Development of the Drama

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Development of the Drama
Clay figurines of actors from the Golden Age of
Greek Drama5th C BC. These figures show the
actors wearing the characteristic mask or
personae.
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Drama A Thing Done
Theater A Seeing Place
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Dionysus

• Patron God of Drama.
• All plays were performed in his honor.
• The God of Fruitfulness the Vine.

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A marble relief of a maenad (a female follower of
Dionysus) and two satyrs (half-man, half-goat
creatures) in an ecstatic procession. The maenad
plays a drum, while the 1st satyr plays a flute
and the 2nd carries the staff of Dionysus (a
thyrsos).
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The Acropolis
The Acropolis was a sacred location to the people
of Athens.
Note the Parthenon, a temple to Athena at the
upper center.
Note the Theater of Dionysus and Odeon in the
lower right corner.
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Comedy Komos Revel Ode Song Comedies
were presented only during the Lenean Festivals
held during the winter when the new wine had been
pressed. The Lenos is the wine press,
traditionally ascribed to Dionysus.
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Tragedy

• The word tragedy is from tragoidia, meaning

Goat Song.
The goat was a sacred animal to Dionysus. It
was Used as both a prize for winning play
competitions and as a sacrifice to the god.
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Dionysia

• Tragedies were performed only during the summer,
  during the Festival of Dionysus, the Dionysia.

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Golden Age of Greek Drama

• In the 5th century B.C., dramatic play
  competitions were held.
• During the Dionysia, playwrights submitted a
  trilogy of tragedies and a satyr play.
• The audience would attend plays from morning till
  evening as part of their civic and religious
  obligations.
• Since all members of the city were expected to go
  to the performances, families would attend with
  their slaves, criminals were freed from prison,
  and practically all activities would cease.
• A wealthy resident would assume the cost of the
  play productions as a form of income tax.

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Major Greek Playwrights
Thespis
c. 6th century BC. Poet, Playwright, Actor. He
modified the dithyramb (the hymns sung in honor
of Dionysus) by having an actor step out of the
chorus to carry on dialogue with the remaining
choral members. Actors are called thespians in
his honor.
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Aeschylus
525-456 BC. Wrote 80 plays, only 7 extent. He
added a second actor and increased the dramatic
possibilities to the action.
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Sophocles
495-406 BC. Wrote over 100 plays, 7 extent. He
increased the number of actors to three, and set
the chorus number at 15. He is considered by many
as the finest of the ancient tragedians.
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Euripides
480-406 BC. Wrote 90 plays, 18 or 19 extent. He
was the most irreverent of the poets. He wrote on
topics very critical of Athenian culture and its
leaders.
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Greek Theater