Ancient Greek Theatre Project
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As preparation for reading Sophocles’
play Antigone, the Women in Literature
students attended the Queensborough
Community College performance of his
play, Oedipus Rex.
To further understand the Ancient
Greek Theatre, students chose specific
topics related to the time and the
theatre.
Requirements
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
Students followed the directions for the
Project from the Hillcrest High School
English Department web site.
Students received instruction through
the Internet and email.
Students used APA documentation for

their PowerPoint Presentations.
Ancient Greek Theatre Project
Presenting
ELL2-02
Advance by using the arrow keys or left click the mouse.
The removal of student names complies with the IAUP.
Ancient Greek Theatre
The origins of Greek Theatre
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
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Flourished in ancient Greece
between c.600 and c. 200
BC
Theatre started in the city
state of Athens.
Athenian tragedy, comedy,
and satire were some of the
earliest theatrical forms to
emerge in the world.
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
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What drove Theatre to
evolve were the political
and military powers in
Greece.
With this Theatre got more
topics and scenarios to act
out.
Athenian drama occurred at
the Dionysia, an annual
festival honoring Dionysus.
Greek Theatre


In some Greek plays
men were selected to
play both female and
male roles.
Like in this picture from
the cast of dionysia
there were only male
cast members
A Better view of Greek Theatre

Greek Theatre buildings were called a
Theatron.
Panoramic view of the Greek theater at Epidaurus
Symbols used in Greek Theatre

These two masks are
the symbols for theater.
They represent the
comedy and tragedy
masks that were worn in
ancient Greece - during
the golden age, around
500 - 300 BC. They also
represent duality.
The theater of Dionysus, Athens
(Saskia, Ltd.)
References
Buckham, Philip Wentworth. (n.d.). Greek theater. Rerieved May 14, 2006, from http://www.crystalinks
.com/greektheater.html
Englert, Walter. (n.d.) Greek theater for Hum110 Tech. http://academic.reed.edu/humanities/110Tech/
Theater.html//
Greek Theater. (2006). Retrieved May 13, 2006, from http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://
historylink101.net/greek_images/greek-theater-10.jpg&imgrefurl=http://historylink101.net/greece1/
pic_greektheater.htm&h=216&w=324&sz=26&tbnid=Q3nsnWLvm1RVXM:&tbnh=76&tbnw=114&hl=
en&start=6&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dgreek%2Btheater%26svnum%3D10%26hl%3Den%26lr%3D
Dionysus
Dionysus?
Who Was He?

Dionysus was the son of Zeus and Semele.
•
Dionysus was the Thracian god of wine.
•
Dionysus was also known as Bacchus in Greek and roman
mythology.
•
Dionysus not only represented wine, but also the social
influences of it.
•
Dionysus was seen as the promoter of civilization, a
lawgiver, and a lover of peace.
What Did He Do?
Dionysus did many things for a god who represented wine.

He rescued Ariadne after Theseus abandoned her.

Dionysus also saved his mother from the underworld
after his father showed her his true nature as the storm
god.

Dionysus was the god who gave Midas his golden touch
and also was kind enough to take away this power when
it was proven to be useless and problematic.
CHILDHOOD

Zeus put the rain nymphs of nysa in charge of raising Dionysus
when he was a baby.

Dionysus was also raised by Maro a priest of Apollo.

While Dionysus was young, he disguised himself as a mortal on a
ship. Sailors tried to kidnap Dionysus, but failed because he turned
them into dolphins.

In another similar story, Dionysus hired pirates to take him to Naxos
from Icaria. The pirates instead took him to Asia planning on selling
Dionysus as a slave. Dionysus turned the pirates into dolphins when
he realized what was happening.
References
BBC – Religion & Ethics (7/22/2004). Dionysus. Retrieved May 17, 2006 from http://www.bbc.co.uk/
religion/religions/features/greek_gods/dionysus.shtml
Dionysus. (n.d.) Retrieved May 15, 2006 from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dionysus#References
Johnson, William A. (November 27, 2003). Euripides' Bacchae. Retrieved May 12, 2006 from
http://classics.uc.edu/~johnson/tragedy/bacchae.html
Skidmore, Joel. (1993). Greek Mythology. Retrieved May 22, 2006 from http://www.mythweb.
com/gods/Dionysus.html
Tau, Apiryon and Helena (1995). The Invisible Basilica: Dionysus. Retrieved May 15, 2006 from
http://www.hermetic.com/sabazius/dionysus.htm
Greek Theater Masks
History of the Masks In Ancient Greek Theater

Thespis was the first writer, in the Ancient Greek theater,
who used masks.

