Greek Theater

Greek Theater

Sr. Humanities

Ancient Greece

• Varied Terrain

• Founder of Democracy

• Founder of Philosophy

• Patriarchal society

• Heavy Art Influence - Pottery, Paitings, Music, Writing, and Theater

Geography

Ancient Greece was a combination of mountains, coastal towns, and islands; creating natural barriers that led to many independent city-states and a focus on maritime trade.

Role of the Arts

Because of this disparity, the arts became a central unifier of the people. The theatrical experience was an all-encompassing public experience. Attending the theater was a social, political, and religious act, serving as both a celebration of the gods and a communal indoctrination into societal norms.

The Theater

Greek drama usually accompanied religious festivals and was part of the fanfare. The stage was built into a hillside and plays were performed during the day before thousands of onlookers. A large orchestra, located in a pit between the stage and the audience, provided music before, during, and after the performance.

Popularity

Banks would shut down for days during play season. People would travel from all around to see the drama competitions—even prisoners were temporarily released to see the plays.

Dionysus

Greek plays were performed during religious ceremonies held in honor of Dionysus, the Greek god of wine and revelry (altars generally on stage). Tragedy means “goat song” (relates to Dionysian rituals)

Multiple Choice

Most plays were dedicated to which god?

• Hera

• Loki

• Zeus

• Dionysus

Multiple Choice

What is the name of the place audiences sit in Greek Theater?

• Theatron

• Parados

• Orchestra

• Skene

Why Plays?

Plays created central myths that all Greek citizens believed in. They told the story of Gods, Heroes, and Leaders.

Reason for Plays Creating Myths

• Explained the unexplainable

• Justified religious practices

• Gave credibility to leaders

• Gave hope

• Centered around the twelve Olympians  (primary Greek gods), but emphasized the polytheistic religion.

Credibility to Leaders

The Romans used myths to create family trees for their leaders, enforcing the made-up idea that the emperors were related to the gods and were, then, demigods.

Basics of Greek Drama

Actors

All roles were played by men wearing large masks, extravagant robes, and platform shoes. Sophocles, the most popular of Greek dramatists, used three actors who changed costumes between scenes. 

The Tragic Hero

A tragedy recounts the downfall of a tragic hero. A tragic hero is:

1. A dignified character, usually of noble birth.  2. A person who possesses a tragic flaw, or hamartia (usually pride, or hubris) which leads to a catastrophe. 

Prologue

Spoken by one or two characters before the chorus appears. The prologue usually gives the background information needed to understand the events of the play.

Parados

the song sung by the chorus as it makes its entrance

Episodes/Scenes

the main action of the play

Odes

songs (and often dances) that reflect on the events of the episodes, and weave the plot into a cohesive whole

Parts of the Chorus

• Choragos: the leader of the chorus who often interacts with the characters in the scenes.

• Chorus: the 15 singers/dancers who remark on the action

• strophe: the movement of the chorus from right to left across the stage

• antistrophe: the reaction to the strophe - moves across the stage from left to right.

Paean

a prayer of thanksgiving to Dionysos in whose honor the Greek plays were performed

Exodos

sung by the chorus as it makes its final exit, which usually offers words of wisdom related to the actions and outcome of the play

Multiple Choice

What is the name of the section that gives prayers and thanks to the God Dionysus?

• Odes

• Paens

• Exodus

• Parados

Multiple Choice

What is the purpose of the Prologue?

• To sum up the play so the audience understands the message.

• To allow the author to come and speak to the audience directly.

• To give the audience background knowledge needed to understand the play.

• To give thanks to Dionysus

Multiple Choice

Which one means the movement from right stage to left stage?

• strophe

• antistrophe

Major Greek Playwrights

Aeschylus - 524 B.C.

Sophocles - 496 B.C.

Euripides - 480 B.C.

Sophocles

• Famous for Oedipus and Antigone

• won 24 play contests

• never lower than 2nd

• believed to have introduced the 3rd actor

• fixed the chorus at 15 (had been 50)

Sophocles' Plays

• emphasis on individual characters

• complex characters, psychologically well-motivated

• characters subjected to crisis leading to suffering and self-recognition - including a higher law above man

• scenes suspenseful and climactic

• theme emphasized: the choices of people

Quick Review of Oedipus

Oedipus was the son of Laius [ley-uhs] and Jocasta [joh-kas-tuh], king and queen of Thebes. After having been married some time without children, his parents consulted the Oracle of Apollo at Delphi about their childlessness. The Oracle prophesied that if Jocasta should have a son, the son would kill her husband Laius and marry her.

Quick Review of Oedipus

In an attempt to prevent this prophecy's fulfillment, when Jocasta indeed bore a son, Laius had his ankles pinned together so that he could not crawl and gave the boy to a servant to abandon on the nearby mountain.

Quick Review of Oedipus

However, rather than leave the child to die of exposure, as Laius intended, the sympathetic servant passed the baby onto a shepherd from Corinth and then to another shepherd. Oedipus the infant eventually comes to the house of Polybus, king of Corinth, and his queen, Merope, who adopt him as they are without children of their own.

Quick Review of Oedipus

Many years later, Oedipus is told by a drunk that Polybus is not his real father but when he asks his parents, they deny it.

Oedipus seeks counsel from the same Delphic Oracle. The Oracle does not tell him the identity of his true parents but instead tells him that he is destined to kill his father and marry his mother. 

Quick Review of Oedipus

In his attempt to avoid the fate predicted by the Oracle, he decides to not return home to Corinth. Since it is near to Delphi, Oedipus decides to go to Thebes.

Quick Review of Oedipus

As Oedipus travels he comes to the place where three roads meet, Davila. Here he encounters a chariot, driven by his (unrecognized) birth-father, King Laius.

