Greek Theatre

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Greek Theatre

• Hollywoods Beginnings

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A Little Background
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Dionysus (Bacchus)god of wine/pleasure/lunacy?

• Festival source of Greek Tragedy
• Began as cult-like worship (Bacchae) Maenads
• Grape harvests grow into formal production
  (Athens)
• Competitions for top prizes first Oscars?
  Choregic?
• Tragedy- goat-song
• Greek Athenian

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The Plays

• Chorus the source of all vocalization
  (repetition/back and forth) until
• Thespis the role of actor
• Aeschylus incorporates two
• The dramatist is the costume designer/choreographe
  r/actor/musician
• The satyr play satire in the making

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5 Functions of the Chorus

• 1) set the mood
• 2) represent the common people
• 3) playing favorites
• 4) warn a character
• 5) creating a contrast to hero by expressing
  itself in common language

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Greek Tragedy(Characteristics)

• Much dramatic irony Why?

• Emphasis on 1) dignity of man 2) meeting fate
  with courage 3) ability to follow conscience
  w/integrity 4) wisdom through suffering
• Witness of fall of flawed character intermixed
  with nobility of human spirit leaves feeling of
  relief (catharsis)

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The Tragic Hero

• Oedipus
• at Colonus
• Any modern
• tragic heroes?
• More like anti-
• heroes!

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Characteristics

• Hero believes in own freedom to make choices
• Has supreme pride- seems arrogant but gives him
  unique power and dignity (HUBRIS)
• Has large capacity for suffering because of faith
  in his actions and conflicting feelings of
  guilt/innocence
• Has a sense of commitment
• Makes a show of protest against perilous
  situation
• Transfiguration occurs through suffering- gains
  wisdom and audience gains sense of relief
• Neither a completely good or evil character (has
  a past)
• Greek hero not necessarily noble in
  aristocratic sense

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Aristotelian Theory

• Unities one plot, one day, one place
• Harmartia Heros error or frailty/often mistaken
  for term tragic flaw
• Catharsis arousing of pity/fear in spectators
  and cleansing/uplifting that comes by
  understanding ways of gods and men
• Hubris false pride brings about the heros
  downfall