2. The second half of the fifth century B.C. was known as the golden age of Greek drama In Athens, cultural life was centered around dramatic festivals and contests Greek tragedies were performed annually in March or April, during a four-day festival, in honor of the god Dionysus

3. The Theater of Dionysus was carved out of a stone hillside, with rising tiers of seats. At the bottom, was the semi-rounded orchestra, or performance area where the chorus sang and danced The plays probably resembled modern opera more than what we think of as a “play” All choral parts were sung (to flute accompaniment) and some of the actors’ answers to the chorus were also sung

4. Actors were hired and paid professionals Protagonist (first actor), deuteragonist (second actor), and tritagonist (third actor) o Protagonist played the most important roles while the two other actor played less significant characters There were only two or three actors who all played the various roles of a drama

5. All actors on the Greek stage were men, since women were not allowed to perform onstage Actors wore masks and costumes with subtle variations that indicated the age, gender, and social rank of a character

6. Unlike actors, members of the chorus were non-professional singers and dancers The purpose of the chorus was to engage in dialogue with the actors and to sing and dance throughout the play The chorus was usually made up of 12-15 people, who also wore costumes and masks

7. Tragedy is a genre that depicts the downfall of a noble hero or heroine, usually through some combination of hubris, fate, and the will of the gods The tragic hero in the play wishes to achieve a goal of sorts but encounters limitations, usually those of human frailty, the gods, or natural fate

8. Tragedy – a story depicting serious and important events in which the protagonist comes to an unhappy end, or a “tragic” downfall Hubris – arrogance or overwhelming pride which usually causes a transgression against the gods Tragic Hero – a character, neither totally good nor completely evil, who is usually of high birth or status, and whose downfall is brought about by a character flaw

9. Tragic Flaw – a character weakness or error in judgment that leads to a character’s downfall. The flaw may or may not be within the character’s control Dramatic Irony – instances when the audience knows something of importance that a character (or many characters) do not know Prologue – opening scene