The Origins and Development of Classical Greek Theatre

(The 6th and 5th centuries BCE)

Robert Cohen, Theatre, Mayfield Pub. Co., 1996

Don Nardo (ed.), The Complete History of Ancient Greece, Greenhaven: San Diego; 2001

How we know about Greek theatre

• 43 intact plays• Fragments of other plays (transmitted to us through

long and tortuous journeys of scribing and translation)

• 1 piece of criticism: Aristotle’s Poetics (written in 335 BCE, 200 years after the birth of theatre)

• Archaeological remains of several theatres

Theatre of Dionysus (Athens)

Remains of the stone version of the theatre, built in 325 BCE

Theatre of Dionysus (Athens)

Remains of the stone version of the theatre, built in 325 BCE

Greek religion is polytheistic

Greek Gods are Anthropomorphic

Dionysus

The Choric Dithyramb

• 50 priests clad in goatskins danced around a huge phallus erected in a circle of leveled earth (probably a threshing circle)

• Audience of spectators surrounding them• Drunkeness an integral part of the ritual

(possible magic mushrooms too)• Bulls, goats sacrificed• Shaman > conduit between the divine and the

human

The Birth of Theatre

• Theatre developed out of the dithyramb• 534 BCE – Thespis moves out of the chorus

and assumes the role of hypokrites (answerer) who engages in exchange with the chorus

• Thespis also invents the mask, enabling him to adopt the role of a number of characters

• Story could now be revealed through action and dialogue

Thespis

Tragedy

Tragedy: "play or other serious literary work with an unhappy ending," from O.Fr. tragedie (14c.), from L. tragedia "a tragedy," from Gk. tragodia "a dramatic

poem or play in formal language and having an unhappy resolution," apparently lit. "goat song," from tragos "goat" + oide "song." The connection may be

via satyric drama, from which tragedy later developed, in which actors or singers were dressed in

goatskins to represent satyrs.

The Evolution of Theatre in the 5th Century

• The playwright, Aeschylus, increased the number of actors to two, allowing for dialogue between them.

• By Aeschylus’ time, the chorus had been reduced to twelve

• Sophocles introduced a third actor, allowing for overheard dialogue

Dramatic Forms

• Plays presented in a competition as part of the City Dionysia

• On the third day, five comedies presented• A tetralogy presented on fourth, fifth and

sixth day• Three playwrights would present tetralogies

(three related tragedies and a satyr play)• Tetralogies selected in advance by archons

and produced by wealthy sponsors

Questions on Robert Cohen (1996), Theatre

1) Explain, in your own words, the choric dithyramb.

2) Evaluate the importance of Thespis in the origins of theatre. 3) How did the increase in the number of actors allow increased complexity in the drama? 4) Explain the tetralogy and its elements.