1. Ancient Greek Theater & Western Drama

2. I. Ancient the Greek Theater
The Greek theater actually consisted of:
Violence
Social
War
Betrayal
Lust

3. II. First Definite Record of Drama in Greece was in 534 B.C.
III. City of “Dionysia” was reorganized;
Contest for best tragedy instituted;
Winner of the first contest was Thespis; became known as the father of drama
Actors today are known as “thespians” in honor of the first known Greek actor, Thespis

4. IV. Festival of Dionysus
He was the god of wine and fertility;
Early worships involved sex and drunkenness;
Purpose or worship was inducement of fertility

5. V. Types of Ancient Greek Plays
Tragedy- derived from the word “tragos”, meaning goat.
A tragedy had actors who wore goatskins and danced like goats. The best performers were given a kid goat as a prize!
Comedy- derived from the word “ode”, meaning song

6. VI. Greek Tragedy Format
General pattern developed by Aeschylus was:
Prologos: establishes dramatic situation
Parados: entrance of chorus; “exposition”
Epeisoda: main action; equivalent of an Act
Stasima: choral interlude; makes comment on the action in the Epeisoda
Climax occurs in last Epeisoda, so that last stasima allows comment by the chorus.
Exodus: final summation and exit by the chorus

7. VII. Ancient Greek Costumes
Very symbolic;
Actors all male, even if part called for a female actor (they would dress as a female);
Would wear wooden shoes with high heels;
Wore long robes with vertical stripes;
Wore masks; female masks had elaborated mouths and eyes

8. VIII. Greek Masks
A. The masks are personalized for each character. B. Special emotions were expressed on the mask, so the audience knew if a character was happy, upset, etc. C. The masks were so elaborate that even those in the last rows in the theater could see them!

9. IX. The Chorus
A. The chorus was crucial to the Greek stage/production; B. Function: it narrates and reflects on the action; C. Without them, the audience would be confused and would have limited background information; D. Originally, the chorus had 12 members; E. Playwright Sophocles added 3 more to make it 15.

10. X. CHORAGUS
A. A wealthy patron wishing to honor the gods; B. pays for the cost of the production

11. XI. Greek Theater Structures
A. Some held up to 20,000 spectators. B. Amphitheaters: were built on hillsides B. Originally wooden structures; later made into stone structures

12. XII. Parts of the Greek Theater
1. Orchestra: circular acting space in the center
2. Thymele: Altar stone at center of orchestra; honored Dionysus here
3. Theatron: spectator seating; “seeing place”
4. Skene: stage building behind orchestra; backstage

13. Parts of the Greek Theater Continued
5. Parados: entry/exit ramps for the chorus; where we get the word “parade”.
6. Machina: crane-like device used to suspend figures above the action; “deux ex machina” means “god from the machine”

14. XIII. “Deux ex Machina”

15. Orkestra and Teatron View

16. Priest Seating

17. Aeschylus 1. Tragic playwright; introduced second actor (antagonist);
2. Encouraged face to face conflict with characters;
3. Reduced the importance of the chorus by reducing the number from 50 to 15.

18. Sophocles 1. Considered greatest Greek dramatist; 2. Wrote tragedies;
3. Created third actor;
4. More concerned with human relationships
5. Wrote Oedipus the King and Antigone

19. Euripides 1. Last of great Greek tragic playwrights;
2. Reduced chorus to relatively
unimportant role;
3. Treated gods with lack of awe.

20. Iliad- by Homer The Iliad is
A. an epic from Western culture, and focuses on the wrath of Achilles.
B. An epic is defined as: “a long narrative poem that deals with a hero’s adventures and deeds”.

21. Epic conventions/epic devices ALWAYS found in an epic are…
The hero is of great significance;
The setting is vast
The epic poem begins by calling a Muse for inspiration;
The poem begins in “medias res” or “in the middle of things”. The reader is later told of earlier events through flashbacks.

22. The EPIC SIMILE actual simile
Epic simile: is a simile that extends over several lines
elaboration
Example: Iliad As is the generation of leaves, so is that of humanity. The wind scatters the leaves on the ground, but the live timber burgeons with leaves again in the season of spring returning. So one generation of men will grow while another dies.

23. Literary Style and the Epithet
Epithet: descriptive words and phrases that characterize persons and things.
“resourceful Odysseus”;
“brilliant Achilles”
“amazing Spiderman”

24. The Epic Hero… Performs great deeds;
Honor was a major value of a hero.

25. The Hero’s Journey

26. Major Themes in Greek Epics
The power of fate, or destiny;
According to the Greeks, every person, hero or not, was given a distinct fate at birth;
It was wise to accept your fate; foolish to avoid your fate;
If you avoided your fate, it was a sign of HUBRIS.