The members of the chorus wore masks, usually similar
masks but completely different from the leading actors.
The actors were all men, the mask was therefore necessary
to let them play the female roles.

History of the Masks In Ancient Greek Theater
 Historians claimed that the masks had one more
significance by adding resonance to the voice of an actor so
that everyone in the huge ancient theater could hear him.
 The masks would give the character some sort of
universality, creating an average figure, so that the
audience would judge him on his actions and not his
appearance.
Origin of Masks
 Mostly, the masks were made of linen, wood, or leather.
 A marble or stone face was used as a mould for the mask.
 Human or animal hair was also used.
 The eyes were fully drawn but in the place of the pupil of the
eye was a small hole so that the actor could see.
References
Englert, Walter. (n.d.). Greek Theater Masks. Retrieved May 8, 2006,
from http://academic.reed.edu/humanities/110Tech/Theater.html#Theaters
Karayannakos, Elias . (n.d.). Greek Theater Masks. Retrieved May 10,
2006, from http://users.panafonet.gr/ekar/masks.html
Masks of Ancient Greek
Theater
History
• Masks were used in Greek Theater to show
originality in their performances.
• The first writer who used masks was Thespis.
• The masks were made of linen wood or
leather. Marble was also used to mold the
masks.
• Human and animal hair was used and the
eyes were drawn to the size of the pupil so
the actors were able to see.
Masks of Tragedy and Comedy
The two masks below represent the symbols of
theater. The mask on the left represents comedy
and the other on the right represents tragedy.
Images
References
Buckham, Philip Wentworth. (1827). Theatre of the Greeks. Retrieved May 17, 2006, from
www.reference.com/browse/wiki/Greek_theatre
Davidson , J.A (1965). The Origins and Early Forms of Greek Tragedy. Retrieved May17,2006, from
www.crystalinks.com/greektheater.html
Haigh A.E, (1907). The Attic Theatre. Retrieved May 18, 2006, from www.reference.com/browse/wiki/Greek_theatre
Lesky. (1965). A Greek Tragedy, Dithyramb, Tragedy, and Comedy). Retrieved May 18, 2006, from www.reference.com/
browse/wiki/Greek_theatre
Ridgeway, William. (1910). Origin of Tragedy with the Greek Tragedians. Retrieved May 18, 2006, from www.reference.com/
Greek_theatre/References
Riu, Xavier. (1999). Dionysism and Comedy. Retrieved May 18,2006, from www.crystalinks.com/greektheater.html
Ancient Greek
Drama
Birth of Greek Drama
About two thousands years before
Shakespeare Greek Drama was born in
Athens, Greece. Between the years of 600
to 200 B.C. Athenians made a type of
culture where technique, form, and
terminology was used and lasted
approximately two millennia. They created
plays that are considered to be some of
the greatest works of art.
The BIG Start !
Around 600 B.C. Greece
was split into city-states.
The most populated and
famous city-state was
Athens where more then
150,000 people lived. It
was in Athens where the
Rites of Dionysus evolved
into theater. And Athens
is the place where Greek
Drama hits its golden era.
Every Drama Needs Tragedy !
Between 600 and 500
B.C. the dithyramb had
evolved into new forms,
most notably the
tragedy. Greek tragedy
usually told a story that
was indirectly used to
teach religious lessons.
Tragedies back then
weren't plays with bad
endings. Tragedy in the
Greek drama was a form
of ritual purification.
Laugh Out Loud
Tragedy was not what
Greek drama only offered.
Obviously, people would
get bored with all tragedy.
People back then also
needed to laugh. There
were comedies such as an
orphan out of nowhere
suddenly has many fathers
to claim him.
Greek Comedy
The Warriors, in 'Lysistrata':
First Speaker: For through man's heart there runs
in flood A natural and noble taste for bloodSecond Speaker: To form a ring and fight—
Third Speaker: To cut off heads at sight–
All in Unison: It is our right!
Youth... Come, listen now to the good old days
when children, strange to tell, were seen not
heard, led a simple life, in short were brought up
well.
References
Gottfried Eggenhofer. (1999, January). Mask of comedy. Retrieved on May 11, 2006, from
http://schulen.asn noe.ac.at/hskautzen/projekte/greece/theatre/theatre.htm
Members of tripod. (2004, May). Ancient Greek Theater. Retrieved on May 9,2006, from
http://anarchon.tripod.com/indexGREEKTH.html
Spiros Tzelepis. (n.d.). Ancient theatre of Epidauros. Retrieved on 5/10/06, from
http://users.otenet.gr/~tzelepisk/yc/art5.htm
University of Victoria and the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada.
(n.d.) Greek Tragedy. Retrieved on 5/13/06. from http://ise.uvic.ca/Library/SLT/
drama/greektragedy.html
CHORAL ODES
In plays with tragedies, they have choral odes, this chorus
would chant rhythmically. The chorus would walk back and
forth across the stage chanting religious hymns.
