ANTIGONE & GREEK TRAGEDY
GREEK TRAGEDY - BACKGROUND

Originated in religious festivals in honor of
Dionysus – god of wine & fertility
 Festival
would last 5 days in March or April
 50 men would sing and dance; sacrifice goat:
tragedy means goat – song

Athenian Thespis
 Introduced
actor who dialogues with Chorus
 Invented drama
AESCHYLUS
Second actor
 Dialogue became more important; Chorus less
 Wrote plays in trilogies focused on a theme

EURIPIDES
Most tragic writer
 Reduced role of Chorus
 Humanized characters to make plays more
realistic

SOPHOCLES
7 of 120 plays survived
 3rd actor
 Fixed Chorus at 15 men
 Oedipus Rex, Electra, Ajax

 ANTIGONE!
 Made
each play in trilogy separate in
nature
THEATRE AT DELPHI
STRUCTURE OF THEATRE
Theatron – seeing play where audience sat
 Orchestra – circular dancing place where actors
and Chorus performed
 Thymele – altar to Dionysus in center of orchestra
 Skene – building used as a dressing room
 Proskenion – Façade of skene building which
served as backdrop
 Parodos – entrance to theatre used by Chorus

ACTORS AND COSTUMES

Hypocrites – the answerer – playing roles
 All

male performers
Costumes
 Long
robes; symbolically colored
 Larger than life masks – made of linen, wood, cork
 Identified
gender, age and emotion
 Exaggerated features: large eyes, open mouth
STRUCTURE OF PLAYS






Prologue: Opening
scene of exposition
Parados: Entrance ode
by Chorus
Episode: Dramatic
scene
Stasimon: Choral ode
5 episodes followed by
odes
Exodus: Exit scene

Things to think about
while reading play: How
do all of these
components work
together?
CHORUS


Leader: Choragos
Music and Dance

Musical accompaniment
for choral odes – flute,
lyre, percussion

Function




Sets overall mood;
expresses theme
Gives background
information
Divides action and offers
reflections on events
Questions, advises,
expresses opinion, usually
through Chorus leader
CONVENTIONS




Unities:
Action – simple plot
Time – within 24 hours
Place – one scene
throughout

Messenger


Tells news happening
away from scene
Reports acts of violence
not allowed to be seen
LIMITATIONS OF THEATRE?
CHARACTERISTICS OF TRAGEDY
Based on well-known myths
 High-status person experiences reversal of
fortune by tragic hero
 Fate ensures his or her actions will bring doom
 Audience members experience Catharsis

 Emotional
relief that an audience is supposed to
experience at end of play
THEME

Often warns against excess
 PRIDE
 PASSION

Concerns limitations of:
 Human
knowledge
 Sympathy
 Foresight

Every decision has consequences
ARISTOTLE’S TRAGIC HERO FROM POETICS


High status in society;
innately noble or
virtuous
Tragic flaw triggers
downfall
 HARMARTIA: Tragic
flaw
HUBRIS: Arrogance


Misfortune overboard
Increase in awareness;
tragic hero learns lesson
ANTICIPATION GUIDE
 Family members should always support
each other.
 Following an order is sometimes more
important than being true to a personal
belief.
 Strong leaders should not show
compassion.
 Courage is often foolhardy (foolish).