Greek Theater
Exposition: The first stage of a fictional or dramatic plot in which necessary background information is provided (characters, place and time are introduced).
Rising action: Following an inciting incident that disrupts the harmonious opening, a series of events follow, and the action rises to a crescendo.
Climax (or crisis): the crescendo. It is the turning point of the action in the plot of a play or story. The climax represents the point of greatest tension in the work.
Falling action: In the plot of a story or play, the action following the work's climax moves it towards its denouement or resolution. The relationship between the protagonist and the antagonist is likely to unravel, and events leading to the protagonist's change either for the better (comedy) or the worse (tragedy) until a final resolution, which can be positive or negative, is arrived at.
Denouement: The resolution of the plot of a literary work where things are worked out, conflicts are resolved, and some kind of conclusion is arrived at.
Plot structure in a play
Usually, the structure of a play follows a basic pattern consisting of several identifiable elements.
1. Exposition: this opens the play, often introduces the main characters, and provides background information.
2. Dramatic incitement: the incident that provides the starting point for the main action of the play and causes some type of conflict to arise.
3. Complication: this usually forms the main action of the play – the characters respond to the dramatic incitement and other developments stem from it.
4. Crisis: The climax of the play.
5. Resolution: this is the play's final section where things are worked out, conflicts are resolved, and some kind of conclusion is reached.
Dramatic Features in Greek Theater
Allusion
An explicit or implicit reference to something in previous literature or history. Many Greek plays contain allusions to specific gods or battles in history.
Anagnorisis
Anagnorisis is a literary device referring to the moment in a narrative when a character makes a critical discovery. (See epiphany below) Anagnorisis, like epiphany, is a moment of revelation. But anagnorisis is a dark and dramatic element of a tragic story, whereas epiphany can be comedic or uplifting. Also, unlike epiphany, anagnorisis occurs as an accumulation of information slowly revealed throughout the story's plot.
Catastrophe
It is the action at the end of a tragedy that initiates the denouement or falling action of a play. Catastrophe is a synonym of denouement.
Catharsis
The purging of the feelings of pity and fear that, according to Aristotle, occur in the audience of tragic drama. The audience experiences catharsis at the end of the play, following the catastrophe.
Characterisation
How writers present and reveal character. Although characterisation techniques are complex, writers typically reveal characters through their speech, dress, manner, and actions (STEAL Speech, thoughts, effect on others, actions, looks).
Some playwrights provide little or no direct guidance on interpreting their characters but rely on other methods to convey a sense of character. These include:
How characters speak (also sometimes embedded in stage directions)
How characters are described by other characters
What the characters say and do
How other characters respond to or interact with them.
Chorus
Throughout a tragedy, a chorus or a group of male actors observes and comments on the actions, builds atmosphere, and prepares the audience for future events through songs.
Complication
An intensification of the conflict in a story or play. Complication builds up, accumulates, and develops the primary or central conflict in a literary work. The characters respond to the dramatic incitement and other developments that stem from it.
Conflict
A struggle between opposing forces in a story or play usually resolved by the end of the work. The conflict may occur within a character as well as between characters.
a. between character and society
b. between a character and the natural world
c. between characters
d. within a character
Dialogue
The exchange of words between characters. In fiction, dialogue is typically enclosed within quotation marks. In plays, characters' speech is preceded by their names.
Diction
The selection of words in a literary work. A work's diction forms one of its centrally important literary elements, as writers use words to convey action, reveal character, imply attitudes, identify themes, and suggest values. We can speak of the diction particular to a character.
Dramatic irony
When the audience or reader knows something that the characters in the story do not.
Epiphany
Epiphany is an "Aha!" moment. As a literary device, epiphany is the moment when a character is suddenly struck with a life-changing realisation, which changes the rest of the story.
Flashback
An interruption of a work's chronology to describe or present an incident that occurred before the main time frame of a work's action. Writers use flashbacks to complicate the sense of chronology in the plot of their works and to convey the richness of the experience of human time.
Foil
A character who is meant to represent characteristics, values, ideas, etc., which are directly and diametrically opposed to those of another character, usually the protagonist. (Although it is technically a literary element, the term is only useful for identification as part of a discussion or analysis of character; it cannot generally be analysed by itself.)
Foreshadowing
Hints of what is to come in the action of a play or a story.
Hamartia [ hah-mahr-tee-uh ]
A tragic flaw, weakness of character or error in judgment which causes the downfall of the hero.
Hubris [ hyoo-bris]
Arrogance or overweening pride which causes the hero's transgression against the gods.
Motif
A recurring important idea or image. A motif differs from a theme in that it can be expressed as a single word or fragmentary phrase, while a theme usually must be expressed as a complete sentence. Ships are an important motif in Antigone, appearing numerous times throughout the play.
Nemesis
The inescapable agent of someone's or something's downfall. In ancient Greek religion, Nemesis is the goddess who enacts retribution against those who succumb to Hubris, and arrogance before the gods. "Nemesis" today is translated as 'punishment' or 'bad karma'.
Offstage
Sometimes, action does not happen on the stage for the audience to see; it happens offstage for the audience to imagine.
Pathos
A quality of a play's action that stimulates the audience to feel pity for a character. Pathos is always an aspect of tragedy and may also be present in comedy.