They are viewed as one, not individuals.
The chorus was especially dominant.
They have approximately 50 singing and dancing members.
Tragedy came to be composed of episodes separated by
choral odes.
COMIC CHORUSES
The functions of the comic chorus remain
the same as those of the tragic chorus, to
sing and dance choral odes and engage in
dialogue with the actors.
The comic chorus had 24 members
compared with the 15 member tragic
chorus.
The comic chorus often had to impersonate
non-human characters.
THE CHORUS
Offered background and summary information to
help the audience follow the performance.
Commented on main themes, and showed how an
ideal audience might react to the drama as it was
presented.
Represented the general populace of any particular
story. The chorus usually communicated in song
form, but sometimes the message was spoken.
GREEK CHORUS
The chorus (choros) is believed to have grown out of the
Greek dithyrambs (dĭth'ĭrăm), in ancient Greece, which is a
hymn to the god Dionysus, a choral lyric with exchanges
between the leader and the chorus.
It arose, probably, in the extemporaneous songs of the
Dionysiac festivals and was developed into the literary form
to be found.
In its later development by such poets as Philoxenus and
Timotheus, it became freer in its meter and more musical.
The tragedy seems to have come out of the dithyramb.
The dithyramb was also cultivated after tragedy was
invented.
It was also believed to be grown out of the tragikon drama a
company of actors who comment (by speaking or singing in
unison) on the action in a classical Greek play.
IMPORTANCE OF THE GREEK
CHORUS
The chorus provided time for scene changes and gave the
principle actors a break.
They offered important background and summary
information that facilitates an audience's ability to follow the
live performance.
They also offered commentary about and underline main
themes animating the action.
They were also there to model an ideal audiences response
to the unfolding drama.
They also represent the general populace of any particular
story. The chorus usually communicated in song form, but
sometimes the message was spoken. It was the playwright's
job to choreograph the chorus.
GREEK CHORUSES
REFERENCES
Encarta.com (n.d.). Greek chorus Retrieved May 15, 2006, from http://encarta
.msn.com 1997-2006 Microsoft Corporation. 1993-2006
Greek chorus. (May 8, 2006). Retrieved May 14, 2006, from http://en.wikipedia
.org/wiki/Greek_chorus
Intro. to Greek Tragedy. (n.d.). Greek chorus. Retrieved May 16, 2006, from
http://ablemedia.com/ctcweb/netshots/tragedy.htm
Tragic Basics. (n.d.). Greek chorus. Retrieved May 16, 2006, from http://
www.siu.edu/~dfll/classics/Johnson/Greeks/Lectures/Tragic%20basics.htm
Ancient Greek
Arts Festival
Comedy
Old Comedy
☺ In Ancient Greek theater there were many different types of comedy.
☺ The Greeks produced lasting comedy in two periods: Old Comedy represented by Cratinus
and Aristophanes and New comedy whose exponents was Menander.
☺ They presented there work at the Athenian festivals. There were three actors, a chorus that
sung, danced, and participated in the dialogue.
☺ Comedy seemed to have sprung into being at the vintage-festival of the Greek villagers,
when all was jovial gaiety and jesting license in honor of Dionysus.
☺ “The common mood, whether joy or sorrow, is often communicated even to those who were
originally possessed by the opposite feeling and so powerful is infection of excitement that a
sober man will join in the antics of his drunken comrades--yielding to a drunkenness by
induction.“
☺ These seasons of contagious revelry were exactly suited to a development of the double
desire of mankind for personation--one man seeking to get outside of his own individuality and
to assume a character not his own, while another finds his satisfaction rather in the observation
of this simulation, in being a sympathetic spectator when actions are represented not proper to
the actor's own character.
More Old Comedy
☺
These seasons of contagious revelry were exactly suited
to a development of the double desire of mankind for
personation--one man seeking to get outside of his own
individuality and to assume a character not his own, while
another finds his satisfaction rather in the observation of this
simulation, in being a sympathetic spectator when actions are
represented not proper to the actor's own character
☺ Comedy seemed to have sprung into being at the vintagefestival of the Greek villagers, when all was jovial gaiety and
jesting license in honor of Dionysus.
☺ “The common mood, whether joy or sorrow, is often
communicated even to those who were originally possessed by
the opposite feeling and so powerful is infection of excitement
that a sober man will join in the antics of his drunken
comrades--yielding to a drunkenness by induction.“
New Comedy

