Greeks

So what’s the big deal about So what’s the big deal about the ancient Greeks the ancient Greeks

(Athenians)?(Athenians)?


(Athenians)?(Athenians)?Around 550-450 BCEAround 550-450 BCE DemocracyDemocracy

Pericles’ Funeral OrationPericles’ Funeral Oration



Pericles’ Funeral OrationPericles’ Funeral Oration Western DramaWestern Drama

AeschylusAeschylus SophoclesSophocles EuripidesEuripides



Pericles’ Funeral OrationPericles’ Funeral Oration Western DramaWestern Drama

AeschylusAeschylus SophoclesSophocles EuripidesEuripides

Western philosophy – a little later (450-380 BCE)Western philosophy – a little later (450-380 BCE) Socrates, Plato, AristotleSocrates, Plato, Aristotle

(Geometry(Geometry Euclid, Pythagoras)Euclid, Pythagoras)

Athenian SocietyAthenian Society

City-state in competition with other City-state in competition with other city states (not centralized Empire)city states (not centralized Empire)


City-state in competition with other City-state in competition with other city states (not centralized Empire)city states (not centralized Empire)

480 BCE beat Persians at Salamis 480 BCE beat Persians at Salamis

Battle of Salamis 480 BCEBattle of Salamis 480 BCE

Pericles’ Funeral OrationPericles’ Funeral Oration

“ “each individual is interested not each individual is interested not only in his own affairs but in the only in his own affairs but in the affairs of the city as well”affairs of the city as well”


Scarce resources led to growth of Scarce resources led to growth of artisan skillsartisan skills



Slavery allowed leisure and Slavery allowed leisure and educationeducation



Slavery allowed leisure and Slavery allowed leisure and educationeducation

Highly democratic for citizens Highly democratic for citizens therefore citizens’ wellbeing and therefore citizens’ wellbeing and education importanteducation important



Slavery allowed leisure and educationSlavery allowed leisure and education Highly democratic for citizens Highly democratic for citizens

therefore citizens’ wellbeing and therefore citizens’ wellbeing and education importanteducation important

Education valued intellect and Education valued intellect and common body of knowledgecommon body of knowledge

Dionysus to DramaDionysus to Drama

orgiastic riots (priests wearing skin of sacrificed orgiastic riots (priests wearing skin of sacrificed goat) – ecstasy (cathartic?), cf speaking in goat) – ecstasy (cathartic?), cf speaking in tongues (god enters person)tongues (god enters person)


dithyrambs (50 person chorus singing and dithyrambs (50 person chorus singing and dancing) -- hymns of praise to Dionysusdancing) -- hymns of praise to Dionysus


dithyrambs (50 person chorus dithyrambs (50 person chorus singing and dancing) -- hymns of singing and dancing) -- hymns of praise to Dionysuspraise to Dionysus

turned into plays of gods and heroesturned into plays of gods and heroes


dithyrambs (50 person chorus dithyrambs (50 person chorus singing and dancing) -- hymns of singing and dancing) -- hymns of praise to Dionysuspraise to Dionysus

turned into plays of gods and heroesturned into plays of gods and heroes Festival called Dionysia became a Festival called Dionysia became a

competition between states of their competition between states of their performancesperformances

The Festival of DionysiaThe Festival of Dionysia

Day 1 & 2 - formal dithyrambs in Day 1 & 2 - formal dithyrambs in competition competition

Day 3 – satirical comedies (obscene)Day 3 – satirical comedies (obscene) Days 4-6 – tragedies (tragoidoi – goat Days 4-6 – tragedies (tragoidoi – goat

song)song) Tragedians entered tetralogy (3 Tragedians entered tetralogy (3

tragedies and satyr – erotic satirical tragedies and satyr – erotic satirical romp) romp)

The ChorusThe Chorus

Dithyrambs became a chorusDithyrambs became a chorus Chorus in 2 sections each side of Chorus in 2 sections each side of

orchestra, speaking alternately (orchestra, speaking alternately (strophe, strophe, antistropheantistrophe))

Non-professionals in chorusNon-professionals in chorus Chorus makes emotional bridge ‘tween Chorus makes emotional bridge ‘tween

actors and audience; represents the actors and audience; represents the audience in a way, so audience is part of audience in a way, so audience is part of actionaction

Development of the DramaDevelopment of the Drama

playwright Arion gave Chorus a playwright Arion gave Chorus a leader, leader, exarchos exarchos (one from the (one from the crowd) – asked questions of Choruscrowd) – asked questions of Chorus


