Greek Theatre – The Greeks were the first people to write and perform plays. The earliest

Greek plays were tragedies. In a tragedy, the lead character struggles against fate only to be

doomed after a lot of suffering. The three most famous early Greek playwrights are Aeschylus,

Soposcles and Euripdies.

Where do you think the following people would sit? •Priests•VIP’s and other officials•Ordinary Athenians

Imagine you are a wannabie Greek Theatre Producer/Director/Writer who wants to put on a play and try to solve these problems

Problem Solution

Women can attend the play but cannot perform in the play.

Some theatres are very large. The distance from the back rows to the stage was about 300 feet.How can you make sure the audience at the back can hear what's being said?

How can they see the facial expressions of the performers?

Tragedies are the most popular plays. You have to produce a tragedy but don’t want to depress the audience who have suffered so much from the effects of the Peloponnesian War.

How can you finance the play?

Problem Solution

Women can attend the play but cannot perform in the play.

Use men to play the roles of women or use female slaves.

Some theatres are very large. The distance from the back rows to the stage was about 300 feet.How can you make sure the audience at the back can hear what's being said?

The actors had to project their voices . Perform the play in an amphitheater, which was a circular type theater, so that projection was very loud, and the actors could be heard all around

How can they see the facial expressions of the performers?

Have the actors wear masks that represent their character. The masks show various emotions such as grief, anger, or happiness

Tragedies are the most popular plays. You have to produce a tragedy but don’t want to depress the audience who have suffered so much from the effects of the Peloponnesian War.

Satyr - short plays performed between the acts of tragedies. They made fun of the predicament of the tragedy's characters

How can you finance the play? Get a wealthy man to sponsor the play. They hoped the success of the play they sponsored would help them get into politics.

Comedy -

Tragedy -

Satyr -

often mocked men in power. Famous comedy writers were Aristophanes and later Menander.

short plays were performed between the acts of tragedies. They made fun of the predicament of the tragedy's characters

plays about love, loss, pride, the abuse of power. These were often about the gods and men. Usually one character commits a great crime, then realizes his error. The three great playwrights of tragedy were Aeschylus, Sophocles, and Euripides.

Make some notes from your textbook p.132 on Aeschylus, Sophocles and Euripides