The Founding Greeks

Early Theater to the Universality of Greek Plays

I. Beginning of theater

A. Impersonation1. Animals2. Gods3. People

B. Evolved from storytellingC. Myths

Beginning of theater continued

B. Early dramas – religious in basis1. Egypta. Passion playsb. Osiris – god of life/deathc. Magic and healingd. Masks2. Native American dances3. African dances

Greek Theater

• Provides the transition between ritualistic theater and Western theater

• First formal theater on Crete

II. Early Greek Festivals

A. Worship of Dionysus1. God of vegetation, wine,

fertility2. Rites of adoration3. Masks4. 4 festivals each year

II. Early Greek Festivals

B. Developed into performances1. Singing 2. Dancing3. Reading poetry4. Drinking5. One actor with chorus

II. Early Greek Festivals

C. Greek religion1. Plays centered around

religious rituals2. Compare to church/temple

today3. Entertainment with themes

III. Evolution of Greek Theater

A. Thespis1. First actor2. Developed monologue3. Credited with mask4. “Thespians” = “actor”

III. Evolution of Greek Theater

B. Choerilus1. Added another character2. Female3. Females were played by boys/men

III. Evolution of Greek Theater

C. Festivals developed into contests1. 3 poets wrote plays2. Tetralogy

a. 3 tragedies b. 1 comedy

3. Tragedy – a. Tragos – goatsb. Goats sacrificed to

Dionysus

IV. Greek Theater Structures

IV. See handout

• Diagram and explanations will be on the test!

IV. Greek Theater Structures

A. Characteristics1. Open air2. Amphitheater seating3. Good acoustics

IV. More Greek Theaters

Theatre of Dionysus

Theatre of Dionysus

Greek Masks

Masks continued

Purposes for masks

• Stereotype representation of character

• Built in amplifier• Larger than life – visible

V. Playwrights

A. Aeschylus1. Father of Classical Greek

drama2. 82 plays – 7 survive3. Introduces 2nd character

a. Created dialogueb. Conflict

Playwrights cont.

B. Sophocles1. Used 3 speaking actors2. Created longer, more complicated plots3. Chorus lost importance4. Used painted back drop to indicate time and place5. 123 plays – 7 survive

Playwrights cont.

C. Euripedes1. Added more charactersand plot complication2. More realistic3. Innovator – gods with human traits4. Sympathy for female characters

Playwrights cont.

D. Aristophanes1. Known for comedies2. Satirizes Greek society,politics, literature3. 40 plays4. Plays still performed today

a. The Birdsb. The Frogsc. The Clouds

Playwrights cont.

F. Menander1. Last great playwright2. Over 100 plays3. Comic style influences

modern comic playwrights

Sources

• Brockett, Oscar G. The Theatre: An Introduction.

New York: Holt, Rinehart, and

Winston, 1979.• Brockett, Oscar G. History

of the Theatre. Boston: Allyn and Bacon, 1995.