Thespis (6Thespis (6thth century BCE) – non- century BCE) – non-Chorus member, Chorus member, hypocriteshypocrites (answerer) to answer Chorus and (answerer) to answer Chorus and leader’s questions; became actor leader’s questions; became actor (thespian) who impersonated (thespian) who impersonated characters in story (hypocrite characters in story (hypocrite assumes characteristics not own – cf assumes characteristics not own – cf liar, our own performances)liar, our own performances)


Actors (always men) used masks Actors (always men) used masks ((personaepersonae: a thing through which sound : a thing through which sound

comes) comes) help show characters being played (old man, help show characters being played (old man,

young girl, etc) cf Noh plays and Kabuki –young girl, etc) cf Noh plays and Kabuki – can’t see faces at distance (14,000 can’t see faces at distance (14,000

spectators) therefore spectators) therefore voice and gesture voice and gesture important important (words and action in theater)(words and action in theater)

masks had brass mouthpieces to project masks had brass mouthpieces to project voicevoice


Aeschylus provided 2nd actor – with Aeschylus provided 2nd actor – with 2 actors, you have a relationship 2 actors, you have a relationship (conflict or not) rather than the (conflict or not) rather than the reciting of narrative; turns story into reciting of narrative; turns story into drama as we enact a relationshipdrama as we enact a relationship


Sophocles provided 3rd actor – action Sophocles provided 3rd actor – action took precedence over Chorustook precedence over Chorus


playwright Arion gave Chorus a leader, playwright Arion gave Chorus a leader, exarchos exarchos (one from (one from the crowd) – asked questions of Chorusthe crowd) – asked questions of Chorus

Thespis (6BCE) – non-Chorus member, Thespis (6BCE) – non-Chorus member, hypocriteshypocrites (answerer) to answer Chorus and leader’s questions; (answerer) to answer Chorus and leader’s questions; became actor (thespian) who impersonated characters in became actor (thespian) who impersonated characters in story story

Actor (always men) used masks to help show characters Actor (always men) used masks to help show characters being played being played

Aeschylus provided 2nd actor – with 2 actors, you have a Aeschylus provided 2nd actor – with 2 actors, you have a relationship (conflict or not) rather than the reciting of relationship (conflict or not) rather than the reciting of narrative; turns story into drama as we enact a relationshipnarrative; turns story into drama as we enact a relationship

Sophocles provided 3rd actor – action took precedence over Sophocles provided 3rd actor – action took precedence over ChorusChorus

The TheaterThe Theater

The TheaterThe Theater

Seating: Seating: theatrontheatron (theater) (theater) Circular dance area for Chorus: Circular dance area for Chorus: orchestra orchestra Altar of Dionysus (behind altar squatted Altar of Dionysus (behind altar squatted

prompter, seats for priests facing altar)prompter, seats for priests facing altar) Permanent set representing palace, etc: Permanent set representing palace, etc: skene skene

(scenery) (scenery) actors entered through doors in skene actors entered through doors in skene

Platform for acting in front of skene: Platform for acting in front of skene: proskenion proskenion (proscenium)(proscenium) outsiders could enter from sideoutsiders could enter from side

Mechane (deus ex machina)Mechane (deus ex machina)

The AudienceThe Audience

Dionysia – very important festival Dionysia – very important festival Honors for foreign dignitaries given here; Honors for foreign dignitaries given here;

children of those who died in battle children of those who died in battle paraded here (cared for by state); tribute paraded here (cared for by state); tribute money presented here.money presented here.

Prizes awarded to best plays; 10 judges, Prizes awarded to best plays; 10 judges, elected by lot, chose winnerselected by lot, chose winners

Audience knows the stories (aids surprise Audience knows the stories (aids surprise if vary the tale or dramatic irony when if vary the tale or dramatic irony when audience knows what characters don’t)audience knows what characters don’t)

The PlaysThe Plays

In thriving democracy, audience questioned its In thriving democracy, audience questioned its values, especially the gods; drama responded values, especially the gods; drama responded to these questionsto these questions

Comedies were scathing contemporary satiresComedies were scathing contemporary satires Tragedies addressed contemporary themes but Tragedies addressed contemporary themes but

from the perspective of myth Pre-city mythical from the perspective of myth Pre-city mythical tales set against background of the city tales set against background of the city (explored the notions of (explored the notions of individual but also of individual but also of citizencitizen ); chorus reminds us of the community ); chorus reminds us of the community

The ValuesThe Values

The Individual (individualism) – human The Individual (individualism) – human actorsactors

The City (social codes and civic laws) – The City (social codes and civic laws) – the chorusthe chorus

The Gods (absolute moral codes) – the The Gods (absolute moral codes) – the godsgods

SophoclesSophocles

Greeks

Education

Transcript of Greeks