2. GREEK THEATRE Considered to be the greatest theatre in history Classic or Golden Age of Greece- 500-400 BC 1. great tragedies 2. architecture 3. government

3. GREEK THEATRE Beginnings of Greek theatre: 1. Dionysian rites 2. Festival for fertility 3. singing and dancing and drinking wine 4. play contest called dithyrambs 5. honored Dionysis tragedies were performed tragedy means “goat song” in Greek (tragos) goats were sacrificed at the festival

4. GREEK THEATRE Festivals- 4 each year City Dionysia- March festival for tragedies week-long national holiday all attend Plays- only men acted- true many places 6 day festival plays at the theatron- seeing place three days of competition for plays

5. GREEK THEATRE Each play a Trilogy- three tragedies- one theme Each day also a satire-a farce about the tragedies performed outdoors City Lenaea- festival for comedies (komos) held in February performed outdoors

6. GREEK THEATRE- Physical parts semicircle seating for audience- on hillside circular altar and acting area- orchestra back area behind orchestra for actors to change-skene skene had three doors with side passageways called- parados raised area behind orchestra- proskenion side areas called- paraskenia large acting area -not close to audience

7. GREEK THEATRE-Actors all men large masks with megaphones to project voices- made of cork or wood- showed age and emotion large shoes on platforms- appear taller-corthurnus large headpiece- onkus costume: colorful, patterns sleeveless tunic with a belt-chiton long cloth over the shoulder-himation short cloak- chlamys

8. GREEK THEATRE-staging pinakes- boards painted to show scenes periaktos- pyramid with different scenes on each side turned to show new scenes drums-sound effects eccylama- used to show dead bodies- could not show killing on stage deus-machina- used to fly in gods stories were usually Greek myths

9. GREEK THEATRE-rules for tragedies Aristotle wrote rules for performing tragedies 1. must make audience want to lead a better life- often through fear 2. hero with a tragic flaw 3. a change of fortune for the character- growth of the main character 4. written in poetry form 5. the three unities- related events, occurs in 24 hours, one location

10. GREEK THEATRE- parts of the play prologue- intro to get audience up to speed parados- chorus enters epeisodon-dialogue of actor stasimon-chorus speaks or sings exodus- play ends

11. GREEK THEATRE-writers Thespis – won the first award= Thespians three great tragic writers: Aeschylus Sophocles Euripedes

12. GREEK THEATRE-contributions Aeschylus father of tragedy added the second actor reduced chorus from 50 to 12 wrote: Agamemnon-return from Trojan War and killed by his wife Clytemnestra Libation Bearers-Orestes kills his mom to avenge dad’s death The Furies-gods pardon Orestes

13. GREEK THEATRE-contributions Sophocles added third act0r chorus set at 15 members plot and character development expanded wrote: Electra Oedipus Rex-kills dad and marries own mom Antigone-war, sequel to Oedipus Rex

14. GREEK THEATRE-contributions Euripedes: emphasized psychologial motivation told about the plight of women and the outsiders of society humanized the theatre with emotions wrote: Medea- about a man who is driven mad due to his jealousies

15. GREEK THEATRE-comedy writers Aristophanes and Menander wrote satires about Greek people and their lives. wrote about daily lives of servants, lovers, weird relatives- much like sitcoms of today

16. GREEK THEATRE-its dec Roman invasions -took over the country and started their own drama Next week- Roman Theatre