Peripeteia (per-uh-pi-tahy-uh)
A sudden reversal of fortune or change in circumstances, especially in reference to a fictional narrative. Peripeteia is also known as the turning point, the place in which the tragic protagonist's fortune changes from good to bad. This literary device is meant to surprise the audience but is also meant to follow as a result of a character's previous actions or mistakes.
Recognition
The point at which a character understands their situation as it really is. (See anagnorisis)
Reversal
The point at which the action of the plot turns in an unexpected direction for the protagonist. Oedipus's and Othello's recognitions are also reversals. They learn what they did not expect to learn. See Recognition and also Irony. (see peripeteia)
Setting
The time and place of a literary work that establishes its context.
Staging
The spectacle a play presents in performance, including the position of actors on stage, the scenic background, the props and costumes, and the lighting and sound effects.
Stichomythia [ stik-uh-mith-ee-uh ]
Dramatic dialogue, as in a Greek play, characterised by brief exchanges between two characters, each of whom usually speaks in one line of verse during a scene of intense emotion or strong argumentation.
Symbol
An object or action in a literary work that means more than itself, stands for something beyond itself.
Tragic flaw
A weakness or limitation of character, resulting in the fall of the tragic hero. See Tragedy and Tragic hero.
Tragic hero
A privileged, exalted character of high repute, who, by virtue of a tragic flaw and fate, suffers a fall from glory into suffering. Sophocles' Oedipus is an example. See Tragedy and Tragic flaw.
Unities
The idea that a play should be limited to a specific time, place, and storyline. The events of the plot should occur within a twenty-four-hour period, should occur within a given geographic locale, and should tell a single story. Aristotle argued that Sophocles' Oedipus the King was the perfect play for embodying the unities.
In addition to the above glossary, the following terms and definitions generated by ChatGPT will be of use:
Prologue (Prologos):
This is the introductory section of the play, where the context, background, and main conflict are introduced.
In "Antigone," the Prologos features a dialogue between Antigone and her sister Ismene. Here, Antigone reveals her plan to bury their brother Polynices, defying King Creon's edict. This sets up the central conflict of the play.
Parodos:
This is the entrance song of the Chorus. As they enter, the Chorus sings, typically reflecting on the themes of the play or the situation at hand.
In "Antigone," the Chorus of Theban elders sings of the recent war between Polynices and Eteocles, the two brothers who killed each other.
Episode (Epeisodion):
These are the main scenes or acts of the play, where the narrative progresses. Each episode is typically followed by a Stasimon.
"Antigone" has multiple episodes, with key events like Creon's interaction with the Chorus, his confrontation with Antigone, his discussion with Haemon (his son and Antigone's fiancé), and the prophecy of Teiresias.
Stasimon (plural: Stasima):
These are choral odes that follow each episode. They serve to reflect on the events of the preceding episode, provide commentary, and delve into the thematic elements of the play.
In "Antigone," the Stasima often reflect on broader themes like the power of fate, the nature of morality, and the consequences of Hubris.
Exodos:
This is the final scene or conclusion of the play. It often includes a resolution (though not always a happy one in tragedies) and a departure of the Chorus.
In "Antigone," the Exodos reveals the tragic outcomes: Antigone's suicide, followed by the suicides of Haemon and then Creon's wife, Eurydice. The play concludes with Creon's devastating realisation of his role in these tragedies and the Chorus's reflections on the dangers of pride.
Tragic Structure:
Sophocles adheres to the classical structure of Greek tragedy, with a prologue, parodos (entrance of the chorus), episodes (scenes), stasimon (choral odes), and exodos (final scene).
Chorus:
Sophocles uses the Chorus of Theban elders not only as observers but as commentators who provide context, reflect on the events of the play, and often give voice to traditional values and societal norms.
Character Conflict:
At the heart of the play is the clash between Antigone and Creon. Sophocles contrasts their values – the individual vs. the state, familial loyalty vs. civic duty, and divine law vs. human law.
Strong Female Protagonist:
In a society dominated by male figures, Sophocles' choice to make Antigone the protagonist and to depict her as a character of unwavering conviction was quite significant.
Moral Ambiguity:
Unlike some other plays, "Antigone" does not present clear-cut villains or heroes. Both Antigone and Creon have valid arguments and deep convictions, making their clash even more tragic.
Use of Foreshadowing:
Sophocles uses foreshadowing to hint at the tragic outcomes, enhancing the sense of impending doom.
Divine Intervention:
The role of the gods, divine law, and prophecy is prominent. Teiresias, the blind prophet, serves as a mouthpiece for divine will, warning Creon of the consequences of his decisions.
Motif of Burial:
The act of burial and the respect for the dead are central motifs. The play delves into the cultural and religious significance of proper burial rites in Greek society.
Dialogue and Dramatic Irony:
Sophocles employs dialogue that is laden with dramatic irony, where the audience knows more than the characters, creating tension and anticipation.
Imagery and Symbolism:
Various symbols, like the tomb (both as a place of rest and as a prison) and the birds in Teiresias's omen, are used to enhance the narrative and its themes.
Downfall due to Hubris:
Following the tradition of Greek tragedy, the tragic flaw (in this case, Hubris or extreme pride) leads to the downfall of the central characters. Creon's inflexibility and Antigone's unyielding stance are both forms of Hubris.
Universal Themes:
Sophocles touches on enduring themes like duty, civil disobedience, the role of women, the conflict between man-made and divine laws, and the consequences of pride.
Setting:
The entire play occurs outside the royal palace of Thebes, which serves as a public space where private grief and public duty clash.