GREEK THEATRE
History and background
Origins of Drama
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Between 600 and 200 BC, the ancient Athenians
created a theatre culture whose form, technique
and terminology have lasted two millennia, and
they created plays that are still considered
among the greatest works of world drama.
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Their achievement is truly remarkable when one
considers that there have been only two other
periods in the history of theatre that could be
said to approach the greatness of ancient
Athens - Elizabethan England and, perhaps the
Twentieth Century.
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The greatest playwright of Elizabethan England
was Shakespeare, but Athens produced at least
five equally great playwrights.
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The Twentieth Century produced thousands of
fine plays and films, but their form and often
their content are based on the innovations of
the ancient Athenians
The Cult of Dionysus
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The theatre of Ancient Greece evolved from
religious rites which date back to at least 1200
BC. At that time, Greece was peopled by tribes
that we in our arrogance might label 'primitive'.
In northern Greece, in an area called Thrace, a
cult arose that worshipped Dionysus, the god of
wine and fertility
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These rites were given a regular form and raised
to the rank of artistic poetry in about 600 BC.
Introduced into Athens shortly before 500 BC.
By this time, however, it had ceased to concern
itself exclusively with the adventures of
Dionysus and begun to choose its subjects from
all periods of Greek mythology. In this way, over
time this would evolve into stories in 'play' form:
drama.
History
• By 600 BC Greece was divided
into city-states, separate
nations centered in major
cities and regions. The most
prominent city-state was
Athens, where at least 150,000
people lived.
• It was here that the Rites of
Dionysus evolved into what we
know today as theatre. Since
Athens was located in a region
called Attica, Greek and
Athenian theatre are
sometimes referred to as Attic
Theatre.
Thespis
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In about 600 BC, Arion of Mehtymna
(Corinth) wrote down formal lyrics for the
dithyramb. Some time during the next 75
years, Thespis of Attica added an actor who
interacted with the chorus. This actor was
called the protagonist, from which the
modern word protagonist is derived,
meaning the main character of a drama.
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Later, Sophocles introduced a second speaker
which resulted in the creation of theatre.
Tradition ascribes this innovation to one
Thespis, and even gives him a date; he is said
to have performed Athens about 534 BC.
Whether this is true of not, his name has
achieved immortality in theatrical jargon 'actors' and 'Thespians' are synonymous.
Ampitheaters
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During this time, major theatres were
constructed, notably the theatre at
Delphi, the Attic Theatre and the
Theatre of Dionysus in Athens. The
Theatre of Dionysus, built at the foot of
the Acropolis in Athens, could seat
17,000 people.
During their heyday, the competitions
drew as many as 30,000 spectators. The
words theatre and amphitheatre derive
from the Greek word theatron, which
referred to the wooden spectator
stands erected on those hillsides.
Similarly, the word orchestra is derived
from the Greek word for a platform
between the raised stage and the
audience on which the chorus was
situated.
Actors and the Plays
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Plays were performed in the daytime.
The annual drama competitions in
Athens were spread over several,
entire days. Actors probably wore
little or no makeup.
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Instead, they carried masks with
exaggerated facial expressions. They
also wore cothornos, or buskins,
which were leather boots laced up to
the knees. There was little or no
scenery.
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Initially, most of the action took place
in the orchestra. Later, as the
importance shifted from the chorus
to the characters, the action moved
to the stage.
The Actors & The plays
• All male
• They wore masks, wigs and
high boots to add formality
• Acted in daylight, no
curtains and very few sets.
• Written in poetic verse, not
prose.
• Audience was familiar with
basic story from mythology
and new more than the
actors did.
Tragedy – What is it?
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Tragedy, derived from the Greek words tragos
(goat) and ode (song), told a story that was
intended to teach religious lessons. Much like
Biblical parables, tragedies were designed to
show the right and wrong paths in life.
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The tragic protagonist is one who refuses out of
either weakness or strength to give in to fate.
Most often, the protagonist's main fault is
hubris, a Greek, and English word meaning false
or overweening arrogance.
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It could be the arrogance of not accepting ones
destiny (i.e. as in Oedipus Rex), the arrogance of
assuming the right to kill (Agamemnon), or the
arrogance of assuming the right to seek
vengeance (Orestes).
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Whatever the root cause, the protagonist's
ultimate collision with fate, reality, or society is
inevitable and irrevocable.
Tragedy
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The traditional tragedy in Aeschylus'
time (circa 475 BC) consisted of the
following parts:
1. Prologue, which described the
situation and set the scene
2. Parados, an ode sung by the chorus
as it made its entrance
3. Five dramatic scenes, each
followed by a Komos, an exchange of
laments by the chorus and the
protagonist
4. Exodus, the climax and conclusion
The Three Unities
• Unity of time – all action
takes place in 24 hours.
Dialogue provided
background information.
• Unity of place – Action was
limited to one setting.
• Unity of subject – the focus
was on the main character
and there were no subplots.
What is the Chorus?
• 15-20 men representing
the citizens
• Always on stage and
sang and danced
• Had a leader who
carried on a dialoque
with the main
characters or the rest of
the chorus
Purpose of the Chorus
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Set the tone
Give background information
Recall past events
Interpret and summarize
events
Ask questions
At times – give opinions
Give advice, if asked
Stay objective (do not disagree
with protagonist)
Act like a jury of elders or wise
men and reach a moralistic
conclusion at the end of the
play