They fight over who has the right to go first and Oedipus kills Laius in self-defense, unwittingly fulfilling part of the prophecy.

Quick Review of Oedipus

Continuing his journey to Thebes, Oedipus encounters a Sphinx which would stop all those who traveled to Thebes and ask them a riddle. If the travelers were unable to answer correctly, they were killed and eaten by the sphinx; if they were successful, they would be able to continue their journey.

Quick Review of Oedipus

Oedipus was the first to answer the riddle correctly. Having heard Oedipus' answer, the Sphinx is astounded and inexplicably kills itself by throwing itself into the sea, freeing Thebes.

Quick Review of Oedipus

Grateful, the people of Thebes appoint Oedipus as their king and give him the recently widowed Queen Jocasta's hand in marriage.

The marriage of Oedipus and Jocasta fulfilled the rest of the prophecy. Oedipus and Jocasta have four children: two sons, Eteocles and Polyneices, and two daughters, Antigone and Ismene.

Quick Review of Oedipus

Many years after the marriage of Oedipus and Jocasta, a plague of infertility strikes the city of Thebes; crops no longer grow to harvest and women do not bear children.

Oedipus, in his hubris, asserts that he will end the pestilence. He sends Creon, Jocasta's brother, to the Oracle at Delphi, seeking guidance.

Quick Review of Oedipus

When Creon returns, Oedipus hears that the murderer of the former King Laius must be found and either be killed or exiled.

In a search for the identity of the killer, Oedipus follows Creon's suggestion and sends for the blind prophet, Tiresias, who warns him not to try to find the killer.

Quick Review of Oedipus

In a heated exchange, Tiresias is provoked into exposing Oedipus himself as the killer, and the fact that Oedipus is living in shame because he does not know who his true parents are.

Quick Review of Oedipus

When a messenger arrives from Corinth with the news that King Polybus has died, Oedipus is relieved concerning the prophecy, for it could no longer be fulfilled if Polybus, whom he thinks is his father, is now dead.

Quick Review of Oedipus

Nonetheless, he is wary while his mother lives and does not wish to go. To ease the stress of the matter, the messenger then reveals that Oedipus was, in fact, adopted. Jocasta finally realizes Oedipus' true identity and begs him to abandon his search for Laius's murderer.

Quick Review of Oedipus

Oedipus misunderstands the motivation of her pleas, thinking that she was ashamed of him because he might have been the son of a slave. Jocasta then goes into the palace where she hangs herself.

Quick Review of Oedipus

Oedipus seeks verification of the messenger's story from the very same herdsman who was supposed to have left Oedipus to die as a baby.

From the herdsman, Oedipus learns that the infant raised as the adopted son of Polybus and Merope was the son of Laius and Jocasta.

Quick Review of Oedipus

Thus, Oedipus finally realizes in great agony that so many years ago, at the place where three roads meet, he had killed his own father, King Laius, and as a consequence, married his mother, Jocasta.

Quick Review of Oedipus

Oedipus goes in search of Jocasta and finds she has killed herself. Using the pin from a brooch he takes off Jocasta's gown, Oedipus gouges his eyes out.

Oedipus asks Creon to look after his daughters, for his sons are old and mature enough to look after themselves and to be allowed to hold them one last time before he is exiled.

Quick Review of Oedipus

His daughter Antigone acts as his guide as he wanders blindly through the country, ultimately dying at Colonus after being placed under the protection of Athens by King Theseus.

Quick Review of Oedipus

His two sons, Eteocles and Polyneices, arrange to share the kingdom, each taking an alternating one-year reign.

However, Eteocles refuses to cede his throne after his year as king. 

Polyneices brings in an army to oust Eteocles from his position, and a battle ensues.

Now to Antigone

In the battle for the throne of Thebes, Antigone's brother Eteocles has died defending the city, while her brother Polyneices has died attacking it. Creon, the king of Thebes, has sworn that although Eteocles has been given a soldier's funeral, Polyneices' body will remain unburied.

Multiple Choice

Most of Oedipus relies on prophecies. Where did most of the prophecies derive from?

• The Oracle of Athena

• Oedipus

• Tiresias

• The Oracle of Delphi

Multiple Choice

How many children did Oedipus and Jocasta have?

• 1 son, 1 daughter

• 2 sons, 2 daughters.

• 1 son, 2 daughters

• 2 sons, 1 daughter

Multiple Choice

Why did Oedipus flee from his adopted parents?

• He discovered his true origins and went to discover his real parents.

• He discovered they were not his real parents and left to avoid a plague.

• He didn't know he was adopted and he heard the prophecy that he would kill his father and marry his mother and he tried to avoid fate.

Multiple Choice

What creature did Oedipus defeat to free Thebes and become its ruler?

• The Cyclops

• The Sphinx

• Medusa

• Cerebus

Multiple Choice

Why did Oedipus kill Laius?

• Laius attacked his caravan for money.

• Laius murdered one of Oedipus' servants.

• Road Rage

• As revenge for the death of his father.

Multiple Choice

What is the name of the Blind Prophet asked to aid Oedipus in his search for the identity of the killer of the previous king?

• Tiresias

• Creon

• Laius

• Antigone

Multiple Choice

What does Oedipus do when he discovers the truth?

• He stabs himself with a knife beside his wife.

• He hangs himself.

• He cuts his eyes out with a pin.

• He takes poison.

Multiple Choice

Who is named as Oedipus' succesor?

• Eteocles

• Polyneices

• Polyneices and Eteocles together

• Polyneices and Eteocles every other year

Multiple Choice

Who dies at the end of the war between Polyneices and Eteocles?

• Eteocles

• Polyneices

• Both