Comedy was aimed to common people that weren’t concerned with
religious origins.

Menander’s main contribution was to create a comedy model that
influenced later comedy.

New Comedy provided the model for European comedy through the
18th century.

Classical comedy was brought up to date in the plays of the
“Christian Terence,” imitations by schoolmasters of the comedies of
the Roman dramatist.
More New Comedy

They added a contemporary flavor to the life portrayed and
displayed a somewhat less indulgent attitude to youthful
indiscretions than did the Roman comedy.

New Comedy provided the basic conventions of plot and
characterization for the comedy performed from written texts
of 16th-century Italy, as in the plays of Machiavelli.

Greek tragedies and comedies were always performed in
outdoor theater were probably little more than open areas in
city centers or next to hillsides where the audience, standing
or sitting, where the people can listen to the singing.

From the late 6th century BC to the 4th and 3rd centuries
BC there was a gradual evolution towards more elaborate
theater structures, but the basic layout of the Greek theater
remained the same.
References
Image. (2005). Retrieved May 13, 2006, from www.ancientsculpturegallery.com/ 107.html
Dunkle, Roger. (1986, March). Chorus. Retrieved May 12, 2006, from http://depthome.brooklyn
.cuny.edu/classics/dunkle/studyguide/tragedy.htm
Elias, Karayannakos. (2000, January). Masks. Retrieved May 12, 2006, from
http://users.panafonet.gr/ekar/masks.html
Trumbull, W. Eric Dr., Professor, Theatre/Speech. (February 21, 1998).Chorus. Retrieved May 12,
2006, from http://novaonline.nvcc.edu/eli/spd130et/ancientgreek.htm
Sophocles
A Greek Tragedian
The Beginnings of
Sophocles
•Born in 496-405 B.C. in Colonus
•Son of a wealthy merchant
•Destined to be a famous and well known
playwright of the golden age
•Not only was Sophocles to be a playwright
he was also known as a priest who
introduced the cult of Asclepius to Athens
•From a tender age he was known to be a
graceful and kind person
The Start of his Career
• Sophocles enters the local
playwright competition and brings
home the first place prize.
•More than writing his own plays, he
sometimes acted in them as well.
•Some of the plays he wrote and star
in were…
Plays by Sophocles
• Nausicaa
• The Women Washing Clothes
• Electra
• Oedipus at Colonus
• The Women of Trachis
• Antigone
• Oedipus the King
• Out of the many 120 plays that Sophocles wrote
only a handful of them lasted
• Shortly after the production of Oedipus at
Colonus, he passed in 405
References
LLC., Jalic (2003). Author Biographies. Retrieved May 12, 2006, from
http://www.online-literature.com/sophocles
Sophocles and his Tragedies. (2002) Retrieved May 12, 2006 from http://www.
theatrehistory.com/ancient/bates022.html
ELL2-02
Women in Literature
English Elective
6th Period
Instructor: Ms. L. Sirsky
Uploaded June 6, 2006
Hillcrest High School English Department
Ms. Sirsky, Webmaster