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Greek Theatre
Origins and Explanations
Origins of Greek Theatre
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A theatrical culture that flourished in ancient
Greece between 550 and 220 BC.
It was institutionalized as part of
a festival called the Dionysia, which honored
the god of wine and harvest, Dionysus.
These festivals took place in the citystate of Athens, which became a significant
cultural, political and military power during
this period.
The Festival
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Athens exported the festival to its numerous
colonies and allies in order to promote a
common cultural identity.
Western theatre originated in Athens and its
drama has had a significant and sustained
impact on Western culture as a whole.
Over 15,000 people attended the festival each
year.
Gave Birth To:
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The three dramatic genres to emerge there:
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Tragedy: dramas in which the main character suffers a
disastrous end
Comedy: light, humorous dramas with a happy ending
The Satyr Play: made fun of the Greek legends. *We get
our word satire from this.*
Greek authors entered their plays in contests for the
festival. The winning playwright won a prize of
money and an ivy wreath to wear as a symbol of
victory.
Greek Playwrights
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Greek theater had many important playwrights.
Tragedy Writers:
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Comedy Writers:
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Aeschylus
Sophocles
Euripides
Aristophanes
Menander
Plots focused on gods and their interactions with
humans.
The Actors
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The earliest plays were stories told by a chorus of
men and boys.
Later, the number of actors increased to three, in
addition to the chorus, which was used to tell the
story. Actors were more important later in the plays.
Each actor in the Greek theater played more than one
role.
To portray different roles, the actor wore different
masks.
The masks of comedy and tragedy have thus
become symbols of theatre.
Famous Greek Plays/Stories
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Oedipus Rex - Oedipus discovers he has
killed his father & married his mother.
Medea - kills her own children
The Trojan Women - play protests war
Greek Masks
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The Ancient Greek term for
a mask is prosopon (lit, "face"), and was a
significant element in the worship
of Dionysus at Athens, likely used in
ceremonial rites and celebrations.
They were fairly helmet-like masks, covering
the entire face and head, with holes for the
eyes and a small aperture for the mouth, as
well as an integrated wig.
Purpose/Effect of Masks
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They brought the characters' face closer to the audience,
especially since they had intensely exaggerated facial features
and expressions. They also amplified the actors’ voices.
They enabled an actor to appear and reappear in several
different roles, thus preventing the audience from identifying
the actor to one specific character and to distinguish sex, age,
and social status, in addition to revealing a change in a
particular character’s appearance, ex. Oedipus after blinding
himself.
Masks were also made for members of the chorus, who help
the audience know what a character is thinking. Although
there are twelve members of the chorus, they all wear the
same mask because they are considered to be representing
one character.
Interesting to Note…
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Paintings never show actual masks on the actors in
performance; they are most often shown being
handled by the actors before or after a performance,
that minimal space between the audience and the
stage, between myth and reality. This demonstrates
the way in which the mask was to ‘melt’ into the
face and allow the actor to vanish into the role.
Effectively, the mask transformed the actor as much
as memorization of the text. Therefore, performance
in ancient Greece did not distinguish the masked
actor from the theatrical character.
Other Costumes:
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The actors in these plays that had tragic roles
wore boots called cothurnuses that elevated
them above the other actors.
The actors with comedic roles only wore a
thin soled shoe called a sock.
When playing female roles, the male actors
donned a “prosterneda” (a wooden structure
in front of the chest, to imitate female breasts)
and “progastreda” in front of the belly.
Greek Tragedy
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Greek tragedy as we know it was born
when Thespis, the earliest recorded actor,
stepped out of the chorus and spoke alone.
The chorus then responded to his speeches.
Thespis is often called the "Father of
Tragedy,” and his name has been
immortalized as a common term for
performer—a "thespian.”
Structure of Greek Tragedies
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After a prologue spoken by one or more characters, the chorus enters, singing and
dancing. Scenes then alternate between spoken sections (dialogue between
characters, and between characters and chorus) and sung sections (during which
the chorus danced).
Here are the basic parts of a Greek Tragedy:
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Prologue: Spoken by one or two characters before the chorus appears. The prologue
usually gives the mythological background necessary for understanding the events of
the play.
Parodos: This is the song sung by the chorus as it first enters the orchestra and dances.
First Episode: This is the first of many "episodes", when the characters and chorus
talk.
First Stasimon: At the end of each episode, the other characters usually leave the stage
and the chorus dances and sings a stasimon, or choral ode. The ode usually reflects on
the things said and done in the episodes, and puts it into some kind of larger
mythological framework.
For the rest of the play, there is alternation between episodes and stasima, until the
final scene, called the...
Exodos: At the end of play, the chorus exits singing a processional song which usually
offers words of wisdom related to the actions and outcome of the play.
The Greek Stage:
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Greek tragedies and comedies were always
performed in outdoor theaters built into
hillsides (the natural slope of the hill was used
for seating and natural lighting).
Basic Parts of the Greek Theater:
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Orchestra: The orchestra (literally, "dancing space") was
normally circular. It was a level space where the chorus
would dance, sing, and interact with the actors who were on
the stage near the skene. The earliest orchestras were simply
made of hard earth, but in the Classical period some
orchestras began to be paved with marble and other materials.
In the center of the orchestra there was often an altar.
Theatron: The theatron (literally, "viewing-place") is where
the spectators sat. It often wrapped around a large portion of
the orchestra. Spectators in the fifth century BC probably sat
on cushions or boards, but by the fourth century the theatron
of many Greek theaters had marble seats.
Basic Parts Cont…
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Skene: The skene (literally, "tent") was the building directly
behind the stage. The skene was usually decorated as a
palace, temple, or other building, depending on the needs of
the play. It had at least one set of doors, and actors could
make entrances and exits through them. There was also
access to the roof of the skene from behind so that actors
playing gods and other characters could appear on the roof, if
needed.
Parodos: The parodoi (literally, "passageways") are the paths
by which the chorus and some actors (such as those
representing messengers or people returning from abroad)
made their entrances and exits. The audience also used them
to enter and exit the theater before and after the performance.
Greek Theater Diagram
The Performances:
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No scenery was used on stage.
No violence was shown on stage.
Performances were held during the day and
went on even despite bad weather.
Over 30,000 audience members attended at
once.
Important Vocabulary
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Poetics: the earliest-surviving work
of dramatic theory. In it, Aristotle offers an
account of what he calls "poetry" (a term
which in Greek literally means "making" and
in this context includes drama—
comedy, tragedy, and the satyr play—as well
as lyric poetry, and epic poetry). He examines
its "first principles" and identifies its
genres and basic elements.
More Important Vocabulary
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Hamartia: developed by Aristotle in his
work, Poetics. It is rooted in the notion of missing
the mark (hamartanein) and covers a broad spectrum
that includes accident and mistake, as well as
wrongdoing, error, or sin. It is an injury committed
in ignorance (when the person affected or the results
are not what the agent supposed they were). In
tragedy, it is often described as a hero's fatal flaw.
More Important Vocabulary
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Hubris: means extreme haughtiness, pride or
arrogance. Hubris often indicates a loss of
contact with reality and an overestimation of
one's own competence or capabilities,
especially when the person exhibiting it is in a
position of power.
More Important Vocabulary
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Catharsis: describes an extreme change in
emotion, occurring as the result of
experiencing strong feelings (such as sorrow,
fear, pity, or even laughter). In dramatic art, it
describes the "emotional cleansing"
sometimes depicted in a play as occurring for
one or more of its characters.