Greek Drama & Literary Devices: Key Terms and Concepts

Anagnorisis

a change from ignorance to knowledge. This recognition can be discovery of true identity or involvement, establishment of guilt or innocence, and the revelation of previously unknown details.

Antistrophe

meaning 'turn back' -- the other half of the debate or further exploration of the argument first presented in the strophe. The antistrophe serves as a response to the strophe, but it does not get the last word.

audacity

a confident and daring quality that is often seen as shocking or rude; bold or arrogant disregard of normal restraints; in Oedipus Rex, this word is used as a synonym for hubris.

Aulos

a wind instrument which accompanied the Chorus.

Catharsis

a ritual purification of pollution; the term was used by Aristotle for the purging of strong emotions achieved while watching tragedy.

Chorus

a group of character who act as a collective; in Oedipus, they speak for the city. In Greek, the word 'chorus' means 'dance;' the main function of the chorus was to sing and dance lyric odes in between dramatic episodes.

Choragos

leader of the Chorus.

Demigod

the child of a god and a mortal or nymph.

Drama

a mode of fiction represented in performance, as in theater, on radio, or on television.

Dramatic irony

A literary technique, originally used in Greek tragedy, in which the complete meaning of a character's words or actions are clear to the audience or reader although unknown to the character.

Enjambment

(in verse) the continuation of a sentence without a pause beyond the end of a line, couplet, or stanza.

Epic

a long poem about legendary figures and their heroic deeds.

Episode

the part of a Greek drama that takes place between the odes; spoken rather than sung.

Epode

A third component of the ode; is sometimes delivered after the strophe and antistrophe. In a play, the epode completes the movement and is usually a summation of the preceding discussion.

Exodos

the final scene or departure; it is the exit of the Chorus.

Hamartia

a flaw or mistake; in Greek tragedy, one that leads to the tragic hero's downfall.

Hybris/hubris

an act of physical or verbal assault which brings no satisfaction other than the disgrace of another.

Hubris (modern understanding)

exaggerated self pride or self confidence, which often results in fatal retribution.

kommos

a lyric song sung by dramatic characters and the Chorus together, usually at a point of heightened emotion.

Lyric

poetry meant to be sung.

Meter

the rhythmic divisions of lines in poetry.

Metonymy

a figure of speech in which some significant aspect or detail of an experience is used to represent the whole experience.

Miasma

pollution

Pollution

Murder and incest violate natural law as well as human law, so these crimes were believed to offend the gods. Both the person involved and location of the crime were polluted by the act, as were people or places harboring the polluted individual; proper ritual cleansing (catharsis) was necessary to restore both person and place to an acceptable state.

Ode

a type of lyric poetry, the ode or stasimon is a sung piece between episodes in Greek drama. This piece consists of matched lyric stanzas.

Oracle

a holy place where gods pronounced the future or divine will to mortals or those pronouncements.

Orchestra

the round circle in front of the stage where the Chorus danced

Paean

a ritual hymn of thanks given to Apollo for a cure from sickness or injury, as well as another name for Apollo in his capacity as healer

Parodos/parados

the first entrance of the Chorus

Peripeteia

reversal of fortune from good to bad

Prologue

the part of the tragedy before the Chorus' entrance

Scene of suffering

a destructive or painful action, such as death, bodily agony, or wounds. This destructive or painful action should be caused by loved ones so as to maximize fear and pity.

Stasimon

the Greek term for ode; takes place between dramatic episodes, allowing the Chorus to reflect on the action and dialogue that has preceded

Strophe

meaning 'turn' -- is the first stanza of an ode and is essentially the first half of a debate or argument presented by the chorus. (chorus moves right to left)

Synechdoche

the use of the part for the whole (as in the phrase: 'all hands on deck' where 'hands' means 'people-the crewmembers')

Tragedy

a type of dramatic genre, loftier and more serious than comedy, usually ending in sadness

Tyche

the Greek word for 'chance,' personified as a goddess. Usually seen as a fickle goddess, Tyche governed coincidences, simple mistakes, and luck, whether good or bad.

Tyrannus

Oedipus Rex is the Latin title of a play that was called Oedipus Tyrannus in Greek. The English translation is 'Oedipus the King.'

Situational irony

the irony of something happening that is very different to what was expected.

Suppliant

someone who makes requests from a position of powerlessness. In Greek culture, the suppliant was a sacred position with special rights, responsibilities, and visual symbols.

Supplication

the act of communicating with a deity

Tyranny

cruel and unfair treatment by people with power over others; a government in which all power belongs to one person: the rule or authority of a tyrant.