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What made tragedy such a large part in Greek society?
There are so many pieces of the puzzle when it comes to the role that tragedy
played in Greek society. I believe there was certain information that many people
wanted to get across with the production and context of the tragedies. I believe the main
reason tragedy played such a big role is the amount of education the audience received.
The three educational parts that made tragedy such a large part in Greek society were the
examples of morality and immorality displayed, the lessons delivered by the gods that
were depicted and the involvement in the religious aspect.
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Morality and Immorality
The first educational part is that of moral and immoral examples. “Tragedy
depicts the downfall of a basically good person through some fatal error or misjudgment,
producing suffering and insight on the part of the protagonist and arousing pity and fear
on the part of the audience” (“Elements of Greek Tragedy and the Tragic Hero”). The
creator of the tragedy wants to convey to his audience the exact wrongdoing of the main
character. After the offense is shown, then the creator wants to show the consequences
of this immoral action. Since attendance was mandatory at these events, I believe the
creator of the tragedy wasn't the only one who wanted to send a message. The tragedy
could also be used to convey particular values that the government wanted to push into
the minds of the audience. If that is the case, I believe inside a tragedy was a great place
to do that since it is hidden behind the facade of theater.
An example of an immoral act is the sacrificing of
Iphigenia by Agamemnon. I am sure that the
sacrificing of anyone that wasn't sanctioned by the
government was frowned upon. The best way to
get examples to the public was to put it in a way
the audience best understood and even enjoyed
watching.
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Lessons by the gods
The second educational part is the lessons delivered by the gods that were
depicted in these tragedies. After the main character displays an immoral act, the creator
enacts the punishments the gods deliver for the act. These punishments vary in severity.
For example, after Tantalus killed his son Pelops, cooked him and then fed him to the
gods, the gods placed Tantalus beside a pool in Hades that he could never reach to drink.
I believe that is a pretty harsh punishment. The story of Philoctetes being bitten by the
snake is another example of a
punishment. On one website it states
that Philoctetes was bitten because
Hera was enraged that he built and set
fire to the place where Heracles burnt
himself (“Philoctetes”). It also states
that it could be because he did not
return the love of the nymph Chryse.
In the content we read in class, Philoctetes was bitten because he disturbed a sacred
place. I believe that by depicting these punishments, that the creator and government
could sway the audience from committing a particular crime or act. Scaring the fear of
gods into an audience that might not all be very well educated would be a good way to
deter them in any way the creator or government sees fit.
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Religious Aspects
The final educational part is the
religious aspect of the festival. The festival
originally started out as a religious
observance in honour of Dionysus. Before
that there was a cult of Dionysus's followers
that were labeled The Cult of Dionysus.
The ritual practices of this cult included
both human and animal sacrifices among
other things. The rituals of this cult seemed
very dark-natured. One of the more
disturbing practices including dancing and emotional displays that lead to an altered
mental state, also known as 'ecstasis' (ecstasy). The tragedy was later on formed from
this cult. These rituals were pretty common by 600 BC. Once the tragedy evolved, I
believe the rituals were a watered down version of their original state. These watered
down rituals included dancing competitions and the reciting of traditional choral hymns
that honored Dionysus. The acts and rituals showed to the audience and community that
the gods still needed to be worshiped. This was also a way to educate those on old
rituals and teach any new rituals.
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Conclusion
In conclusion, I believe the three educational parts I discussed are what pushed the
tragedy into such a big role. I think the facade of a festival also helped the government
get want information they wanted in the community. “The tragedies, which had heroic
characters and unhappy endings, were serious treatments of religious and mythic
questions” (“Greek Drama: Out of Ritual”). There were so many parts that needed to
get conveyed and using a tragedy to do that was a very creative and captivating way to
do that. I believe that without the knowledge presented in the entire production of the
tragedy the community would not know the morals and rituals displayed.
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Works Cited
“Elements of Greek Tragedy and the Tragic Hero”. 11 April 2011.
http://www.slideshare.net/cafeharmon/elements-of-greek-tragedy-and-thetragic-hero
“A Guide to Ancient Greek Theater”. 20 May 2004.
http://anarchon.tripod.com/indexGREEKTH.html
Leeming, David Adams. “Greek Drama: Out of Ritual”.
http://www.nexuslearning.net/books/elements_of_lit_course4/collection%2
011/greek%20drama,%20out%20of%20ritual.htm
“Philoctetes”. Myth Index copyright © 2007. http://www.mythindex.com/greekmythology/P/Philoctetes.html