The Origins of Theatre and Drama

Vocabulary flashcards on the origins of Greek theatre, theories of drama, the festival of City Dionysia, and theatrical production elements.

Dithyramb

Choral hymns performed in honor of the god Dionysus, from which theatre and drama are theorized to have evolved.

Trageodia

The Ancient Greek word for tragedy, derived from 'tragos' (goat) and 'ode' (hymn, lamentation), meaning 'goat hymns'.

Tragoi

The priests who served the god Dionysus in Ancient Greek ritual practice.

Thespis

The ancient performer (origin of the word 'thespian') credited with creating dialogue through improvisation with the leaders of dithyrambs.

Theory 2

The theory that drama evolved from rites and reenactments performed on the tombs of heroes.

Theory 3

The theory that the creation of drama was sudden and deliberate through Aeschylus' addition of a second actor.

City Dionysia

A spring festival in honor of Dionysus, reorganized around 501 BCE to host a drama contest where each dramatist submitted 3 tragedies and a satyr play.

Orchestra

The central performance space in Ancient Greek theatres, literally translating to 'dancing place.'

Skene

The background building in an Ancient Greek theatre located behind the orchestra.

Pinakes

Temporary painted panels used as scenic elements, placed in the openings (thyromata) of the Greek skene.

Thyromata

Complex pictures or openings built into the second-level scene structure of the skene.

Periaktoi

A three-sided, revolving scenic device consisting of three upright painted flats on a triangular base used for quickly changing stage backgrounds.

Ekkyklema

A theatrical device or platform on wheels used to move interior scenes or reveal offstage occurrences to the audience.

Mechane

A crane device used in Greek theatre for raising or lowering characters (origin of the concept 'deus ex machina').

Actors

Only men perform, characters are in masks and chorus is unmasked.

• 2 Actors

• 12-15 Chorus members

Audience

Mostly men, some scholars think wives and slaves of important men may have attended.

• Thousands attended at the tragedies (attendence at tragedies are important part of citizenship), women and slaves aren’t citizens

How theaters were funded

Funded publicly

• plays funded by choregus

• 2 choregus

Choregus

A wealthy community leader who also served as the leader of the corus

Pronomos Vase

Depicts a satyr play showing images of masks

• we think we know that actors were masked and the chorus was unmasked

• most of what we know about plays in performance come from vase painting

The Stories of Plays

All tragedies are based on myth or history

• written in a series of episodes: separated by the stasima (choral dance songs)

Aeschylus

Trilogy The Orestia (first known examples of play texts)

Agon

Is the root of protagonist and antagonist, debate happens between these two characters.

• the agon or debate of tragedy is central to the play.

• Artistotle argues that every play should have a central debate:

Aristotle’s Elements of Tragedy

• Plot

• Character

• Thought

• Verbal Expression

• Song-Composition

• Visual Adornment

Plot

Unified and singular; should have 1 central action and 1 question that’s debated throughout the play.

Catharsis

When the question/debate is answered at the end of the play the audience experiences catharsis

Character

Hero of the play should be someone of greatness who engages in the debate with reason and rationality.

• hero always has a tragic flaw making them relatable

Thought

Hero’s actions and reasoning are rational and always make sense.

• They centralize on them individual and polis (community)

Verbal Expression

Construction (meter) and expression of the poetry has to be beautiful

Song Composition

Construction and expression of song has to be beautiful (chorus)

Visual Adornment

Everything we look at on stage - paintings on pinakes and periakto, costumes, masks, must be appropriate to the location, story, and characters.