Greek TheaterGreek Theater

Overview of Greek TheaterOverview of Greek Theater• The land

• Antigone

• The Theater

The LandThe Land

•Patriarchal (male dominated)

society

The LandThe LandLocated in Europe in the Aegean

Sea

The LandThe Land

The LandThe Land

Overview of Greek TheaterOverview of Greek Theater• The land

• Antigone

• The Theater

The Myths – Why they were writtenThe Myths – Why they were written

1. Explained the unexplainable2. Justified religious practices3. Gave credibility to leaders4. Gave hope5. Polytheistic (more than one god)6. Centered around the twelve Olympians

(primary Greek gods)

Explained the UnexplainableExplained 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 practicesTo justify religious practices

• Dionysian cults in ancient Greece were founded to worship Dionysus, god of grapes, vegetation, and wine.

To give credibility to leadersTo give credibility to leaders

The Romans 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 hopeTo 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.

The Oracle at DelphiThe Oracle at Delphi

Most famous oracle in Greek mythology.

Mount Olympus…Mount Olympus……Where the

Olympians lived.

Who are the Olympians?

The Olympians Are the 12 Main The Olympians Are the 12 Main GodsGods

The BeginningThe Beginning• The earliest forms of drama grew out of religious

rituals.– Humans were primitive—did not understand forces of

nature (rain, snow, sun, earthquakes, floods, plants growing, the changing of the seasons, etc.). We need concepts of basic science to understand things such as days and seasons. We have a need to explain our lives.

– Developed concept of magical or supernatural forces and rituals intended to “win the favor” of those powers.

– Created stories/myths to explain the nature of the magical forces, the rituals, and man’s relationship to the forces (the gods).

– Eventually began to act out these stories (not as part of religious ceremonies)—this was the beginning of drama.

– Performances were done by a 50-man chorus which sang and danced the stories. (No individual characterization)

Anthropologists have theories about early societies—before the Greeks—and their development of the religious ceremonies which lead to the innovations of the Greeks.

Play ContestsPlay Contests• Were the main part of the religious festivals to honor the

god Dionysus.– Dionysus was the god of fertility, wine, and revelry (partying)

• Early worship of him involved intoxication and the “rending and devouring of sacrificial victims“ (frequently human).

• Gradually the worship became less extreme—still involved lots of partying.

• Series of contests (not just plays) between citizens and the Athenian “’tribes‘ that formed the city‘s basic political and military units“ (Worthen 13).

• Festivals included parades through the city, religious observances and sacrifices in the theater.

The TheaterThe Theater

• Greek plays were performed during religious ceremonies held in honor of Dionysus, the Greek god of wine and revelry (altars generally on

stage)

DionysusDionysus

•God of Wine /

Revelry and

Fertility

Origins of TragedyOrigins of Tragedy

• Aristotle claims that tragedy arises out of dithyramb • a choral performance (ode), often with a soloist

• City Dionysia (Athens) (450 BCE)

The TheaterThe Theater

• Business 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

The TheaterThe Theater

•Tragedy comes from the word “tragoidia”

meaning “goat song” (relates to Dionysian

rituals)

ThespisThespis

• The first actor—was the first to assume a character

• Invented dialogue (character had a conversation with the chorus)

• This is why actors are called “thespians”– 2nd actor introduced by Aeschylus (5th century BC)– 3rd actor introduced by Sophocles (468 BC)—could not have 3

person scenes

• Each competing playwright produced a trilogy of tragedies dealing with a single theme or series of events. (Although sometimes they did 3 unrelated dramas.)

• All 3 plays were performed on one day.• The playwrights we are familiar with came from

the 5th century BC: Aeschylus, Sophocles, Euripedes, and Aristophanes

• Aeschylus – introduced 2nd actor• Sophocles – wrote > 120 plays but only 7

survived; reduced chorus from 50 to 15, introduced 3rd actor and painted scenery

• Euripides – humanized characters and made conflicts more realistic, used deus ex machina, chorus detached from main action

• Aristophanes - was the author of almost all the Greek comedies we have

ComedyComedy

• Comedy was introduced in 487 BC• It is believed that all the comedies were

performed on the last day of the festival.

PrizesPrizes

• Both comedy and tragedy were judged by a panel of judges (like a beauty contest)

• Winner of tragedy got a bull• Winner of comedy got a goat

The TheaterThe Theater

The TheaterThe Theater

Where and how were the dramas Where and how were the dramas performed?performed?

