greek theater vocab

act

a major unit in a play, like a chapter in a book

amphitheater

an outdoor stage that is oval and has seating on all sides that rise from the center

catharsis

purging of emotion that is the purpose of all tragedy

characterization

how an actor uses body, voice and action to portray a character

chorus

a group of actors who describe and comment on the main action of the play, they usually sing or chant

comedy

a play that ends “happily”, typically tells the story of a like able characters rise to fortune

dialogue

the conversation of characters in a play

fate

the power that determines one’s destiny

hubris

excessive pride that leads the protagonist to break some moral or divine law

monologue

a speech by a single character in a play

prologue

the opening scene in which the background is established

resolution

the portion of a story in which the conflict is resolved

sophocles

greek playwright who wrote plays including oedipus and antigone

stage direction

the instructions written in a play that either describes the setting or characters or gives directions to the actors on how to move or behave

tragedy

a play that does not end “happily”, a tragic end usually brought about by the characters tragic flaw