The Greek Theater

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The Greek Theater

•  Staging an Ancient Greek Play

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Theaters

• Outdoors and during daytime
• Plays performed by a chorus and three actors
• Players used masks
• Drama followed the unities Time (real time),
  action (realistic) and place (setting is in one
  location)

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Performances

• As a part of religious festivals in honor of
  Dionysus, god of wine
• Dithyramb- dances performed in honor of Dionysus
  by 20-50 men wearing masks accompanied by sung
  literary fragments

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Types of plays performed

• Tragedies stories from the mythic past
• Comedies dealt with contemporary problems
  satyr

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Aristotles FiveCharacteristics of a Tragic Hero

• A tragic hero
• comes from nobility or high rank King, Queen
  a man or woman capable of great suffering.
• has a tragic flaw in his character or makes a
  simple mistake that results in DISASTER!!
• Greed, lust, envy, gluttony, sloth, wrath
• Or worst of all
• Excessive pride also called hubris.

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Aristotles FiveCharacteristics of a Tragic Hero

• A tragic hero
• experiences a reversal of fortune a king/star
  one day, a bum/loser the next.
  Although doomed from the start, he experiences
  some freedom of choice.
• has a downfall (AKA catastrophe) that arouses
  pity and fear, wonder and awe.
• The audience shares the heros suffering and
  questions how the gods/fate/God can allow THIS to
  happen

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Aristotles FiveCharacteristics of a Tragic Hero

• A tragic hero
• recognizes his mistakes and is purified by a
  release of emotional tension, producing a feeling
  of calm
• This purge is also known as catharsis.
• Feel the pain let it go!!

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Tragedy and Comedy in the Greek Theater

• Chorus
• group of actors who moved and sang together
  functions as a character in the play considered
  the first actor
• purposes
• to set the mood
• to give background information
• to give possible public opinion
• might side with one of the characters

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Famous Greek Dramatists

• Aeschylus 525-456 B.C.
• Father of Tragedy
• wrote 90-100 plays
• added a second actor

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Sophocles 497-406 B.C.

• Most successful of competitors at Athenian
  Dionysus festival
• Added third actor
• Developed scene painting
• Created form of tragic drama that has become
  dominant in Western Literature
• Justice and suffering
• Depicts moral/emotional issues rather than cosmic
• Focuses on human nature than divine world

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Brief Comparison
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Vocabulary

• fatalism doctrine that all events and
  conditions are predetermined by fate and cannot
  be altered by man
• in medias res in the middle of the action
• reversal of fortune - the turning point for the
  tragic hero
• recognition the moment when the hero knows the
  truth

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ACCURSED

• under a curse ill-fated doomed

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ATONEMENT

• reparation for a wrong or injury amends

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AUGURY

• divination

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BASELESS

• having no basis, unfounded

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BLIGHT

• any of several diseases that wither or kill
  plants something that damages or spoils

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CALAMITOUS

• disastrous

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DEFILE

• to spoil the purity of

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DIVINATION

• a prophecy

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ENDOWED

• provided with ability, talent, or quality

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FATALISM

• doctrine that all events and conditions are
  predetermined by fate and cannot be altered by man

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IMPIOUS

• lacking in reverence for gods or a god
  irreligious

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INCESTUOUS

• involving marriage or a sexual relationship
  between two persons who are closely related
  (parent/child, brother/sister)

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INDICTMENT

• accusation or criticism

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LINEAGE

• direct descent from an ancestor

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MOCK

• to treat or address with ridicule or contempt

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ORACLE

1. divinely inspired priest, priestess or other
   medium through whom certain ancient gods, as
   Apollo, answered the questions of their
   worshippers
2. shrine or temple of a god, as that at Delphi,
   where answers were given

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SOLICITUDE

• care concern

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SULKILY

• obstinately silent or withdrawn as a display of
  bad humor or resentfulness

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SUPPLIANTS

• those who earnestly beg

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SUPPLICATION

• earnest request or humble prayer

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OEDIPUS REX

• Thebes - city Oedipus rules presently/city where
  Oedipus was born
• Corinth - city where Oedipus grew up

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Sphinx

• Monster part lion/part woman (body of a lion,
  wings of an eagle and head of a woman)
• Plagues Thebes
• Riddle What walks on four legs in the morning,
  on two legs at noon, and on three legs in the
  evening?

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• Delphi
• 1. Location of the Temple of Apollo
• 2. All Greek men would journey there to discover
  their fate
• 3. Oracle prophet of Delphi who told ones fate
  (prophesy, prophesies)
• Greek concept of fate no free will life
  pre-planned pre-destined.

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Characters

• Laius former King of Thebes, supposedly killed
  by robbers
• Jocasta widow of Laius now married to Oedipus
• Oedipus - King of Thebes by marriage and due to
  answering the riddle of Sphinx
• Creon Jocastas brother
• Teiresias blind prophet
• Antigone
• Ismene daughters of Jocasta and Oedipus

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• Polybus King of Corinth
• Merope Queen of Corinth
• Corinthian messenger
• Palace messenger
• Old Shepherd