Ancient Greek TheatreAncient Greek Theatre

About 600 BCE - about 250 BCEAbout 600 BCE - about 250 BCE

OriginsOrigins• Religious ceremonies

– Funerals– Seasonal celebrations– Ceremonies honoring the gods

• Of particular significance were ceremonies honoring Dionysus, god of wine, fertility and revelry.

• Some historians believe Greek drama originated in the dithyrambic choruses– Dithyramb: long hymn, sung and

danced by a group of 50 men

ThespisThespis

• Thespis is credited being the first actor – In 534 BCE, he stepped out of the chorus and

delivered a prologue and dialogue while impersonating a character

• That is where we get the modern term “thespian” as a tribute to Thespis.

FestivalsFestivals

• Business came to a standstill during dramatic festivals – even wars were stopped to celebrate and honor the gods– Has no modern day equivalent

• City Dionysia– Held at the end of March when spring had

arrived to honor Dionysus– In 534 BCE, tragedy was incorporated – In

486 BCE, comedy and satyr plays added

City DionysiaCity Dionysia

• Lasted for several days

• Before the opening of the festival, parades and sacrifices were held to honor Dionysus

• 2 days for dithyrambs, 3 days for plays– Each playwright had to enter 3 tragedies and

1 satyr play – this was called a tetralogy

• Awards were given – similar to Olympics

Greek TragedyGreek Tragedy

– Violence and death offstage

• Frequent use of messengers to relate information

– Usually continuous time of action

– Usually single place – Stories based on myth

or history, but varied interpretations of events

AeschylusAeschylus

• His are the oldest surviving plays

• Has the only remaining Greek trilogy– The Orestia

• Agamemnon• The Libation Bearers• The Eumenides

• Introduced the 2nd actor

Sophocles Sophocles (496-406 B.C.)(496-406 B.C.)

• Introduced the 3rd actor

• Fixed the chorus at 15

• Wrote:– Oedipus Rex– Antigone

Euripides Euripides (480-406 B.C.)(480-406 B.C.)

• Very popular in later Greek times– little appreciated

during his life

• Sometimes known as "the father of melodrama"

• Wrote:– Hecuba– Medea

AristotleAristotle

• Wrote The Poetics (c. 335 BCE) in response to Plato’s The Republic

• Aristotlean Elements– Plot– Character– Thought– Diction– Music– Spectacle

The Satyr PlayThe Satyr Play

• Afterpiece to the tragedies

• Thematically tied to trilogy

• Poked fun at honored Greek religion and heroes

• Had elements of vulgarity

ComedyComedy

• Satirical treatment of domestic situations– Called "Old Comedy"

• Commentary on contemporary society, politics, literature, and Peloponnesian War.

AristophanesAristophanes

• Wrote plays in the style of Old Comedy– Reflected the social and

political climate in Athens– Plays full of bawdy wit– Distinguished for their

inventive comic scenes, witty dialogue and pointed satire rather than for plot or character

• Wrote:– The Clouds (423 BCE)– The Birds (414 BCE)– Lysistrata (411 BCE)– The Frogs (405 BCE)

Greek TheaterGreek Theater

Scenery and Special EffectsScenery and Special Effects

• Periaktos– rotating triangles used for changing scene locations

• Ekkyklema – platform on wheels used to bring out characters from

inside the building

• Mechane– Crane hidden behind the upper level of the skene,

used to lower the actor playing the god to suggest a descent from the heavens

• Later changed to deus ex machina which means “god from a machine”

Acting StylesActing Styles

• Acting styles: – Only three actors

• Actors usually played more than one role

– Men played all the parts

• Chorus: – Entered with stately march, sometimes

singing or in small groups. – Choral passages sung and danced in unison,

sometimes divided into two groups.

Costumes and MasksCostumes and Masks

• Masks– All tragic players wore masks. – None survive - made of cork, linen, wood.– Covered whole face - hair, beard, etc.– Comedy - more varied often birds, animals,

etc. Probably not realistic. – Characters had exaggerated masks, some in

chorus wore identical masks.