Greek Drama Origins Dionysia festival in honor of

Greek Drama

Origins ► Dionysia– festival in honor of Dionysus § Dionysus ►God of wine, symbolic of life-giving power ► Connections to religion § Guarantee fertility and growth of crops

Greek Stage ► Orchestra = center § Chorus sang and danced ► Skene = rim of orchestra – space for actors and background for action ► Mekane = actors lowered onto stage § Olympian gods § Deus ex machina (dā-əs-eks-mä-ki-nə)

Ruins of a Greek Theater

Ruins of a Greek Theater of Dionysus, Athens

Greek Drama Terms ► Catharsis § Aristotle describes catharsis as the purging of the emotions of pity and fear that are aroused in the viewer of a tragedy.

Greek Drama Terms ► Chorus § A group of 12 – 15 men § offered background information and summaries to help the audience follow the performance. The Greek chorus comments on themes, and shows how an ideal audience might react to the drama. The chorus also represents the general population of the particular story § May also express what main characters could not say, such as their hidden fears or secrets

Chorus

Greek Drama Terms ► Anagnorisis (a-nag-no r-ə-səs) § the recognition by the tragic hero of some truth about his or her identity or situation.

Greek Drama Terms ► Peripeteia (per-ə-pə-tē-ə) § The reversal of the situation in the plot of a tragedy is the peripeteia. § A change of fortune for the tragic hero that occurs contrary to the audience's expectations and that is therefore surprising. § Ironic twist

Greek Drama Terms Deus ex Machina Translation: “god from the machine”. ► Intervention of a god/goddess in the action of a drama to resolve a conflict and, often, to bring the action to a conclusion. ► An actor playing the deity would be physically lowered by a crane-like mechanism (the mekane) onto the ►

Deus ex Machina

► Tragic Greek Drama Terms Tragedy Hero § Usually focus on person of noble birth ►Makes his/her fall more terrifying ►Victim of fate ►Fate of community linked to fate of tragic hero ►Brought from great happiness to agony

Greek Drama Terms Hamartia ► Aristotle describes as some “error or frailty” that brings about the tragic hero’s misfortune § Fall is a result of a tragic flaw ►Examples include excess § Pride, passion, ambition § Hubris of:

Structure of a Greek Tragedy ► Prologue § Establishes conflict ► Parodos § Chorus makes its first entrance ►Gives perspective on what audience learns in prologue ► Episodia § Episodes – dramatizes play’s conflict § Scene

Structure of a Greek Tragedy (cont…) ► Stasimon § Follows each episodia § Chorus responds to dialogue / action ► Exodus § Last scene – resolution occurs – characters leave stage