the greek theatre
TRANSCRIPT
FESTIVALS OF DIONYSUS
� In honor of the god of Wine and Fertility
� Early worship involved orgies and drunkeness
� Myths relate to seasonal growing cycles and passions of Man
� Purpose of worship was inducement of fertility
� 8th-7th Century B.C.--contests of choral dancing held at many festivals ; “dithyrambs”
First Definite Record of Drama in Greece: 534 B.C.
� “City Dionysia” (late March) reorganized
� Contest for Best Tragedy instituted
� Winner of first contest is Thespis, who also acted in the performance
� Actors today are known as “Thespians”, in honor of the first known Greek actor.
“CHORAGUS”
� A wealthy patron, wishing to honor the gods, pays for the cost of a production
� Precursor to the “Producer”
GREEK THEATRE STRUCTURES
� “Amphitheatres”� Built onto hillsides� Originally temporary
wooden structures, later made of stone
� Were considered a form of temple
� Some held up to 20,000 spectators
Parts of a Greek Theatre� ORKESTRA: circular
acting space at center, translates as “dancing place”
� THYMELE: Altar stone at center of orkestra
� TEATRON: Spectator seating; “seeing place”
� SKENE: Stage building behind orkestra; where we get the words “scene” and “scenery”
Parts of a Greek Theatre� PARADOS/PARADOI: entry
ramps for the chorus between the Teatron and Skene; where we get the word “parade”
� PERIAKTOI: Three-sided turnable column used as a scenic device, placed in space between columns of skene
� MACHINA: Crane-like device used to suspend celestial figures above the action; “deus ex machina” means “god from the machine”
SKENE
� STAGE HOUSE: provides scenic background, a place to change costumes, place to exit
� Had one to three doors� May have been raised
up off ground level� Developed a second
story in later years
GREEK PLAYWRIGHTS� Only 5 playwrights and 45 plays survive� According to Aristotle, drama developed
out of improvisation by the leaders of the dithyrambs
� Early “plays”, such as those by Thespis, were no more than a discourse between one actor (“Protagonist”) and the chorus.
� In later years, playwrights wrote 3 Tragedies and one Satyr Play for the contests at the City Dionysia
AESCHYLUS: 525-456 B.C.
� Tragic Playwright, Introduced Second Actor, “Deuteragonist”
� Encouraged face-to-face conflict between characters
� reduced importance of chorus, size from 50 to @15
� Wrote AGAMEMMNON and PROMETHEUS BOUND
SOPHOCLES: 496-406 B.C.
� Considered greatest Greek dramatist, wrote tragedies
� Created Third Actor� More concerned with
human relationships than religious issues
� Wrote OEDIPUS THE KING and ANTIGONE
EURIPIDES: 480-406 B.C.
� Last of great Greek Tragic playwrights
� Reduced chorus to relatively unimportant role
� Treated Gods with lack of awe
� Wrote MEDEA and THE TROJAN WOMEN
ARISTOPHANES: 450-385 B.C.
� Comic Playwright, “Old Comedy”, discusses “happy idea”
� Wrote LYSISTRATA, an anti-war comedy
MENANDER: 342-292 B.C.
� Comic playwright, “New Comedy”� More secular-based, often a comedy of
“manners”� Copied by the Romans, more like a
“sitcom”� Wrote ARBITRATION and
DYSCOLUS (“The Old Grouch”)
GREEK TRAGEDIES� General pattern developed by Aeschylus� PROLOGOS: establishes dramatic situation� PARODOS: Entrance of Chorus, “exposition”� EPEISODA: main action, equivalent of an “Act”� STASIMA: Choral interlude, makes comment on
the action in the Epeisoda� Climax occurs in last Epeisoda, so that last
Stasima allows final comment by the chorus� EXODOS: Final summation and exit of Chorus