Here is a picture of the God, Dionysus'

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Here is a picture of the God, Dionysus.
Greek Fertility Godwine, music, and
dramabrought spring to Greece every year.
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City Dionysia-Citywide
religious festival-Occurred when winter changes
into spring (usually in April)-Performances
consisted of choruses singing dithyrambs (hymns
sung in honor of Dionysus)
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• Chorus
• 50 male citizens (approximately)
• Sang and danced to music (lyre, flute,
  percussion)
• Citizens highly involved (1,200 performers per
  festival)

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Role of the Chorus

• Sets the overall mood and themes
• Gives background information
• Offers reflection on previous action
• Questions, advises, expresses opinions
• They are always on stage

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Map of Greece-Athens is where The Theater of
Dionysus is located.
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• Culture of Greek Drama
• Athens, Greece was the hub of Greek drama
• Citizens highly involved
• Educated audience (cultural memory)

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Theaters in Athens

• Circular stages, almost entirely surrounded by
  seating
• Performances were held during the day (no
  lighting)
• Held up to 18,000

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Structure of theater
seeing place where audience sat Front row was
for officials
Thymele
Circular dancing place, where actors/chorus
performed
Entrance used by the chorus
Dressing room
Thymele altar to Dionysus in center of Orchestra
Proskenion façade of scene building which served
as backdrop
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The Theatre of Dionysia
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Structure of the play

• 1.) Prologue Opening scene, establishes the
  background exposition
• 2.) Parodos Entrance of the chorus chanting
  lyrics to establish main theme
• 3.) Episode Plot develops through action
• 4.) Stasimon Choral ode sung at the end of each
  episode (by chorus)
• 5.) Exodus Final action

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Playwrights

• Thespis Father of drama
• a.) He added the first actor and dialogue
• b.) He won prize for tragedy in 535 BC
• Aeschylus Father of tragedy
• a.) Added second actor
• b.) He wrote trilogies on unified themes

trilogies
A set of three works of art, (usually literature
or film) that are connected and can be seen as a
single work, as well as three individual ones.
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Playwrights

• Sophocles most popular dramatist
• a.) He added the third actor
• b.) Fixed the number of the chorus to 15
• c.) Introduced painted scenery
• Euripides most modern of the Greeks
• a.) He reduced the participation of the chorus
• b.) He used a psychological approach to moral
  problems

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Acting

• Playwright often took the leading role
• All male performers / women not permitted
• Only three actors

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Acting

• Masks
• - standardized so audiences could recognize
  types immediately
• - had huge mouth holes to amplify voices
• - large, stiff, bright paints/exaggerated
• - actor was judged by his voice (beauty,
  tone, adaptability)

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Acting

• Costumes
• -Bright
• -Colors played important role (ex
  purpleroyalty)
• Props
• -limited
• -Thymele used sometimes (ex boat or other
  objects)
• Violent acts
• -performed offstage / communicated by messengers

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Theater / Acting vocabulary

• Deus Ex Machina hand of god, the appearance
  of a divinity, foretells the future
• Monologue speaking alone
• Dialogue speaking alternately (preferred by
  Sophocles)
• Protagonist the main character
• Trilogy A set of literary three works unified
  by theme

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Greek TragedyWhat is tragedy?
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Imitation of a serious action that evokes FEAR
or PITY in the viewer
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Aristotle's 3 unities of plot
TIMEPLACEACTION

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ARISTOTLES THREE PARTS TO THE PLOT

• 1. Peripetia reversal of fortune
• 2. Anagnorisis recognition
• 3. Catastrophe suffering

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Aristotles 5 components of tragedy

• Serious action of great consequence
• Language with rhythm and melody
• Pity (from the audience)
• Fear of characters
• Catharsis (emotional discharge)

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Tragic Hero
A Character, usually of high birth, who makes a
mistake that leads to his or her own defeat
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Hamartia error of judgment tragic flawOne
example of hamartia is HUBRIS arrogance or
excessive pride
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Nemesis Punishes hubris cannot be escaped.
Avenger of the Gods. Spirit of Divine
Retribution