Greek Theater

Western Civilization

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The Greek Theater

5th Century B. C.

Golden Age of Greek Drama

Dramatic festivals were popular

People witnessed tragic and comic plays

The Stage

The StageThree Main Portions of Greek Theatre:

Skene – Portion of stage where actors performed (included 1-3 doors in and out)

Orchestra – “Dancing Place” where chorus sang to the audience

Theatron – Seating for audience

The Stage

The StageGreek plays were performed during religious ceremonies held in honor of Dionysus, the Greek god of wine and revelry (altars generally on stage)

Businesses would shut down for days, people would travel from all around to see the drama competitions—even prisoners were temporarily released to see the plays

The word tragedy means “goat song,” which relates to an act in a Dionysian ritual.

The Stage

Where and how were the dramas performed?

…In an amphitheatre

…With a chorus who described most of the action.

…With masks

…With all the fighting and movement going on off stage.

….With tragedy first, then comedy later.

Masks of Greek Theater

The masks were worn for many reason including:

1. Visibility2. Acoustic Assistance3. Few Actors, Many Roles4. Characterization

Some general categories of masks

1. OLD MEN Smooth-Faced, White, Grizzled, Black-Haired, Flaxen and More Flaxen2. YOUNG MENCommon, Curled, More Curled, Graceful, Horrid, Pale and Less Pale3. SLAVESLeathern, Peaked-Beard, Flat Nose4. WOMENFreed Old Woman, Old Domestic, Middle Aged, Leathern, Pale-Disheveled, Pale Middle Aged, Whorish-Disheveled, Virgin, Girl5. SPECIALIST MASKSSome made for specific characters, others for: Mourning, Blindness, Deceit, Drunkenness...etc. (The comic masks, those especially of old comedy, were as like as possible to true persons they represented, or made to appear more ridiculous)

Masks of Greek Theater

Masks of Greek

Theater

Modern-day replicas

Hero-King

Comedy (Servant or Herald )

Tragedy (Weeping Chorus)

Theater at Epidaurus

Theater at Epidaurus

Major Greek Dramatists

Aeschylus 524 B.C. Seven Against Thebes

Sophocles 496 B.C. AntigoneOedipus

Euripides 480 B.C. Medea

Dramatist Born Wrote

Sophocles’ AntigoneSet in Thebes (a city in ancient Greece)Antigone is the daughter of Oedipus and JocastaAntigone’s brothers, Eteokles and Polyneces, took opposite sides in a warEteokles and Polyneces killed each other in battleAntigone’s uncle, Kreon, became king of Thebes

Sophocles

Myths played a key rolein Greek drama

The Myths – Why they were written

1. Explained the unexplainable

2. Justified religious practices

3. Gave credibility to leaders

4. Gave hope

5. Polytheistic (more than one god)

6. Centered around the twelve Olympians (primary Greek gods)

Explained the Unexplainable

When Echo tried to get Narcissus to love her, she was denied.

Saddened, she shriveled to nothing, her existence melting into a rock.

Only her voice remained.

Hence, the echo!

To justify religious practices

Dionysian cults in ancient Greece were founded to worship Dionysus, god of grapes, vegetation, and wine.

Roots in Worship of Dionysus

God of wine and revelry

Theater of Dionysus

Dionysia was an annual festival in honor of the god DionysusTheater of Dionysus was an open-air Theater with room for fifteen thousand spectators

Theater of Dionysus

carved out of a stone hillside looked like a semicircle with steeply rising tiers of seats

Theater of Dionysus

Theater of Dionysus

At the bottom was the rounded orchestra or performance area where the chorus sang and danced

Dionysus Theater in Athens

Theater of Dionysus

Behind the orchestra was an open, almost bare, stage where actors spoke their lines from behind huge masks

Dionysus Theater in Athens

Dionysus Theater in Athens

Theater of Dionysus

Male actors performed all the rolesActors switched masks to play a number of roles – both female and male

To give credibility to leaders

Used myths to create family trees for their

leaders, enforcing the made-up idea that the emperors were related to the

gods and were, then, demigods.

To give hope

The ancient citizens of Greece would sacrifice and pray to an ORACLE.

An oracle was a priest or priestess who would send a message to the gods from mortals who brought their requests.

Where DID hope come from?

After unleashing suffering, famine, disease, and many other evils, the last thing Pandora let

out was HOPE.

Oracle of Delphi

Oracle of Delphi

Delphi

The Storyline

Central Character is of the Elite Class

Central Character suffers a Downfall

Central Character is

Neither Wholly good nor

wholly evil

Downfall is the result of a Fatal Flaw

Misfortunes involve

characters who are

related or who are friends

Tragic actions take place offstage

Central Character has a moment of recognition

Audience experiences pity and fear

Pity and Fear leads to a catharsis

The End