Purpose of Greek Theatre

• Celebrations held in honor of the god Dionysus

• The Chorus would chant songs in honor of the god.

• Greek legend says that drama began when Thespis added an actor to the chorus who would take different roles and converse with the chorus

The Competition

• In 534 BC, the first drama competition took place.

• The competitors presented three dramas

• They viewed plays in an amphitheater

• Some had painted scenery hung at the back.

• There were no curtains

The Competition

• Actors wore large masks which would amplify their voices

Elements of Greek Theatre

Greek Theatre and Tragedy

Tragedy:

shows the downfall or death of the main character or tragic hero

Tragic Hero

Main character in a tragedy

Tragic Flaw

Mistaken action or defect in a character

Elements of Greek Theatre

Prologue:

Spoken by one or two characters before the chorus appears. The prologue usually gives the mythological background necessary for understanding the events of the play

Parados:

This is the song sung by the chorus as it first enters the orchestra and dances.

Elements of Greek Theatre

First Episode:

This is the first of many "episodes", when the characters and chorus talk.

Stasimon/OdeAt the end of each episode, the other characters usually leave the stage and the chorus dances and sings a stasimon, or choral ode. The ode usually reflects on the things said and done in the episodes, and puts it into some kind of larger mythological framework. Works like a curtain at the end of the scene.

Elements of Greek Theatre

Paen

At the conclusion of the tragedy. A thanksgiving to Dionysus

Exodus

At the end of play, the chorus exits singing a processional song which usually offers words of wisdom related to the actions and outcome of the play.

Elements of Greek Theatre

Chorus:

Commented on the plays action and usually consisted of about 15 men. Usually sang and danced between scenes. Often acts as the conscience of the characters

Choragus:

Chorus leader who conversed with the actors

Elements of Greek Tragedy

Strophe

Chorus rotates from right to left while reciting/singing the lines.

Antistrophe

Chorus moves in the opposite direction answering the strophe.

Elements of Greek Tragedy

• Based on myths the audience were familiar with

• Tell of a reversal of fortune, from good to bad, experienced by a man or woman of noble birth

• The main character may have a tragic flaw

Elements of Tragedy Con’t.

• The characters downfall comes from his or her own actions

• The doom is clearly destined

• Doom is brought about by fate

• The theme is often warning against excess such as pride or passion

• Demonstrate the limits of human knowledge, sympathy, and foresight.

• Remind us every decision involves choosing and living with the unforseen consequences of these choices.

SophoclesSophocles Greek dramatist. Together with Euripides

and Aeschylus, he is considered one of the greatest dramatists of ancient Greece. His surviving plays include Ajax, Oedipus Rex, Antigone, and Oedipus at Colonus

A man of wealth, charm, and genius, Sophocles was given posts of responsibility in peace and in war by the Athenians. He was a general and a priest; after his death he was worshiped as a hero

he composed about 123 dramas), winning first place about 20 times and never falling lower than second

A definitive innovator in the drama, he added a third actor—thereby tremendously increasing the dramatic possibilities of the medium—increased the size of the chorus, abandoned the trilogy of plays for the self-contained tragedy, and introduced scene painting.

Sophocles

• 496 – 406 B. C.• a playwright who lived a long,

comfortable, happy life• grew up in a wealthy family in

ATHENS, GREECE

Sophocles

• his dramatic work portrayed misery and tragedy• he also became a

distinguished public official

Sophocles

• produced 123 plays (only seven survive today)• the age of Sophocles in Greece

was a time when anything seemed possible through human effort and reason

Sophocles

• toward the end of Sophocles’ life, Athens raged a war against Sparta, their bitter rivals

• there also was a great plague in 430 B. C.

Sophocles

Sophocles’ surviving plays (written after 440 B.C.) are deeply troubling

SophoclesThese plays depict characters

caught up in unsolvable dilemmas that test their faith in divine and human justice

Before there was Antigone

There was Oedipus!

The Pre-Oedipus Story

All the knowledge that a student needs to know BEFORE reading

“Oedipus”

Once Upon a Time . . .

It all began in Greece, in a city-state by the name of Thebes.

