
Antigone
THREE GREEK
TRAGEDIANS: EURIPIDES
3. Euripides (ur/ip/i/des) (480-406 B.C.)
• Very popular in later Greek times, little appreciated
during his life
• Sometimes known as “The Father of Melodrama”
• Subjects questioned traditional values
• Used minor myths or severely altered major ones
• Used less poetic language, but more realistic
characters and dialogue
• Most famous plays: Medea, The Trojan Women and
The Bacchae
GREEK COMEDIES:
ARISTOPHANES
Aristophanes (ar/is/tof/a/nes) (448-308 B.C.)
• Received many awards for his plays
• Work was often satirical about current events and
people in Ancient Greece
• Considered intellectual and imaginative
• Most famous plays: Lysistrata and The Frogs