1. Greek Tragedy Tragic drama is a literary composition written to be performed by actors in which a central character called a tragic protagonist or hero suffers some serious misfortune. The misfortune is not accidental, and therefore is meaningful because it is connected with the hero’s actions or character.

2. Tragedy points out the vulnerability of human beings whose fate is brought about through a combination of human and divine actions. The hero’s misfortune is generally harsh and undeserved.

3. Tragedy is not always pessimistic; sometimes there is a satisfactory solution to or sense of redemption from a tragic situation.

4. Tragedy was always public – intended to be presented in a theater before an audience. “Drama” is a Greek word meaning “action.” Dramas were approved for presentation at the state religious festival of Dionysus. The state assigned the author actors and a chorus.

5. The Athenian theater was financed by the state as an integral part of the religious festival. Tragic poets competed with one another and their work was ranked by a panel of judges.

6. The famous playwrights and philosophers Aeschylus, Euripides, and Sophocles were frequent winners.

7. Greek theaters were open-air auditoriums; performances took place during the day. Indoor scenes are common in today’s plays, but scenes in Greek tragic plays took place in front of palaces and temples. Greek public affairs frequently took place outdoors also.

9. The theater was very basic consisting of a circular dancing area for the chorus (orchestra) at the base of a hill where spectators sat.

10. A tent where actors could change probably stood across from the spectators. It was called a “skene”. Eventually it was built of wood or stone. The theater of Dionysus had a capacity for 15,000 spectators.

11. Mechanical devices were used in ancient Greek theater; an “ekkyklema” was a platform on wheels and a “mechane” was a crane to which a cable and harness were attached. This was used for an actor portraying a god or goddess to arrive from the sky.

12. Women were not allowed to take place in dramatic productions; all roles were played by men. Actors played multiple roles using masks. The chorus remained in the orchestra and sang and danced between the episodes, allowing the actors to change.

13. The chorus consisted of 12-15, and wore masks like the actors. Their first function was to chant A “parados” or entrance song. Their leader Then engaged in dialogue with the actors.