AP English IV Ancient Greece

Stichomythia- dialogue in which two characters speak alternate lines of verse, used as a stylistic device in ancient Greek drama.(sections where characters rapidly exchange lines)

Peripeteia- (Reversal) hero suffers a downfall after a discovery

Anagnorisis- (recognition) hero gains awareness through a discovery (usually about his own or someone else’s identity and nature), awareness leads to knowledge (about fate, divine will)

Thespis- (Thespis of Corinth) first known actor, added prologue and speech to choral performance, defined theatre as the dramatic impersonation of a character, said to have invented the mask, root of the word “thespian”

Skene-the large background building that could be decorated with the scenery; actors could retire there in between scenes and change costumes, served as a “hidden stage”

Orchestra-the semi-circular acting area that had a small altar to Dionysus in the center and was where the chorus danced and the actors spoke

Deus ex machina- “god from the machine”, typically at the end of a play, a god-like figure comes down as used in Medea

Dramatic irony-a literary technique, originally used in Greek tragedy, by which the full significance of a character's words or actions is clear to the audience or reader although unknown to the character.

Hybris- greek for “hubris” refers to the intentional use of violence to humiliate or degrade, and also refers to an error that has disastrous consequences ie arrogance, etc.

Oracle- ie. the Oracle at Delphi, women chosen by gods to relay prophecies and divine advice, in Oedipus Rex, this person relayed the prophecy that Oedipus would marry his mother and kill his father

Chorus-gives background information and comments on the action; has personality and position of its own that varies from play to play, can act as substitute for audience’s reaction

Dionysus- the Greek god of wine and fertility, Greek plays were dedicated to him, often an altar was placed to him, festival for this god

Dithyramb- choral song (600BC) typically dedicated to Dionysus

Miasma-a stain of guilt) a god sent disease caused specifically by a murder that has not been atoned for, seen as contagious can infect everybody especially if that person happens to be the head of one’s city. Only way to stop it is find the guilty party, have them atone for their crime, and undergo some kind of purgation 

Tragedy- originated from religious worship, especially of Dionysus in Athens; comes from the term “goat-song” tragos=goat and oidos= song; dealing with tragic events and having an unhappy ending, downfall of the “tragic hero” typically

Hamartia-not necessarily a fatal flaw, but rather a fatal error or mistake leading to a character’s downfall, sometimes identified as hubris (arrogance)

Ostracism-exclusion from a group, especially when an individual is at risk for harming a group of others expelled from the land (ie Medea and Jason from Colchis and Iolcus- they escape to Corinth?) or perhaps also Oedipus willingly? do this to himself from his homeland

Strophe- call of 7 chorus members as they create a dance pattern

Antistrophe- response of the other 7 chorus members as they repeat the pattern

Pharmakos- scapegoating (greek practice) putting the blame of some bad event such as a plague on one person and sacrificing them in some way as atonement or cleansing

Catharsis-the purification or purgation of emotions (especially pity and fear) primarily through art, a spiritual cleansing in a sense, similar to religious ecstasy

The six parts of tragedy, according to Aristotle:

  1. imitation of an action that is serious
  2. Complete
  3. has a certain magnitude
  4. arouses pity and fear
  5. typically doesn’t have a happy ending but not necessarily a sad one either
  6. a fall from a position of high- ranking to low usually because of hamartia or some sort of character flaw

The four characteristics of a tragic hero according to Aristotle:

  1. Position- king, high ranked, has a lot to lose
  2. Hamartia- error that has disastrous consequences such as hubris or arrogance
  3. Anagnorisis- recognition or gaining awareness of something about the character’s nature or identity
  4. Peripeteia- hero suffers a downfall after a discovery- nearly simultaneous

The three unities of tragedy, according to Aristotle:

  1. Must take place in one day TIME
  2. One Setting PLACE
  3. Single Plot ACTION

The six properties of Forms, according to Plato:

Plot

Character

Thought- theme

Verbal Expression

Song composition

Visual adornment

review Oedipus Rex (Sophocles), Medea (Euripides), and “Allegory of the Cave” (Plato)

three major playwrights

Sophocles:introduced third actor wrote over 120 plays 7 survived including Oedipus Rex and Antigone, considered the most successful less emphasis on Gods, more on fate vs free will, won 18 first prizes

Euripides: least popular, wrote Medea four first prizes, more interested in psychology presents men as they are not as they should be

Aeschlyus- died by tortoise smashed on head first to introduce second actor made chorus smaller, enjoyed visual spectacle effects religion and morality, man vs, gods, a lot more flashy and costumey