Greek Tragedy

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Greek Tragedy

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Structure of Tragic Plays Prologue Parodos
Epeisodion/Episode Ode Strophe Antistroph
e Epode Exodus Epilogue
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Functions of the Chorus

• A) Announce the approach, entrance, or departure
  of a character
• B) Comment on what is said and done
• C) Philosophize on the characters and life in
  general
• D) Summarize the action
• E) Act as a unifying device

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Play Characteristics

• All-male Cast
• Never more than 3 characters on the stage at a
  time plus a 15 member Chorus
• All actors wore maskspersonae
• Tragic actors wore vestment-like robes and
  possibly platform shoes to heighten their stature
• Comic actors wore common clothing and socks to
  lower their stature

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Play Characteristics

• Subject Matter Based on well-known myths and
  legends.
• Classical Unities
• Time
• Place
• Action
• Decorum No violence is shown on stage. The
  audiences focus of interest is on the effects of
  the actions. Lots of emotions, little action.

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Aristotelian Characteristics of Tragedy

• Tragedy arouses the emotions of pity and fear,
  wonder and awe.
• The tragic hero must be a man or woman capable of
  great suffering. Must be a person of note (king
  or prince) who starts high and ends low.
• Tragedy explores the question of the ways of the
  gods to mortalsFATE
• Tragedy purifies the emotions and cleanses the
  baser qualities in mancatharsis

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Aristotelian Characteristics of Tragedy

• The tragic hero undergoes a crucial change in
  his/her affairs for better or for worse.
• Tragic hero is brought to disaster by a single
  flaw in his/her characterhamartia. The fall is
  precipitated by an errornot a vice. The hero
  must be someone whom the audience admires.
• HamartiaTragic Flaw
• HubrisSin of Pride
• CatharsisPurging the Lower Instincts.

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Sources
http//www.cnr.edu/home/bmcmanus/tragedy http//w
ww.didaskalia.net/issues/vol6no4/bosher.html http
//www.staginggreekdrama.com/StagingGreekDrama/Gre
ek_Theatre.html -Marie-Lan Nguyen / Wikimedia
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