Origins of Greek Theatre
Early Greek Theatre
Focused on Athens in 5th century B.C.E.
Athens’ population ~ 150,000
“Wow! That’s a long time ago. What’s still
around now?”
43 full plays
● Many play fragments and titles
● Aristotle’s Poetics – literary
criticism that defined theatre
● Ruins of many theatres
●
Theatre Space
Semicircle of steeply rising tiers of seats
Bottom was rounded orchestra, where the
chorus sang and danced
Behind orchestra was open, almost bare
stage with several entrances
Actors wore large masks, often decorated
to suggest character types (king,
messenger, prophet, nurse)
Deus ex machina – god in a machine
Theatre of Dionysus - Athens
Theatre of Dionysus - now
Four Main Playwrights
Aeschylus
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The Persians, Seven against
Thebes, The Suppliants,
Prometheus Bound, and The
Oresteia: Agamemnon, The
Libation Bearers and The
Eumenides,
Aristophanes (comedy)
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The Acharnians (425 BC)
The Knights (424 BC)
The Birds (414 BC)
Lysistrata (411 BC)
The Frogs
Sophocles
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Ajax, Trachinian Women,
Electra, Philoctetes,
Oedipus Rex, Oedipus at
Colonus, and Antigone,
Euripides
●
Alcestis, Medea, Electra,
and The Bacchae.
Sophocles
What Was Theatre?
A religious ceremony
Each region dedicated performances to god or
goddess (like a religious mascot)
Performance was a sacrifice/offering to that god
Athens dedicated its productions to Dionysus, god
of fertility, agriculture, wine, and sexuality
Earliest “theatrical performance” was dithyramb
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Dance/chant fertility ritual
Told the story of the birth of Dionysus
Performed during a festival each year called orgia
First written versions of appeared about 600 B.C.
Religious events slowly evolved into more secular
events that would appeal to a diverse audience
From Orgia to Tragedy
Slowly theatrical performances evolved from the
dithyramb into more secular theatre
Became less focused on Dionysus
Can be explained like this:
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Dionysus (chaos, passion, emotion)
+
Apollo (order, art, discipline)
=
TRAGEDY
By fifth century B.C.E., transformation or
synthesis of theatre had been completed, thus
beginning Classical Period of Greek Theatre.
Structure of Greek Tragedy
Characters
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One protagonist and a few
key characters
Chorus – onlookers and
commentators – a collective
“actor”, speak in choral odes
or songs
Formal arrangement of
parts
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Prologue – opening scene
Parados – first of Chorus’s
lyric songs or choral odes
Regular alternation of scenes
in dialogue and choral odes
Exodus (concluding scene)
The Characteristics of the Chorus
Approximately 15 men
Sang lyric poetry & danced
Were unpaid, drawn from the citizenry at
large
Were trained and costumed
Wore the dress of the people they
represented and wore light masks
Functions of the Greek chorus
Provided link from audience to actors,
responding to the play in a manner the
playwright hoped the audience would
respond – the ideal spectator
Provided tension release
Reflected upon what has happened, what
might happen, and asked questions
At times advised central characters
Functioned as the conscience of the people
Helped to establish mood & to heighten the
dramatic moments
Could be in the play or outside it by either
participating in the action or by commenting on
the action as merely an observer
Usually through a leader as spokesperson, could
interact with the central characters
A modern version of a Greek
chorus…
Legally Blonde – Positive – Broadway
Performance
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p2W4x
Oymo8s&NR=1
Mighty Aphrodite – Movie Scene
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z7MYy
uxNhQo&feature=PlayList&p=BAC1FA79B
129B9B2&index=0&playnext=1