Greek Tragedy Presentation and Discussion
Agenda: Greek Tragedy Presentation and Discussion Do Now: Pick up an Oedipus Rex packet! Homework: Look up and write definitions of Critical Terms in Packet. Peruse my website: jillsgro.com Objective: Students will be able to develop a context in which Sophocles wrote Oedipus Rex Why Study Oedipus Rex? Literary Significance
An archetypical Aristotelian tragedy An archetypical tragic hero Socio-Historical Significance Reveals the values of a foundational culture Much of modern Western culture is either an imitation of, or a rebellion against, ancient Greek culture. In other words, the ancient Greeks created the conceptual framework within which modern Western cultures operate. Ideological Significance: Poses perennial philosophical questions, such as . . . Free will vs. fate The value of intellect Additionally . . . Oedipus Rex is a rich source of motifs and themes about which to write! Overview of Oedipus Rex Unit
Five weeks ending February 5 Week 1: Greek Tragedy Background Critical Terms Week 2: Motifs in Oedipus Rex Begin Reading Play Aloud in Class Dramatic Irony in Oedipus Rex Week 3: Continue Reading Play Aloud in Class Socratic Seminar on Ode I Write Analytical Paragraph on Ode I Week 4: Themes in Oedipus Rex Introduction to Motif Essay Assignment Week 5: Writing Instruction: Analysis and Structure Write, Peer-Edit, and Revise Motif Essay Greek Tragedy Background notes on the society, religion, and culture of the era in which Oedipus Rex first was performed. Oedipus Rex was performed for the first time in Athens, Greece, in 460 BCE. The Role of the Gods in Ancient Greek Society:
The gods served two main purposes: Explanation of natural and social phenomena; and Affording humans a limited sense of control over their lives. Dionysus The Greek god of wine, winemaking, religious ecstasy, fertility, & theater Dionysus is the Greek god of:
Wine & winemaking Ritual madness & religious ecstasy Fertility The theater Dionysus is related to theater
because in Ancient Greece, the citizens would honor the god by performing dramatic plays. Plays were often performed at festivals. The plays were often accompanied byother ritualistic offerings to the god. In addition to performing plays
Greeks worshiped Dionysus during grape harvesting festivals by: Drinking wine Offering animal sacrifices Pouring out libations Performing poetry and songs (in addition to dramatic performances) Participating in parades Dionysus was unique among the gods in many ways, including the following:
He was torn to pieces and brought back to life. He could bring humans back from theunderworld. He possessed his followers, rather thanmerely being worshipped by them. He had a dual nature, similar to wine:divine ecstasy/blinding rage He induced mass hysteria and a loss ofindividuality Ancient Greece: The Classical Age
Also known as the Hellenic Period Most of the 5th and 4th centuries BCE 510 BCE 323 BCE (From the fall of the last Athenian tyrantto the death of Alexander the Great) The Classical Age in Athens: A Golden Time
Prevalent values included . . . Democracy Hegemony The Arts Science Public Works Logic & Mathematics Athenian Democracy A governing system for the Polis and its surrounding land of Attica Direct democracy: every eligible votercasts a vote on bills and legislation Only adult, male citizens can vote:30,000-50,000 citizens out of a total300,000 people Drama often affected popular opinionand therefore the way men voted. The Dionysian Festival
How the Greeks honored Dionysus How the Dionysian festivals evolved:
Rural Dionysia City Dionysia Held in Eleutherae in winter Probably began in prehistorictimes as a grape festivalunrelated to Dionysus Central event was a processiondisplaying phalluses andofferings of wine and bread Singing and dancing contestsfollowed Held in Athens in spring Emerged in the 6th centuryBCE Central event consisted ofdramatic performances Also included a procession The City Dionysia Held in March of each year in Athens to celebrate Dionysus The Pompe: A parade of citizens,visitors from colonies, and statues The Proagon: The pre-contestduring which judges were chosen,benefactors were honored Sacrifice & purification of the theater:A bull was slaughtered The dramatic performances! Purposes of the Festival
Because of an outbreak of syphilis, the Greeks thought Dionysus was angry at them. The festival was a way to show respecttoward the god. To please Dionysus To commune with people from otherregions To sway political preferences viadramatic performance Who Attended? Athenian citizens
Travelers from thesurrounding area (Attica) Warriors & dignitaries Men & women The men who wrote the plays
The Tragedians The men who wrote the plays Aeschylus 525-456 BCE The oldest of the three tragedians
Wrote the story of Agamemnon He introduced a second actor! He is considered the father ofmodern drama Sophocles ~ The Important One!
BCE He won more competitions thanany other playwright He wrote 123 plays, 7 of which wehave in their entirety He introduced a third actor! He wrote Oedipus Rex Euripides 480-406 BCE Younger, but a contemporary of Sophocles
He rarely won, with only 4 totalwins He did not fundamentally changethe structure of plays, but was thefirst to treat ordinary people asheroes What do they have in common?
They all wrote tragedies They all won competitions We still read their plays today! What made them unique? Aeschylus only used two actors
Sophocles introduced a third actor Euripides told the stories of ordinary men Put your PowerPoint notes on your desk!
Agenda: Finish Greek Tragedy Presentation Review Critical Terms Do Now: Put your PowerPoint notes on your desk! Homework: Review Critical Terms and PowerPoint notes.Quiz Thursday! Objective: Students will be able to develop a context in which Sophocles wrote Oedipus Rex Components of a Greek Tragedy
6 acts long A choral ode is sung betweenacts.The ode reflects how theaudience should be reacting to theplays events. The tragic hero is the center ofthe action. The characters are usuallyalready known to the audiencefrom Greek mythology. Where the dramatic festivals took place
The Physical Theater Where the dramatic festivals took place The Theater of Dionysus
The theater could seat about 17,000. Props Invented for the Theater
The mechane was invented to lower a god or goddess into a scene. This prop was used tocreate a deus ex machina,which is when a goddescends on a scene tosolve a charactersproblems. Props Invented for the Theater
The ekkyklema was invented to roll dead bodies onto the stage. Kill scenes never took placein front of the audience. They always happened offstage and then the evidencewould be brought back intoview on this rolling bed. Masks were worn to: Act as megaphones
To allow one actor to playmultiple parts Create exaggeratedexpressions that could beseen from far away. Aristotles Conceptions of Tragedy and the Tragic Hero Aristotle says a tragedy has to . . .
Imitate a serious and complete action That action has to be of a certain magnitude (important) Use language that is over the top Deal with R-rated topics without being crass Arouse pity and fear in the audience Aristotle defines a tragic hero as someone . . .
Of great importance (like a king or a prince), With excessive pride (hubris), Who experiences an error of judgment(hamartia), Who causes his own reversal of fortune(anagnorisis), and Who receives a punishment that is greater thanwhat he deserves What functions did Greek Tragedy serve?
408 brfencing.org United society around common values Entertainment Catharsis Catharsis: (n.) the release of, and thereby the relief from, strong or repressed emotions Crying Screaming Exercising Laughing