GREEK THEATRE

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GREEK THEATRE

• THE BIRTHPLACE OF
• WESTERN DRAMA

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FESTIVALS OF DIONYSUS

• In honor of the god of Wine and Fertility
• 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

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DITHYRAMBEcstatic Hymn

• A RELIGIOUS CHANT OR SONG PERFORMED IN RYTHYM AND
  WITH DANCING

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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.

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HYPOKRITE

• GREEK WORD FOR ACTOR, MEANS WEARER OF MASKS

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CHORAGUS

• A wealthy patron, wishing to honor the gods, pays
  for the cost of a production
• Precursor to the Producer

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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

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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

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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

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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

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Side View Orkestra and Teatron
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Orkestra with Thymele, Skene
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Teatron
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AUDITORIUMThe Hearing PlaceIncludes Orkestra
and Teatron
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Seating for the Priests
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The Head Priests Chair
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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

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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 _at_15
• Wrote AGAMEMMNON and PROMETHEUS BOUND

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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

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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

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ARISTOPHANES 450-385 B.C.

• Comic Playwright, Old Comedy, discusses happy
  idea
• Wrote LYSISTRATA, an anti-war comedy

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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)

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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