Theater Historu

Athens

The center of early Greek theater.

6th century BCE

The period when theater began developing from religious festivals.

534 BCE

The first recorded dramatic competition at the City Dionysia festival.

Dithyramb

A choral hymn sung and danced in honor of Dionysus that evolved into more structured performances, leading to the birth of tragedy.

Arion's Contribution

A poet and musician who organized and formalized the dithyramb, adding a narrative element that moved performances closer to drama.

City Dionysia Festival

A major festival in Athens dedicated to Dionysus, including competitions for tragedies and comedies, featuring tetralogies—groups of four plays (three tragedies and a satyr play).

Greek Cast Size

Originally, plays had only one actor (Thespis); Aeschylus increased it to two actors, and Sophocles introduced three actors.

Theatron

The audience seating area, often on a hillside.

Orchestra

The circular performance area for the chorus.

Skene

A backdrop building used for entrances, exits, and scenery.

Parodos

Pathways for chorus entrances.

The Rise and Fall of the Chorus

Started as a central storytelling device, with size decreasing from 50 to 12-15 members, becoming less significant as actors gained more prominence.

Functions of the Chorus

Acts as an agent, establishes ethical framework, serves as ideal spectator, sets mood, adds movement, spectacle, song, and dance, and provides rhythmical function.

Aristotle's Six Elements of Drama

Plot, Character, Thought, Diction, Music, and Spectacle.

Aeschylus

A playwright with 7 extant plays, active from 525-456 BCE.

Euripides

A playwright with 19 extant plays, active from 480-406 BCE.

Sophocles

A playwright with 7 extant plays, active from 495-406 BCE.

Aristophanes

A playwright with 11 extant plays, active from 446-386 BCE.

Menander

A playwright known only for fragments, active from 342-291 BCE.

Catharsis

The purging or emotional draining that occurs through watching a tragedy, which is traumatic but ultimately cleansing for the audience.

Hamartia

The tragic flaw in the protagonist that leads to their downfall.

Peripeteia

The reversal of fortune, where the protagonist's situation changes from good to bad.

Anagnorisis

The moment of discovery or recognition, where a character learns a deep secret, shifting from ignorance to knowledge.

Theologeion

The place where gods would speak in the performance, often as part of the plot.

Mechane

A crane-like device used to fly actors down from the skene, typically used for gods or supernatural beings.

Deus ex Machina

A plot device where a god or divine figure is introduced, often resolving the conflict in an abrupt or forced way.

Thespis

The first 'actor' in Greek theater.

Hypocrites

The Greek word for 'actor,' meaning interpreter or answerer of the chorus.

Masks

Allowed for the unfolding of the story through action, dialogue, and the two-party argument. Masks were used to portray different ages and sexes and also amplified the actor's voice.

Character in Tragedy

The main character is typically a nobleman. They must be noble because it affects everyone, it's relatable and it's amusing to the audience. The character is good, but not too good, as this makes them more relatable to the audience. The plot often revolves around the character unraveling a secret or fighting against the gods.

Prologue

Introduces the tragedy's topic.

Parados

The chorus enters and explains the backstory.

Episodes

The main action of the plot.

Stasimon

Chorus commentary through dance and song.

Kommos

An exchange between the chorus and actors to express grief.

Exodos

The final moral lesson conveyed by the chorus.

Sophocles

Sophocles (497-406 BCE) wrote Ajax, Antigone, Oedipus at Colonus, Electra, Philoctetes, and The Women of Trachis. He was a general in the Athenian army. He wrote Oedipus Rex around 429 BCE.

Greek Theatre Competitive

Prizes were awarded to both actors and playwrights for their performances at the City Dionysia festival.

Greek Theatre Choral

Music and dancing were essential parts of the performances, with the chorus playing a key role in providing commentary and enhancing the dramatic experience.

Greek Theatre Religious

Greek theater was deeply religious, based on myths or historical events, and performed in honor of the gods, particularly Dionysus, during religious festivals like the City Dionysia.

Human Mystery

It looks at the mysteries of the human condition, facing complex, often tragic, elements of life.

Real People Making Decisions

It depicts real individuals making significant, often terrible, decisions.

Human-Fated Actions

The fates of characters are usually shaped by their own actions.

Domestic Dramas

Greek tragedies often have domestic, everyday settings, focusing on human struggles within families.

Focus of Greek War Plays

Greek war plays, especially those about the Trojan War, often deal with themes of human conflict, honor, revenge, and the devastating effects of war.

Moral Lessons in Greek War Plays

These plays commonly highlight the tragic consequences of war, both for individuals and societies.

Significance of the dithyramb

The dithyramb was a choral hymn that honored Dionysus, evolving into more structured performances and ultimately influencing the birth of tragedy.

City Dionysia contribution

It provided a formal venue for dramatic competitions, shifting from dithyrambs to full dramatic performances. It also introduced tetralogies, which are groups of four plays.

Chorus evolution

The chorus began as a central storytelling device with up to 50 members. Its size decreased to 12-15 members and became less prominent as actors took on more of the performance.

