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An Introduction to Greek
Tragedy
Stephen Wood - TCCC
A Genre for All Ages
• One of the most
important and influential
genres from the ancient
world was a type of
drama that flourished in
Athens in the 5th century
BC. Greek tragedy is one
of the most persistent
genres, with the ancient
plays of men like
Sophocles and Eurpides
still being performed
today.
Important Names in the
History of Greek Tragedy
1. Dionysus
2. Pisistratus
3. Thespis
4. Aeschylus
5. Sophocles
6. Euripides
7. Aristotle
Dionysus
Tragedy developed from
religious festivals
honoring Dionysus, the
god of wine and the
grape vine.
These festivals
celebrated Dionysus as
the sacrificial bleeding
god who is slaughtered
and then is magically
reborn.
Cycle of Life
• These festivals were a celebration of the cycle of
life-death-rebirth. Just as the grape vine is cut
back to insure next year’s harvest, these
festivals came to celebrate sacrifice and rebirth.
• Dionysus was also associated with goats, some
believing that the term “dithyramb,” the hymn
honoring Dionysus, originally meant “goatsong.”
Pisistratus
An Athenian tyrant, Pisistratus first seized power
in 561; in 546 he gained firm control over Athens.
A benevolent ruler for the most part (to the
Greeks, a tyrant was a man who seized power, no
matter how fairly or unfairly he wielded that
power), Pisistratus instituted the festivals
honoring Dionysus and eventually began the
dramatic contests that produced the surviving
Greek tragedies.
Pisistratus
Recent evidence suggests that Pisistratus actually
co-opted existing matriarchal fertility rituals into
the patriarchal Dionysian festivals that developed.
These festivals eventually developed into
dramatic contests where playwrights produced
trilogy of tragedies, followed by a satyr play (an
extended form of sexual humor). Thus, the
trilogy marked the sacrificial part (Life, then
death) and the satyr play the fertility aspect
(Rebirth).
Thespis
According to legend, the first dramatic
competition was won by the first actor.
In 534 BC, Thespis stepped out of the
chorus (the nucleus from which tragedy
developed) and began to act out the story
being told. Thus, narrative (telling a
story) became drama (enacting a story)
for the first time.
Thespis
The term for this first actor was
“protagonist.” Thespis, of course, is
where we get the term “thespian.”
According to some, Thespis became a ghost
upon his death and continues to haunt
dramatic productions, imparting lessons
of humility to actors and directors.
Aeschylus
Aeschylus
525
Aeschylus is born
490
Aeschylus fights at the Battle of
Marathon
484
Aeschylus wins his first dramatic
competition
458
The Orestia is performed
456
Aeschylus dies in a horrible turtle
accident
Aeschylus
Known for:
1. Being the first great tragic playwright.
2. Adding the second actor (deuteragonist) to
expand dramatic possibilities
3. Writing the only complete surviving trilogy
(the Orestia)
Sophocles
Sophocles
496
Sophocles is born
468
Sophocles beats Aeschylus to win his
first dramatic prize
440
Antigone is performed
424
Oedipus Rex is performed
406
Sophocles dies
Sophocles
Known for:
1. Being the greatest of the tragic
playwrights
2. Adding a third actor to expand the
dramatic possibilities
3. Creating the best known and, perhaps,
most perfect tragedy, Oedipus Rex
Euripides
Euripides
480
Euripides is born
455
Euripides enters the dramatic
competition for the first time
441
Euripides wins competition for the first
time (only won four times total)
431
Medea performed
407
Euripides leaves Athens
407
Euripides dies in Macedonia in a tragic
dog-related accident
Euripides
Known for:
1. Being the third great tragic playwright
2. Using contemporary themes
3. Providing social commentary
4. Creating strong, interesting female
characters
Aristotle
Aristotle
384
Aristotle is born in Macedonia.
367
Aristotle travels to Athens to study under Plato
347
Aristotle leaves Athens after Plato’s death
342
Aristotle becomes the tutor of Alexander (who
was 13 at the time, not yet Alexander the Great)
335
Aristotle returns to Athens after Alexander
becomes king
323
Alexander dies; the Athenians accuse Aristotle of
impiety; Aristotle flees
322
Aristotle dies
Aristotle
Most of what we know about the structure,
conventions, and history of Greek tragedy, we know
because of Aristotle. In his Poetics (from around
330 BC), Aristotle analyzed the major literary forms
in his day, including tragedy. This first work of
literary criticism in the western world is still the
foremost guide to tragedy.
Aristotle
From the Poetics:
1. Tragedy is a mimetic art (an imitation of an
action).
2. Tragedy has three stages: peripeteia (the reversal
of fortune), anagnorisis (recognition of truth) and
pathos (scene of suffering).
3. Tragedy should involve a protagonist (the tragic
hero) who is mostly heroic, but who possesses a flaw
(hamartia) that causes the misfortune in the play.
Aristotle
From the Poetics:
4. The final cause of a tragedy is catharsis. In other
words, a properly constructed tragedy creates a
purging of emotions. As noble protagonists suffer
due to their hamartia, the audience experiences pity,
fear, horror and other emotions. These negative
emotions are purged (or purified), and the audience
is left better off for their dramatic experience.