King Laius and Queen Jocasta were expecting their first child when they received a rather disturbing prophesy:

Their son would kill his father!!!

That’s King Laius for those of you not following too closely.

What to do?

Faced with a bad situation, Laius and Jocasta decide to KILL their new little baby.

They pierce their son’s ankles (don’t ask why, no one is quite sure) and give him to a shepherd to kill.

What to do?

The shepherd doesn’t like this situation at all!!! He can’t kill the baby either!

CithaeronA mountainside where

different shepherds bring their sheep to graze

Shepherd #1 gives baby to Shepherd #2, thinking that this is good enough. The baby will never make it back to Thebes. Right?????

WRONG

Corinth

Shepherd #2 gives the baby to King Polybus and Queen Merope of Corinth, who haven’t been able to have their own children.

They raise Oedipus as their child, never telling him that he is, in fact, adopted.

The TRUTH

But, the truth will surface.At a wedding, a guest who has indulged a bit

too much, tells Oedipus that Polybus and Merope are not his parents.

I don’t know; do you?

Oedipus confronts Polybus and Merope, who promptly deny it.

A Riddle

Oedipus loves a good riddle.He decides to go to the Oracle at Delphi to ask it

about his parents (hoping for a straight answer).

The Oracle at Delphi

Of course, the Oracle isn’t really good at straight answers.

Oedipus asks the Oracle if Polybus and Merope are his real parents.

The Oracle answers him by giving him a prophesy:

“You will kill your father and beget (have) children by your

mother.”

AHHHHHHH!!!

Go west young man!

Oedipus decides that he can’t go back home (Corinth), otherwise he may kill his father (Polybus) and marry his mom (Merope).

But, as the reader, we know . . .

Polybus and Merope are not his real parents. Therefore, he could go back to Corinth if he wanted to. The worst way that he could head is towards Thebes. Therefore, he heads towards Thebes

Meanwhile, back in Thebes . . .

A plague has beset the people of Thebes in the form of the Sphinx.

The Sphinx asks a riddle, and if you can’t answer it, well, it’s not good.

To help his people, King Laius decides to travel to the Oracle at Delphi to seek a solution.

At the crossroads

Guess who meets at the crossroads of three roads?

If you guessed Oedipus and King Laius, you’d be right.

Oedipus running from the Oracle and Laius to it.

Father and Son Meet

Only, neither knows that they are father and son!!

They argue over who has the right of way.

Legend has it that Laius strikes Oedipus, and Oedipus gets a little angry.

They fight and Oedipus kills King Laius.

First part fulfilled

If you’ve been following closely, you will realize that the first part of the Oracle’s prophesy has now been fulfilled.

Thebes

Oedipus continues onto Thebes and meets the Sphinx, which is still terrorizing the people.

The Sphinx asks Oedipus its riddle:

“What goes on four legs in the morning, two legs at noon, and

three legs in the evening?”

His Reward

After correctly answering the riddle and ridding Thebes of the Sphinx, the people wish to reward Oedipus by making him their king (who has mysteriously disappeared).

The easiest way to accomplish this is for him to marry the queen, Jocasta (his mom).

Second part of prophesy fulfilled!

Happily ever after????

Oedipus and Jocasta marry and have four children.

About 18-20 years pass.

The play begins.

Then we have Antigone

AntigoneAntigonea tragedy written in

442 BC by Sophocleschronologically the

third of the three Theban plays but was written firstOedipus the King Oedipus at Colonus Antigone

After Oedipus is exiled, he leaves the ruling rights of Thebes to his two sons, Eteocles and Polynices who must take it in turns to rule.

Eteocles rules first but the two becomes enemies after Eteocles refues to give up the throne, and Polynieces is exiled.

At the beginning of the play, both brothers are dead, apparently slain by the other's hand.

The current ruler, Creon, has made a decree: Since Polynices fought against Thebes, he shall not be buried. Meanwhile, Eteocles is to be buried with full military honors.

Antigone, the daughter of Oedipus and the sister of the dead brothers, believes this proclamation to be against the gods' orders.

She confides her plan to bury Polynices herself to her sister Ismene. The more timid of the two, Ismene refuses to take part out of fear, but agrees with her motive.