Six elements of drama

Plot - The structure of events. Character - Development of the people in the story. Thought - Themes and ideas. Diction - Language and dialogue. Music - The auditory elements. Spectacle - Visual aspects.

Thespis

Thespis is credited with being the first actor in Greek theater, breaking away from purely choral performances.

Prologue

The prologue introduces the topic; it is the opening scene, delivered by one or two characters before the chorus makes its appearance.

Parados

The parados provides backstory; it is the first song sung by the chorus as it enters the orchestra.

Episodes

Episodes are the main actions; they consist of dialogue or monologue and set up the central conflicts or themes.

Stasimon

Stasimon offers commentary; it is a choral ode sung by the chorus at the end of each episode.

Kommos

Kommos is a mourning exchange.

Exodus

Exodus delivers the final moral lesson; it is the final scene of the play where the chorus exits, usually singing a processional song.

Sophocles' contribution

He introduced the third actor, wrote major plays like Oedipus Rex, and won many dramatic competitions.

Masks

Masks allowed actors to portray different characters, amplified voices, and helped the audience understand the age, gender, and social status of characters.

Three key characteristics of Greek theater

Greek theater was competitive, choral, and religious.

Greek drama's portrayal of human mystery

It explores the complexities of the human experience, particularly through characters making decisions with often tragic outcomes.

Key themes of Greek war plays

These plays often address the horrors of war, fate, honor, and revenge.

Agon

The agon is the central debate in the comedy featuring two characters: one who supports the bright idea and another who opposes it.

Parabasis

In the parabasis, the chorus steps forward and addresses the audience directly, allowing the comic poet to express their views.

Episodes in Greek Comedy

These are the scenes where the bright idea introduced in the prologue is put into practice.

Exodus in Greek Comedy

The exodus is the final scene of the play, where the story concludes on a happy note.

Old Comedies

Mocked the government, specific people, and even the gods (who fell in favor of the war).

Middle Comedy

Focused on sex, food, and booze.

New Comedy

Fictitious, regular citizens; chorus shrinks and becomes more like musicians, spectacle. Boys meets girl falls in love.

Tragedy Vs. Comedy

Comedies had a bigger chorus (24 cast members) versus tragedies that only had 15. Tragedy tends toward the universal while Comedy tends toward the particular.

Lysistrata

Written by Aristophanes; obtained a chorus of both men and women; was the first female lead in a Greek play; written during the Peloponnesian war (431-404 BC); name means 'Disbander of Armies'.

Chi-Raq

A film directed by Spike Lee.

Miracle Plays

Dramatized the lives of saints or miraculous events attributed to holy figures, focusing on the lives of Christian saints and their miracles.

Morality Plays

Focused on allegorical stories where characters represent moral qualities (e.g., Everyman) and teach lessons about right and wrong.

Cycle Plays (Mystery)

Biblical plays based on stories from the Bible, often depicting creation, the life of Christ, or salvation; commonly performed in cycles.

Mansion

A small structure or stage set used to represent a specific place in a religious or morality play, part of a larger staging in a series of 'stations' during a mystery play.

Guilds

Associations of craftsmen or merchants responsible for constructing the mansions and sponsoring specific scenes or 'stations' in mystery plays.

Cycle Plays Production Frequency

Produced every 2-10 years.

Cycle Plays Length

About 15 minutes long.

Types of Stages in Cycle Plays

Processional (used pageant wagons) and stationary.

Everyman

A morality play where the main character represents all of humanity, focused on the journey of Everyman as he seeks salvation.

Character Names in Morality Plays

Often represent abstract qualities or concepts, such as Everyman, Good Deeds, Knowledge, Death, or Beauty.

Liturgical Music and Drama Connection

Liturgical music and liturgical drama are linked as medieval drama evolved from religious ceremonies and chants performed in church.

Quem Queritis

One of the earliest examples of medieval liturgical drama; a short Easter trope sung during Mass at the resurrection of Christ.

The Second Shepherd's Play

A mystery play from medieval England, performed as part of a cycle of plays during religious festivals like Corpus Christi.

Hell Mouths

Dramatic devices used in mystery and morality plays to symbolize the entrance to Hell.

The Black Death / The Plague

Ran from 1331-1770 and killed over 25 million, which was ⅓ of Europe.

prologue

The opening scene providing background information in a Greek tragedy.

parodos

The chorus' entrance song and dance in a Greek tragedy.

first stasimon

The chorus singing and reflecting on the episode's events in a Greek tragedy.

exodos

The final scene where the chorus exits in a Greek tragedy.

agon

A debate between two characters about the central idea of the play in Greek comedy.

parabasis

The chorus directly addresses the audience in Greek comedy.

exodus (Greek comedy)

Typically ends with a joyful celebration, like a marriage or banquet.

Old Comedy

Best known for mocking political figures, government, and gods.

New Comedy

Characterized by realistic, everyday characters and romantic plots.

Tragedy vs. Comedy

One difference is that comedy had a larger chorus than tragedy.

Lysistrata

Significant for having a female lead and addressing war issues.

Miracle plays

Focused on the lives of saints and their miracles.

Morality plays

Typically feature characters that represent abstract moral qualities like 'Good Deeds' and 'Death'.