Introduction to Early Greek
Theater
ENGLISH II
Mrs. McIver
Origins of Drama
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Drama began during the sixth
century, B.C. as part of a
religious festival that was
intended to honor the god
Dionysus, the god of wine,
agriculture, and fertility.
These festivals were held
annually in March and
followed certain rituals, or
patterns.
Festival goers spent an entire
week drinking wine, praising
fertility, and worshiping the
phallus.
The early Greeks also spent
much time singing chants
(while very drunk) in order to
praise Dionysus.
Origins of Drama Continued
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While drunk and singing these songs of praise,
worshipers also danced around an altar. This
group of people were called a chorus.
Eventually a man named Thespis began to write
down these songs and revised them so that they
would tell a story.
After a while Thespis decided to have one
member of the chorus step away from the
others to play the part of a hero or god.
He wore a special mask and began talking to the
chorus.
This was the first character.
Continuing Changes in Drama
The modern theater we
know today has his origins
in Greek drama as well.
 A man named Aeschylus
decided to add a second
character to the
performance.
 The second character
allowed conflict to be shown
on the stage.
 Now that conflict was able
to be seen on stage, drama
as we know it was born.
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What were early Greek plays
about?
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When many think of ancient
Greece, they imagine white
pillars and elaborately
dressed gods and goddesses
in a calm and serene setting.
The early Greek plays were
anything but calm and dealt
with topics such as war,
murder, lust, and betrayal.
These early plays were also
either a tragedy or a comedy.
The First Greek Theaters
The first theaters were all outdoors and were called
amphitheaters.
Greek Theatre was similar to an outdoor stadium
that could hold between 15,000 – 20,000 people.
Seats were carved out of stone
on a hillside.
The stage area was at the
bottom and was where the
chorus members sang and
danced around an altar.
Parts of a Greek Theater
The earliest Greek theaters had four
major parts:
Orchestra—the circular area of the
theater where the actors would sing
and dance
 Theatron—where attendees would
sit to view the action
 Parados—a long narrow passageway
that actors used to make entrances
and exits
 Skene—a building located behind the
stage that was designed to look like
a temple, palace or other structure
needed. It served as a prop and
also allowed actors to make
entrances and exits
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Greek Theater
Greek Theater
Greek Theater
Costumes and Props in Early
Greek Drama
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Actors in these early plays did not rely on elaborate
costumes to tell the characters apart. Instead they
used huge masks to distinguish between characters.
Using masks also allowed actors to play more than
one role. The only costume change involved was
adding a new mask.
The masks had very large mouthpieces that amplified
the sound of the actors’ voices, and often had large
eye openings as well. (Remember no microphones
were available during this time.)
These masks usually represented familiar characters
that would be easily recognized by the audience.
Greek Masks
Colors were used in the masks
as well to convey emotion.
 Most were some shade of red
since there were made of
terra cotta.
 Wigs were also frequently
added to help distinguish
between characters.
 Today the symbol of the mask
has come to symbolize theater
worldwide.
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Examples of Greek Masks
Greek Theater Special Effects
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There were no curtains, intermissions, lights, or
microphones.
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Consequently, all scenes took place in daylight
settings, all scene changes had to be built into the
actor’s dialogue, and the chorus and actors had to
have strong voices.
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Deus ex machina (meaning: “god from the
machine”) = type of crane used for suspending
figures who portrayed gods.
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Eccyclema = moveable or revolving platform.
Greek Theater Special Effects
Deus ex Machina Examples
Eccyclema Examples
Eccyclema coming
through center doors
Eccyclema Blueprint
The Actors
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The Greek name for an actor was “hypocrite.”
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As there were only three actors, they wore masks to play
multiple parts. It was quick and easy to change the masks
that distinguished characters.
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All actors were men, because it was considered undignified
for women to appear on stage
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Actors wore padded costumes, wigs, and high-heeled boots to
make them taller and give them added dignity and power
which added to the grandeur of
the spectacle.
Actors had to be able to speak
in poetic language and sing using
a loud and clear voice.
