SWBAT: research the history of Ancient Grecian theatre in order to gain insight into the stories of Oedipus and Antigone Objectives –

Home Work Complete Exercise 3 and REVIEW EXERCISE A on page 73 of the Warriner’s Grammar textbook. Write out ALL sentences for completion credit!

Greek Theater

The Greek Theater 5 th Century B. C. Golden Age of Greek Drama Dramatic festivals were popular People witnessed tragic and comic plays

Overview of Greek Theatre The land The myths The stage

The Land Greece has thousands of inhabited islands and dramatic mountain ranges Greece has a rich culture and history Democracy was founded in Greece Patriarchal (male dominated) society Philosophy, as a practice, began in Greece (Socrates, Plato, Aristotle)

The Land Located in Europe in the Aegean Sea

The Land

Overview of Greek Theatre The land The myths The stage

The Stage

Three Main Portions of Greek Theatre: Skene – Portion of stage where actors performed (included 1-3 doors in and out) Orchestra – “Dancing Place” where chorus sang to the audience Theatron – Seating for audience

The Stage

Greek plays were performed during religious ceremonies held in honor of Dionysus, the Greek god of wine and revelry (altars generally on stage) Banks would shut down for days, people would travel from all around to see the drama competitions—even prisoners were temporarily released to see the plays Tragedy means “goat song” (relates to Dionysian rituals)

The Stage

Where and how were the dramas performed? …In an amphitheatre …With a chorus who described most of the action. …With masks …With all the fighting and movement going on off stage. ….With tragedy first, then comedy later.

Masks of Greek Theater

The masks were worn for many reason including: 1. Visibility 2. Acoustic Assistance 3. Few Actors, Many Roles 4. Characterization

Some general categories of masks 1. OLD MEN Smooth-Faced, White, Grizzled, Black-Haired, Flaxen and More Flaxen 2. YOUNG MEN Common, Curled, More Curled, Graceful, Horrid, Pale and Less Pale 3. SLAVES Leathern, Peaked-Beard, Flat Nose 4. WOMEN Freed Old Woman, Old Domestic, Middle Aged, Leathern, Pale-Disheveled, Pale Middle Aged, Whorish-Disheveled, Virgin, Girl 5. SPECIALIST MASKS Some made for specific characters, others for: Mourning, Blindness, Deceit, Drunkenness...etc. (The comic masks, those especially of old comedy, were as like as possible to true persons they represented, or made to appear more ridiculous)

Masks of Greek Theater

Modern-day replicas Hero-King Comedy (Servant or Herald ) Tragedy (Weeping Chorus)

Theater at Epidaurus

Major Greek Dramatists Aeschylus524 B.C.Seven Against Thebes Sophocles496 B.C.Antigone Oedipus Euripides480 B.C.Medea DramatistBornWrote

Sophocles’ Antigone Set in Thebes (a city in ancient Greece) Antigone is the daughter of Oedipus and Jocasta Antigone’s brothers, Eteokles and Polyneces, took opposite sides in a war Eteokles and Polyneces killed each other in battle Antigone’s uncle, Kreon, became king of Thebes

Sophocles

Euripides’ Medea Medea is a princess from Colchis Medea marries Jason, who is in Colchis on a quest for the Golden Fleece Medea betrays her father and murders her brother for her love of Jason Medea has magical powers Jason takes Medea back to his homeland, Corinth, where they have children Jason takes another wife, the king of Corinth’s daughter

Jason’s Voyage on the Argo Jason and Medea meet Corinth: Where Jason and Medea settle down

Overview of Greek Theatre The land The myths The stage

The Myths – Why they were written and performed 1. Explained the unexplainable 2. Justified religious practices 3. Gave credibility to leaders 4. Gave hope

Explained the Unexplainable When Echo tried to get Narcissus to love her, she was denied. Saddened, she shriveled to nothing, her existence melting into a rock. Only her voice remained. Hence, the echo!

To justify religious practices Cults were created throughout Greece to worship the more popular gods and goddesses. Two of the most popular cults were those dedicated to Diana, Goddess of the Hunt, and Dionysus, god of grapes, vegetation, and wine

To give credibility to leaders Used myths to create family trees for their leaders, enforcing the made-up idea that the emperors were related to the gods and were, then, demigods.

To give hope The ancient citizens of Greece would sacrifice and pray to an ORACLE. An oracle was a priest or priestess who would send a message to the gods from mortals who brought their requests. Where DID hope come from? After unleashing suffering, famine, disease, and many other evils, the last thing Pandora let out was HOPE.

Theater of Dionysus Dionysia was an annual festival in honor of the god Dionysus Theater of Dionysus was an open-air Theater with room for fifteen thousand spectators

Theater of Dionysus Male actors performed all the roles Actors switched masks to play a number of roles – both female and male

Theater of Dionysus carved out of a stone hillside looked like a semicircle with steeply rising tiers of seats

Theater of Dionysus

Dionysus Theater in Athens

Oracle of Delphi

Dating back to 1400 BC, the Oracle of Delphi was the most important shrine in all Greece, and in theory all Greeks respected its independence. Built around a sacred spring, Delphi was considered to be the omphalos - the center (literally navel) of the world.

People came from all over Greece and beyond to have their questions about the future answered by the Pythia, the priestess of Apollo. And her answers, usually cryptic, could determine the course of everything from when a farmer planted his seedlings, to when an empire declared war.

Arguments over the correct interpretation of an oracle were common, but the oracle was always happy to give another prophecy if more gold was provided. A good example is the famous incident before the Battle of Salamis when the Pythia first predicted doom and later predicted that a 'wooden wall' (interpreted by the Athenians to mean their ships) would save them

The Oracle plays a significant role in MANY Ancient Greek myths including the stories of Hercules, Perseus, Theseus, and Oedipus, the protagonist of the first play we will read.

Oracle of Delphi

Delphi

The Storyline

Central Character is of the Elite Class

Central Character suffers a Downfall

Central Character is Neither Wholly good nor wholly evil

Downfall is the result of a Fatal Flaw

Misfortunes involve characters who are related or who are friends

Tragic actions take place offstage

Central Character has a moment of recognition

Audience experiences pity and fear

Pity and Fear leads to a catharsis

The End