Greek Theater (copy)

Theater of Ancient Greece

• Overview of the Theater

  • The Theater Of Dionysus was an outdoor amphitheater in Athens, built into the hillside.

  • It remains accessible to visitors today, showcasing its lasting historical significance.

• Structure

  • Initial designs may not have included seats, but later additions included wooden and then stone seating.

  • The seated area was known as the theatron, meaning "seating place".

  • The chorus performed on the orchestra, which was the flat area in front of the stage.

  • At the center of the orchestra stood the simile, an altar for sacrifices.

• Backstage Facilities

  • A dressing hut called a skinny was constructed for actors to change masks quickly, vital due to the limited number of actors (two or three) playing multiple roles.

  • Paranoi refers to the several entrances and exits on and off stage, facilitating the movement of large choruses.

  • An elevated platform atop the skinny allowed actors portraying gods to appear dramatically, known as the deus ex machina.

Performance and Costumes

• Cast and Costuming

  • Actors donned masks made of linen with hair attachments, often designed to evoke fear, as exemplified by Oedipus's blood-stained mask.

  • Tragic actors wore robes and elevated shoes called catherne, which added height but also challenged their mobility during performances.

• Theatrical Context

  • The Dithyramb contest: following each playwright's presentation of their tetralogy, a group of ten citizens would select the winner.

  • The victor received an ivy wreath, sacrificial animals, and a banquet, spotlighting the importance of theater in Athenian society.

  • Athenian audiences took this contest seriously, with lawsuits arising from any suspected malpractice.

Influence of Aeschylus, Sophocles, and Euripides

• Significance of Their Works

  • The major tragedians, particularly Aeschylus, Sophocles, and Euripides, defined Greek drama's golden age during the fifth century.

  • Despite Aeschylus writing about 90 plays, only seven survive; similarly, Sophocles and Euripides have only a fraction of their works preserved (7 of 20 and 19 of 92 respectively).

  • The influence of these surviving plays on contemporary drama is substantial, providing vital frameworks for modern storytelling.

• Civic Duty and Theater

  • The Theater served not just entertainment purposes but was seen as vital for civic engagement, offering a platform for discussing state values and personal conflicts.

  • The audience's engagement with these themes fostered greater societal awareness and moral questioning.

Aristotle’s Theories on Tragedy

• Aristotle's Contributions

  • Aristotle's Poetics outlines the significance of drama, particularly tragedy, in society.

  • He introduces the concept of catharsis, referring to the emotional purging experienced through tragedy.

• Catharsis Explained

  • Tragic experiences evoke pity and fear in the audience, allowing these emotions to be expressed and processed.

  • This purgation of emotions stands as a preferable outlet for feelings deemed unhelpful in a democratic society.

  • Tragedy serves to prepare citizens to return to their daily lives as more mindful, productive individuals.

Upcoming Topics

• Next Discussion

  • The next session will delve deeper into Aristotle's views and analyze Aeschylus' Oresteia, the only complete tragedy trilogy.

  • Following this, discussions will explore Saturns and their fallacies.