theater of Sophocles

satyr play

obscene parody of a mythic story, preformed with the chorus dressed as satyrs, mythic attendee of the Great Dionysia half goat or horse half human

orchestra

level circular dancing space and slightly raised stage built in the front of the skene or stage house, originally a canvas or wooden hut for costume changes.

deus ex machina

hook and pulley that would lower and lift the actors that played the gods bringing quick play to resolutions. (“gods out of the machine”)

mask (personae)

exaggerated mouth pieces, possibly designed to project speech across open air

cothurni

high thick-soled elevator shoes that made them appear taller than ordinary men.

prologue

a preparatory scene

parodos

the song for the entrance of the chorus

episodes

acts or scenes in modern plays; episodes were separate by danced choral songs or odes

odes

danced choral songs

exodos

the last scene, in which the character and chorus concluded the action and departed.

hamartia

error or transgression or his flaw or his weakness of character.

hubris

extreme pride, leading to overconfidence

purgation (katharis)

after witnessing a tragedy, we feel relief

recognition/ discovery

the revelation of some fact not known before or some person’s true identity

reversal (peripeteia, anglicized as peripety)

a sudden and unexpected turn of events in a story that results in a shift in circumstances, often leading to the protagonist's downfall.