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The Chorus
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Between scenes, while the actors changed their costumes
and masks, there was a chorus that entertained the
audience.
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Accompanied by an orchestra, the chorus and consisted of
singers and dancers who moved and sang together in
unison, acting as one character.
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This part of the play is called the Choral Ode.
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Originally, they Chorus started out with 50 people, but
Sophocles fixed the number at 15.
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The leader of the chorus is called the choragus and
participated in the dialogue with actors during scenes.
The Chorus
The Chorus
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The playwright used the chorus and their songs to:
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Add the beauty of song and dance.
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Set the mood or express the main themes of the
play by commenting on the action.
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Create a connection between the actors and the
audience.
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Converse with and give advice to the actors.
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Tell about events that have already happened in the
past.
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Foretell the future by interpreting the actions of the
actors.
The Stories
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Originally, the stories
were hymns and
prayers honoring the
gods, especially
Dionysus.
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Over time, the content
of the stories changed
to legends of Greek
leaders and heroes.
Tragedy
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A tragedy is a drama that recounts the downfall
of a dignified, superior character who is involved
in historically or socially significant events.
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This stems from the Greek belief that man was
subject to the whims of the gods and fate.
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The root of Greek tragedy is that man cannot
avoid suffering.
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In nearly all tragedies, man’s biggest fault is
excessive pride – a mistaken belief that he could
somehow avoid fate or the will of the gods.
Greek Tragic Hero
The Greek tragic hero
had to be a man or
woman capable of
great suffering.
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The tragic hero possesses a defect or tragic flaw,
that contributes to his or her downfall.
 This flaw may be poor judgment, pride,
weakness, or an excess of an admirable quality.
 The tragic hero recognizes his or her tragic flaw
and its consequences, but only after it is too late
to change the course of events.
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Hubris and Purpose of Greek
Tragedy
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Hubris is defined as excessive pride.
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Hubris leaves leads to suffering and then to an
understanding (catharsis) of man’s place in the system of
life.
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Catharsis is an emotional release caused by an intense emotional
experience.
The purpose of a Greek tragedy is to learn a lesson through
the catastrophes that befall the characters on stage and to
understand that their misfortunes are a result of not
following the will of the Gods or trying to avoid their own
destinies because of hubris.
Burial Rites
The Greeks
believed that a
person must
be buried or
his/her soul
would wander
the earth in
unrest.
SOPHOCLES
 Who
is this guy?
 Sophocles
wrote the
Greek Tragedy Antigone.
This is the play will read
during this unit.
SOPHOCLES
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Sophocles was born in Colonus, Greece in 497
BCE
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He died in 406 BCE at approximately 90 years
of age.
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He Lived during the Golden Age of Greece
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(The Golden Age of Greece was from
approximately 800 BCE to 300 BCE)
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He was a successful musician, athlete, and
respected playwright.
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He was also active in social and political life.
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He held several priesthoods, was imperial
treasurer in 443 BCE, and a general in 440
BCE
Sophocles as a Playwright
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In the drama festivals of his day, Sophocles won
the first place prize for best play 24 times!
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He wrote more than a hundred plays but only
seven remain.
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The most famous of his plays are: Oedipus the
King, Oedipus at Colonus, Antigone, and Electra.
Sophocles’ Impact on Drama
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Sophocles expanded the format
of drama by adding a third actor.
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He increased the amount of
dialogue within a play.
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He decreased the importance of
the chorus by fixing its number at
15.
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He invented painted scenery and
added flute music in the
background of his plays.
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He made each play of a trilogy
stand by itself as a separate
story.
Assignment Time
Today we discussed the origins of Greek drama, and
we learned that the actors relied on masks to help the
audience distinguish between characters in the play.
Assignment:
1. Think about if you were a character. Create a mask
that represents your personality. Think about how
you could make this mask uniquely represent you.
2. After your mask is complete, write a paragraph that
explains why your mask uniquely represents you as a
character. What character traits does it show?
Explain your choices.