Greek Theatre Terms-AP Lit.

Hamartia

a fatal flaw leading to the downfall of a tragic hero or heroine

Hubris

excessive pride or arrogance that results in the downfall of the protagonist of a tragedy

Aristotle’s Poetics

the earliest surviving work of dramatic theory and the first extant philosophical treatise to focus on literary theory

Dionysis

god of wine, the first theatre was named after him

Skene

Greek for "scene building," first dressing room where actors would change costumes/masks

Chorus

A group of characters in Greek tragedy (and in later forms of drama), who comment on the action of a play without participation in it.

Theatron

"Seeing place" where the audience sat

Catharsis

the process of releasing, and thereby providing relief from, strong or repressed emotions.

(An) Aside

a character's speech addressed away from others on stage but meant for the audience's ears

Soliloquy

A long speech expressing the thoughts of a character alone on stage

Orchestra

Circular dancing place where actors and chorus performed

Tragic Hero

A literary character who makes an error of judgment or has a fatal flaw that, combined with fate and external forces, brings on a tragedy

Tragedy

a play dealing with tragic events and having an unhappy ending, especially one concerning the downfall of the main character.

Reversal of Fortune

The point in a story when the protagonist's fortunes turn in an unexpected direction (in a tragedy, from better to worse).

Prologue

introductory remarks in a speech, play or literary work, introductory action

Dramatic Irony

Irony that occurs when the meaning of the situation is understood by the audience but not by the characters in the play.