History of the Greek
Tragedy
English 10b
Pellegrin
The Theatre of Ancient Greece
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Theatre in the Western
World can be traced back
to ancient Greece (c. 500
B.C.). Theatre comes
from the Greek word
Theatron, meaning a
“seeing space for
spectators”
Greek dramas
emphasized the follies of
human beings in their
attempt to control their
own destinies.
The Theatre
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Greek theaters were built into natural hills. The slope of
the hill was covered in a semi-circle with stadium-like
stone seats.
Some theaters could hold up to 17,000 people and their
ruins are found today in every major city, as the theater
was an important part of ancient Greek life.
Dionysus
Greek drama was
presented exclusively
at festivals honoring
Dionysus.
 Dionysus was the god
of wine and fertility,
his blessing was
sought to ensure the
fertility of human
beings and the land.
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Festivals & Plays
By the 5th century B.C. Athens held 4
festivals of Dionysus a year.
 The main festival was called City Dionysia.
 City Dionysia was a religious and civic
celebration where theatrical performances
were given as offerings from the city to
Dionysus.
 Only select playwrights had the honor of
having their plays performed at this event.
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Festivals & Plays
Because these events were civic
celebrations much of the expenses were
paid by the government and were subject
to specific laws and requirements.
 Violence was not allowed on stage—deaths
and wars all occurred off stage, but were
told to the audience by performers or the
chorus.
 Women were not allowed on stage.
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City Dionysia
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Three dramatists
competed at City
Dionysia.
Each presented 3
tragedies followed by a
satyr play.
The satyr play was a
tragic comedy that served
to alleviate the emotional
tension brought on by the
tragic trilogy.
Greek Tragedy
When a person of
importance, such as a king
or princess, moves from
happiness to disaster (and
often death) through
some flaw or error in
judgment, or through the
forces of fate
The Performers
Actors were paid by the government to
perform during festivals.
 Greek law prohibited the number of
speaking actors to three per play.
 However that same law did not limit the
number of roles allowed in each play,
thus, each actor took on several roles.
 The same three actors appeared in each
of the three tragedies.
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The Chorus
The tragic chorus was
composed of 15 men
 All were “nonprofessionals,” but were
skilled at singing and
dancing.
 Hired by an official of the
government and assigned
to the playwright.
 Usually performed in
unison, but sometimes as
two subgroups that
responded to each other.
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The Chorus
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They entered after the prologue.
They performed choral odes (songs and
dance) between the episodes.
Playwrights were assigned a “choregus”
– a wealthy citizen who paid to train and
costume the chorus and musicians. This
was thought to be his civic duty (almost
like paying a tax)
Function of the Chorus
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1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
The chorus served several functions:
Expressed opinions, gave advice, and
occasionally threatened to interfere in the
action.
They served as the collective voice of
humanity.
They served as the ideal spectator, reacting as
the author would want the audience to react.
They helped establish the mood and heighten
the dramatic effects.
They added color, movement, and spectacle.
Masks
All of the performers, except
musicians, wore masks.
The masks served
several purposes:
1. Facilitated rapid change
of roles.
2. Made it easier for male
actors to play female
characters.
3. Helped the actor in
assuming roles of
different types.
Sophocles
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Was born in 496 B.C. in
Colonus, near Athens.
He wrote around 123
plays, only 7 of which
survive.
Won the best playwright
contest at the festival
more than any other
Greek dramatist (24
times).
Was honored with a
position in the Athenian
Government.
Antigone
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A Greek Tragedy named after the
eponymous character that defies the law
to stand up for her own beliefs.
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The last play in Sophocles’ Oedipus the
King trilogy
Complete C-Notes
5: Level 1 Question
 3: Level 2 Question
 2: Level 3 Question
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 Label
your questions by Level
 Space question out throughout the front and
back of notes
 Line the question up next to the material it
corresponds with
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Write a 5 sentence summary