…In an amphitheater

The TheatersThe Theaters

• Amphitheater Design– Greek—built on the hillside– Roman—free-standing (like the Coliseum)

• We still use the terminology– orchestra (orchestra pit—where the band sits)– skene (scenery)– proscenium (the “picture frame“ around the

front of the stage from the audience‘s point of view)

The Theater at DelphiThe Theater at Delphi

Theater of DionysusTheater of Dionysus

The TheaterThe TheaterSix Main Portions of Greek Theater:

Parados – entrance

to the theater used by

the Chorus

The TheaterThe TheaterSix Main Portions of Greek Theater:

Theatron – Seating

for audience

The TheaterThe TheaterSix Main Portions of Greek Theater:

Orchestra – “Dancing

Place” where

chorus sang to the

audience

The TheaterThe TheaterSix Main Portions of Greek Theater:

Thymele – altar to

Dionysus in center of orchestra

where sacrifices

were made

The TheaterThe TheaterSix Main Portions of Greek Theater:

Skene – wooden scene

building used as a dressing room.

The TheaterThe TheaterSix Main Portions of Greek Theater:

Proskenion – where

most of the action took place; also served as a backdrop

Special EffectsSpecial Effects While the Greek special effects were primitive by While the Greek special effects were primitive by

our standards, they were effectiveour standards, they were effective

–Ekkyclema—rolling platform. Interior scenes could be played on these or they were used to display bodies of dead characters.

–Deus Ex Machina—basket on a pole, suspended from a crane. Characters that were supposed to be flying could be hoisted over the skene by the machina.

The StageThe Stage

Major Greek DramatistsMajor Greek Dramatists

Aeschylus 524 B.C. Seven Against Thebes

Sophocles 496 B.C. AntigoneOedipus

Euripides 480 B.C. Medea

Dramatist Born Wrote

What were the plays about?What were the plays about?

• Topics were more or less the same as modern plays, TV, and films:– contemporary society (what was going on in the

society at that time)– politics– literature– war– mythology (acting out the stories)– history– man‘s relationship to the gods (religious issues)

Characteristics of Greek DramaCharacteristics of Greek Drama• Violence happened off stage (characters/chorus reported on it).• Showed the effects of the violence on stage (brought out the

dead/mutilated bodies).• Scenes had only 2-3 actors (all were men).• Actors wore masks (aka personas).• Chorus commented on the action occurring in the scenes

through odes in between the episodes (scenes). The odes are made up of stanzas called stasimons made up of strophes and antistrophes.

• Sometimes had to bring in a god to resolve the problems (Deus ex machina).

• Actors could perform different characters (go off stage and put on a different mask) so play could have more than 3 characters.

Where and how were the dramas Where and how were the dramas performed?performed?

…With a chorus who described most of the action.

Actors and Chorus members wore Actors and Chorus members wore masks, or personasmasks, or personas

Functions of Masks, aka Functions of Masks, aka Personas (wood, linen, cork, Personas (wood, linen, cork,

sometimes real hair)sometimes real hair)1. Exaggerated expressions helped define

the characters the actors were playing2. They allowed actors to play more than

one role (or gender)3. They helped audience members in the

distant seats see and, by projecting sound somewhat like a small megaphone, even hear the characters better.

Actors and Chorus members wore Actors and Chorus members wore large shoes called cothurnilarge shoes called cothurni

Actors and Chorus members wore Actors and Chorus members wore robes called chitonrobes called chiton

Function of ChorusFunction of Chorus

• Sets overall mood and expresses theme (message)

• Adds beauty through song and dance• Gives background info • Divides action and offers reflections on events

(thoughts)• Questions, advises, expresses opinion—

usually through the Chorus leader, called the Choragos

Overview of Greek TheatreOverview of Greek Theatre• The land

• Antigone

• The stage

SophoclesSophocles’’ AntigoneAntigone

• Set in Thebes (a city in ancient Greece)• Antigone is the daughter of Oedipus and

Jocasta• Antigone’s brothers, Eteocles and

Polyneices, took opposite sides in a war• Eteocles and Polyneices killed each other

in battle• Antigone’s uncle, Creon, became king of

Thebes

The EndThe End