Aeschylus
writer of tragedies; wrote Oresteia; proposed the
idea of having two actors and using props and
costumes; known as the father of Greek tragedy
anagnorisis
the recognition in the tragic hero of
what his downfall allows him to have
"heroic capacity"
antistrophe
the section of a choral ode answering a
previous strophe in classical Greek
drama
Aristotle
Greek philosopher. A pupil of Plato, the tutor of
Alexander the Great, and the author of works on logic,
metaphysics, ethics, natural sciences, politics, and
poetics. He profoundly influenced Western thought.
Aristotle's 3 parts to a plot
peripetia, anagnorisis,
catastrophe
Aristotle's definition of
tragedy
"The function of tragedy is to effect a
pleasurable catharsis of the emotions of
pity and terror"
catastrophe
suffering; the moment of the
downfall of the tragic hero
catharsis
a release of emotional
tension
Choragos
leader of the chorus, and can play
an individual role in the play
Chorus
usually made up of approximately 12-20 male citizens
who sung hymns to honor gods, especially Dionysus;
always on stage in the background and provide
important information
city of Dionysia
contained the festival in which
playwrights would contribute tragedies
and a satyr comedy
comedy
light and humorous drama with a happy ending,
focuses on the fortunes of a community, aims at
showing a remaking of society
conflict
opposition in a work of drama or fiction between
characters or forces (especially an opposition
that motivates the development of the plot)
deus ex machina
any active agent who appears
unexpectedly to solve and insoluble
difficulty
dialogue
a literary composition in the form of a
conversation between two people; more
than one person talking back and forth
Dionysus
god of fertility, wine, music, and drama
who created the festival b/c he brought
Spring to the Greeks each year
drama
the creation, development, and
resoultion of tension in an audience
episode
plot develops through action here; central
scenes in the play where Oedipus interacts
with other characters and the chorus
exodus
the final choral ode; after the
last stasimon, the final action
foil
characters that reflect each
other
hamartia
the character flaw or error of a tragic
hero that leads to his downfall
heroic capacity
at the end of the tragedy, the hero shows his recognition
of his mistakes, acts upon his new wisdom, and gives the
audience hope for the future; it inspires the audience to
also be heroic
hubris
overbearing pride or
presumption
monologue
a (usually long) dramatic speech by a
single actor; speaking alone; a speech
you make to yourself
nemesis
punishes hubris and cannot be escaped;
avenger of the Gods; (Greek mythology) the
goddess of divine retribution and vengeance
odes
moments where the chorus talks to us/
speaks. Designed to represent the
audience literal & metaphorical bridge
Oedipal complex
a pattern described by Freud in which a boy has a
desire for his mother and wants to eliminate his
father's competition for her attention
Oedipus
(Greek mythology) a tragic king of Thebes who
unknowingly killed his father Laius and
married his mother Jocasta
orchestra
seating on the main floor in a
theater
parados
entrance of the chorus; chanting
lyrics to establish the main theme
parados
first choral ode
peripeteia
the reversal of fortune
peripetia
reversal of fortune, a sudden and unexpected
change of fortune or reverse of circumstances
(especially in a literary work)
plot
forward motion of the drama
from scene to scene
prologue
the first episode of the play or opening
scene, sets forth the meaning of the
play, establishes background
protagonist
main character
relief of tension
designed to give the reader a break from
the main conflict and give a moment of
reflection
skene
color painted scene,
background
Sophocles
respected and award winning Greek
playwright; used three actors; wrote Oedipus
Rex, Oedipus at Colonus, and Antigone
stasimon
choral ode sung at the end of
each episode by the chorus
strophe
a series of lines forming a system whose
structure is repeated in a following
system
theater
taking drama and putting it on a stage; a
publicized act; from the Greek word
theatron, which means "seeing place"
tragedy
a work in which the protagonist, a person of high degree,
is engaged in a significant struggle and which ends in
ruin or destruction; drama in which the protagonist is
overcome by some superior force or circumstance
tragic hero
a literary character who makes an error of
judgment or has a fatal flaw that, combined with
fate and external forces, brings on a tragedy
tragos
Greek word meaning goat; it is
the root of the word tragedy