The Masks of Dionysus Euripides Bacchae 1 Prelims
The Masks of Dionysus Euripides Bacchae 1
Prelims: On Index Card • Full name Scholtz, Andrew • Preferred name “Professor Scholtz” • Preferred pronouns He, his, etc.
“For whoso leads the revel / He is always Dionysus” (Euripides’ Bacchae, Chorus, p. 400)
Neo Matrix Reloaded (2003) Dionysus/Satyr Mask (Athenian, 500 s BCE)
Agenda • Recap and Update § Theory and Practice: Athenian Tragedy • Bacchae: Background § Dramatized? • Discussion: Tragedy in Performance § Rock the Palace! (pp. 418 ff. )
Recap and Update Theory and Practice: Athenian Tragedy
City Dionysia: Program Dramatic preliminaries • Pre-festival § “Showtime” • chorus assignments • Proagōn • “Introduction” • Pompē • Ceremonies Dithyramb — 10 § Men’s choruses of 50 § Boys’ choruses of 50 • Comedies — 5 • Tragedy — 3 tetralogies
Tragic Tetralogy Four plays, one playwright Aeschylus’ Oresteia (458 BCE) 1. Tragedy 1. Agamemnon 2. Tragedy 2. Libation Bearers 3. Tragedy 3. Eumenides 4. Satyr drama 4. Proteus Citizen judging
And the Winner Is…
Aristotle on Plot (muthos) Less Good Better Episodic • Simple, lacking… • • Logical, plausible • Complex, possessing… Reversal (peripeteia) and/or § Recognition (anagnorisis) § • Diffuse “Epic” time-span § Multiple story lines § § • Unified 24 -hour time-span § Single story line §
Production: Personnel poet producer director actors chorus, “chorus leader” piper poiētēs, “maker” khorēgos didaskalos, “teacher” hupokritai khoros, koruphaios aulētēs All roles, all jobs to men
Production: Gear • Masks • Scenery • Costumes • Special effects • Music • Props § mekhanē § ekkuklēma
Neo Matrix Reloaded (2003) Actor, Papposilenos mask, Pronomos vase (Athenian, late 400 s BCE)
Bacchae: Background Dramatized?
Play Facts, Backstory • Production Date • Text (issues) § ca. 405– 400 BCE • Tetralogy § Iphigenia at Aulis § Alcmeon § Bacchae § satyr play (which? ) Death of Pentheus, ca. 450 -425 BC
Characters, Backstory
Dionysus, Dionysianism Dionysian initiation • Cross-dressing • Mystic knowing • Ritual rebirth Maenads, bakkhoi • Rapture Ekstasis § Enthousiasmos § • Thyrsus • Sparagmos, omophagia • Oresibasia
iō Bakkhe, euoi, euai
Analysis, 1 st Half • prologue (starts p. 395) § • • 1 st episode (402) • Pentheus’ impiety 2 nd episode (414) § Servant, Pentheus, Dionysus (in disguise) Earthquake Trochaic dialogue, D & Leader (420) § • Thebes’ rejection of Dionysus Choral dialogue (418): Chorus & D § Tiresias, Cadmus, Pentheus 1 st stasimon (412) 2 nd stasimon (417) § • Dionysus parodos (398): “Asian” (modern Turkey) Bacchants. Cult hymn § • • “messenger” scene 3 rd episode (422) Short dialogue, D&P § Messenger scene: hubris in the hills §
Discussion: Tragedy in Performance Rock the Palace! (pp. 418 ff. )
- Slides: 20