greek theater western civilization. the greek theater 5 th century b. c. golden age of greek drama...
TRANSCRIPT
The Greek Theater
5th Century B. C.
Golden Age of Greek Drama
Dramatic festivals were popular
People witnessed tragic and comic plays
The Land
Greece has thousands of inhabited islands and dramatic mountain ranges
Greece has a rich culture and history
Democracy was founded in Greece
Patriarchal (male dominated) society
Philosophy, as a practice, began in Greece (Socrates, Plato, Aristotle)
The StageThree Main Portions of Greek Theatre:
Skene – Portion of stage where actors performed (included 1-3 doors in and out)
Orchestra – “Dancing Place” where chorus sang to the audience
Theatron – Seating for audience
The StageGreek plays were performed during religious ceremonies held in honor of Dionysus, the Greek god of wine and revelry (altars generally on stage)
Banks would shut down for days, people would travel from all around to see the drama competitions—even prisoners were temporarily released to see the plays
Tragedy means “goat song” (relates to Dionysian rituals)
Where and how were the dramas performed?
…In an amphitheatre
…With a chorus who described most of the action.
…With masks
…With all the fighting and movement going on off stage.
….With tragedy first, then comedy later.
GREEK THEATREGreek theatres were constructed in hillsides using the
natural slope of the hill for seating the audienceORCHESTRA: Large circular area located at the
foot of the hill; location from where the chorus would chant their lines
Behind the ORCHESTRA was a raised platform where the actors performed a small building called the SKENE was at the back of the platform-it was where the actors would change their masks- the front of the SKENE was used to represent location; modern day word SCENE comes from SKENE
GREEK THEATRE
Greek theatre used specialty machinery; most noted was the platform on wheels and the DEUS EX MACHINA (literally translated God by Machine)-a device used to lower actors from the top of the SKENE to the stage; used to show the dissention of Gods from the Heavens to earth
Greek era considered to be the most important time in theatre history
GREEK THEATRECOMEDY: light humorous dramas with a happy endingTRAGEDY: the main character suffers a disastrous endSATYR (satire): made fun of Greek legendsAll of these play types were written and performed during this time period… although the interpretation of these art forms has evolved they are still the general dramatic forms still written and performed at present
The masks were worn for many reason including:
1. Visibility2. Acoustic Assistance3. Few Actors, Many Roles4. Characterization
Some general categories of masksSome general categories of masks
1. OLD MEN Smooth-Faced, White, Grizzled, Black-Haired, Flaxen and More Flaxen2. YOUNG MENCommon, Curled, More Curled, Graceful, Horrid, Pale and Less Pale3. SLAVESLeathern, Peaked-Beard, Flat Nose4. WOMENFreed Old Woman, Old Domestic, Middle Aged, Leathern, Pale-Disheveled, Pale Middle Aged, Whorish-Disheveled, Virgin, Girl5. SPECIALIST MASKSSome made for specific characters, others for: Mourning, Blindness, Deceit, Drunkenness...etc. (The comic masks, those especially of old comedy, were as like as possible to true persons they represented, or made to appear more ridiculous)
Major Greek Dramatists
Aeschylus 524 B.C. Seven Against Thebes
Sophocles 496 B.C. Antigone
Oedipus
Euripides 480 B.C. Medea
Dramatist Born Wrote
Sophocles’ AntigoneSet in Thebes (a city in ancient Greece)Antigone is the daughter of Oedipus and JocastaAntigone’s brothers, Eteokles and Polyneces, took opposite sides in a warEteokles and Polyneces killed each other in battleAntigone’s uncle, Kreon, became king of Thebes
Euripides’ MedeaMedea is a princess from ColchisMedea marries Jason, who is in Colchis on a quest for the Golden FleeceMedea betrays her father and murders her brother for her love of JasonMedea has magical powersJason takes Medea back to his homeland, Corinth, where they have childrenJason takes another wife, the king of Corinth’s daughter
The Myths – Why they were written
1. Explained the unexplainable
2. Justified religious practices
3. Gave credibility to leaders
4. Gave hope
5. Polytheistic (more than one god)
6. Centered around the twelve Olympians (primary Greek gods)
Explained the Unexplainable
When Echo tried to get Narcissus to love her, she was denied.
Saddened, she shriveled to nothing, her existence melting into a rock.
Only her voice remained.
Hence, the echo!
To justify religious practices
Dionysian cults in ancient Greece were founded to worship Dionysus, god of grapes, vegetation, and wine.
Theater of DionysusDionysia was an annual festival in honor of the god DionysusTheater of Dionysus was an open-air Theater with room for fifteen thousand spectators
Theater of Dionysus
carved out of a stone hillside looked like a semicircle with steeply rising tiers of seats
Theater of Dionysus
At the bottom was the rounded orchestra or performance area where the chorus sang and danced
Theater of Dionysus
Behind the orchestra was an open, almost bare, stage where actors spoke their lines from behind huge masks
Theater of Dionysus
Male actors performed all the rolesActors switched masks to play a number of roles – both female and male
To give credibility to leaders
Used myths to create family trees for their
leaders, enforcing the made-up idea that the emperors were related to the
gods and were, then, demigods.
To give hope
The ancient citizens of Greece would sacrifice and pray to an ORACLE.
An oracle was a priest or priestess who would send a message to the gods from mortals who brought their requests.
Where DID hope come from?
After unleashing suffering, famine, disease, and many other evils, the last thing Pandora let
out was HOPE.