Greek Drama
When: 440 B.C.
Where: Athens
Types: Tragedy, Comedy, and Satyr Plays
high
high
low
Tragedy: Noble Man falls from high
status to low status or death.
low
Comedy: Common Man rises
from a bad state to a better state.
Plays were performed as part of a religious festival honoring Dionysus, the god of
wine. Imagine lots of wine, dancing, and high jinks. Every year a winner was chosen
from the top playwrights, and the competition was fierce. Sophocles, Aeschylus,
and Euripides were the big three. Sophocles won 20 times, more than anyone else.
See the latest works by Sophocles-- Live in Athens!
Part one- Oedipus Rex! Part two- Antigone! and the exciting
finale- Oedipus at Colonus!
SEEKING WELL-QUALIFIED TRAGIC HEROES:
 Must be of noble birth and virtuous
 Preferably young, handsome, wise,
physically fit, bold, and strong.
 Must be extremely proud (hubris)
 Must be doomed by the gods to
catastrophic downfall, while still
maintaining enough free will to
attempt to avoid his tragic fate.
 Happily-Ever-After types need not
apply.
Audience Response
Initial Respect and sympathy
(The hero is worthy of respect)
Pity and fear as realization sets in
(The hero has a tragic flaw)
Catharsis, or emotional cleansing,
at the hero’s demise
(We do not share his tragic fate)