Greek Drama Tragedy Tragedy refers primarily to tragic

Greek Drama

Tragedy “Tragedy” refers primarily to tragic drama: a literary composition written to be performed by actors in which a central character called a tragic hero suffers some serious misfortune, which is not accidental. It is significant in that the misfortune is logically connected with the hero's actions.

History of tragedy Greek drama came from religious festivals in honor of Dionysus (Bachuss), the god of wine. Songs in the religious ceremonial were called tragoedia (“goat songs”) Tragedy- favorite type of Greek drama o Core of Greek tragedies lies in a character’s hubris (excessive pride likely to involve the wrath of the gods)

Tragedy Greek tragedies were based on widely-known myths or historical events- this would help audience to know the characters and outline of the story they were about to see. This aided in use of dramatic irony (when the audience knows what the characters don’t)

Importance of Tragedy 1. Repository of Greek culture Incorporated grandeur & subject matter of Greek epics Absorbed arts of music & dance & beauties of lyric & choral poetry Absorbed & reflected many advances in religious & philosophical thought, in rhetoric, & in psychology 2. Reflection of life Viewed life in terms of crisis & conflict that give it significance Viewed humanity in terms of its dreads, aspirations, & defeats that challenge men to some investigation of reality

The three poets Aeschylus- “The Father of Tragedy” (525 -456 B. C. ) Sophocles- “The Happy Man of Greece” (495 -406 B. C. ) Euripides- (481 -406 B. C. )

Aeschylus Established true dialogue by adding a second actor, thus reducing the importance of the chorus Known for his powerful language, high-vaulting themes, profundity of thought; he is considered the most poetic, religious, and least in character delineation Created 90 plays (only seven survive): Prometheus; Agamemnon trilogy

Sophocles Introduced a third actor, further reducing choral and lyrical passages Advanced tragedy farthest as a dramatic form, independent or primitive ritual Advanced belief that “human life, even in its utmost splendor, hangs on the edge of a precipice” Closing lines of Oedipus states his idea: “Count no man happy until he is dead. ” His plays are concerned with the dignity of man in conflict with his mistakes and defeats. Oedipus the King; Oedipus at Colonus; Antigone

Euripides Freed the chorus from the main plot of his plays, using it as a commentator and as an ornament to the main dialogue Considered a master at depicting complicated forces working on human personality; he displayed a keen interest in psychological problems, in complexities of character Served as “social conscience” to Athens, a realist and social critic Helen; Hecuba; The Trojan Women; Medea: Hippolytus

Qualities of Greek Tragedy True classical literature: It is written with great respect for good organization and for the precision and beauty of its language. It aims at giving religious and moral instruction It emphasizes the rational nature of man; playing down emotional excess and never surrendering to sentiment No violent action All scenes of horror take place off-stage and reported to the audience by messengers Aristotle holds that tragedy is an imitation of an action that is complete, and whole, and of certain magnitude Aristotle holds that the tragic situation should develop from some flaw in the character of the tragic hero

Characteristics of The Tragic Hero Usually a king, a leader of men - his fate affects the welfare of a whole nation or number of people He is doomed from the start, he bears no responsibility for possessing his flaw, but bears responsibility for his actions Hamartia - a. k. a. the tragic flaw that eventually leads to his downfall His downfall is usually due to excessive pride (hubris)

More Characteristics of the Hero Peripeteia - a reversal of fortune brought about by the hero's tragic flaw He has discovered fate by his own actions, and not by things happening to him The suffering of the hero must not be senseless: it must have meaning

Conventions of Greek Tragedy Aristotle observes that there must be unity of action in a drama Action is limited to one day’s time In addition to this unity of action and unity of time, scholars have added unity of place.

Greek Theater is derived from the Greek word theatron, which contains the stem of the verb theasthai: to view as spectators. AKA “The seeing place” Amphitheater: open air theater on hillside or a natural half-bowl shape, wooden or stone seats No scenic background: very stark setting

Actors of Greek Theater 1 st recorded actor in ancient Greece- Thespis – Origin of the word “thespian” which means actor Only male actors In ancient Athens- 3 actors would be responsible for the speaking parts, while a group of people took the role of the Chorus (essentially, the Chorus narrates by singing to the audience) Wore larger than life size masks; made of linen, cork or wood Actors also wore chitons (robes), sometimes full-length, flowing, colored

Sequence in Greek Tragedy Greeks employed a series of causes which they summarized in 3 words: koros, hubris, and ate According to the sequence, excessive self-reliance (koros) leads to the madness of transgressing against the gods through some crowning insolence, some excess of pride (hubris), which results in disaster (ate). In addition to the basic sequence of causes, most Greek tragedies employed some anagnorisis, or sudden recognition; some peripeteia, or reversal of fortune; and the tragedy moved downward toward the nemesis of inevitable punishment; this nemesis brought about the final catastrophe, the ate, which usually involved the destruction of an entire family.

Oedipus Rex There once lived a man called Oedipus Rex. You must have heard about his odd complex. His name appears in Freud's index Because he loved his mother. . . Tom Lehrer

The story of Oedipus A king of Thebes, the son of Laius and Jocasta, and the father by Jocasta of Eteocles, Polynices, Antigone, and Ismeme: as was prophesied at his birth, he unwittingly killed his father and married his mother and, in penance, blinded himself and went into exile.

OEDIPUS REX Written nearly 2, 500 years ago Considered one of the greatest Greek tragedies ever written

The 3 R’s Revelation- gradual revealing to the characters in the play, as well as to the audience, of certain facts, certain incidents, of tremendous significance Recognition- the recognition by the hero of the tragedy that he himself is the cause of the tragedy Reversal- the reversal of action, this reversal in the fortune of the hero, and usually in the fortune of his entire family, occurs at the same time as the recognition

Layout of the Play Prologue- beginning/introduction Parados- song sung by chorus as it first enters theater. Used mainly to present information already known 4 episodes/scenes Each episode is followed by a stasimon - song sung after the chorus has taken its station in the orchestra Exodus- final song sung by chorus

Oedipus Complex Concept developed by Sigmund Freud Theory used to describe a child’s need to “possess” the parent of the opposite sex while “eliminating” the parents of the same sex. Are humans innately born with a competitive nature? Freud spoke of the story of Oedipus and said: “His (Oedipus) destiny moves us only because it might have been ours – because the oracle laid the same curse upon us before our birth as upon him. It is the fate of all of us, perhaps, to direct our first sexual impulse towards our mother and our first hatred and our first murderous wish against our father. Our dreams convince us that this is so. ” The theory is linked to the study of gender roles as well as an individual’s search for their identity

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The end Your quizzes will be on this background information and the text of Oedipus Rex all week and next week, so study and read!!!