A Brief History of Drama

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A Brief History of Drama

• Styles, Stages, and More

Greek Structure and Tragedy
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How does drama differ from fiction and poetry?

• Absence of narrator/mediator (usually) we have
  to construct meaning directly.
• Stagecraft lighting other elements to create
  setting/mood on stage.
• Collaborative effort director actors must
  interpret the playwrights words.
• Every production of a play is different.
• Theatre is a group experience actors affected by
  audience response audience members affect each
  other.

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Brief History of Drama

• Greeks, beginning around 500 B.C. Aeschylus,
  Sophocles, Euripides tragedy Aristophanes,
  Menander comedy.
• Romans a couple of centuries later Terence,
  Plautus comedies. Seneca tragedy.
• Long dry spell a few in medieval times, passion
  plays
• Renaissance Shakespeare et al. Restoration
  plays. Spanish, French golden ages.
• British greatness, beginning with G. B. Shaw
  (1890) and continuing into 20th century.
• American drama begins in 1787 with Tylers The
  Contrast. Becomes great with ONeill (1915) and
  continues to present day.

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Aristotle Elements of Drama

• Plot action of dramawhat happens
• Character revealed in time motivation
• Thought
• Theme
• Issues addressed
• Statement on society
• Diction dialogue soliloquy
• Music song
• Spectacle
• Extravagant
• Grotesque
• Minimalist

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Theatre in the Round

• Arena Style theatre in Amphitheatre.
• All seats get to view.
• Actors wear masks, project, overact.
• Plays performed in daylight.
• Men play all roles.

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Structure of Greek Drama
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Prologue

• Greek drama begins with the Prologue.
• The Prologues purpose is to give background
  information to situate the conflict.
• Often, the Chorus a group of actors who comment
  on the action in the play and provide exposition
  give the Prologue.

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Parados first ode

• Choral song chanted by the Chorus as they enter
  the area in front of the stage.
• Parados literally means passage.

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The Odes follows each scene

• Serves to separate one scene from another (since
  there were no curtains in Greek theaters).

• Also allowed the Choruss response to the
  preceding scene.

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Parts of the Ode

• Strophe part of the ode that the chorus chants
  as it moves from right to left across the stage.

• Antistrophe part of the ode chanted as the
  chorus moves back across the stage from left to
  right.

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First Scene

• Following the Parados, the first scene presents
  the conflict of the play.

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Paean (follows scene 5)

• A hymn in praise of a god.

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Exodos

• Final scene of the play.

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Dramatic Structure

• Compression and Contrast tightening the action
  to get the most bang from the buck.
• Starting close to the action.
• Cutting out scenes that dont move the story
  along.
• Symbols that clue readers/viewers into meaning.
• A foil a dramatic contrast for the hero.

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Greek Tragedy
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A General Definition of Tragedy

• Aristotle tragedy evokes fear and pity in
  audience, causing catharsis.
• The Tragic Spirit is
• More or less pessimistic suffering is required.
• Essentially humanistic, centered on the interest
  and claims of humans, the emotional reaction to
  the events not the horror seen on stage.
• not cynical.
• an affirmation of positive values great
  tragedies do not end in sheer terror, horror, or
  despair even if they end unhappily.

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Purpose of Tragedy

• Tragedy enriches our experience by
• Deepening
• Widening,
• Refining our consciousness of the possibilities
  of life.
• Tragedy examines the problem of human fate
• Relations to his total environment,
• Position in the universe,
• The ultimate meaning of his life.
• Greek tragedy promoted life by promoting wisdom.
• The old stories were told to be more
  philosophical than historical.

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Characteristics of the Greek Tragic Hero. The
Character

• Is not all good or bad
• Is of the noble class or highly renowned and
  prosperous
• Has a tragic flaw
• Recognizes his error and accepts the consequences
• Arouses the audiences pity and fear
• Is from a well-known myth

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Oedipus

• Delphic Oracle The Prophecy and Apollo
• Corinth
• The Riddle of the Sphinx
• Self-punishment
• Children
• Eteocles
• Polyneices
• Ismene
• Antigone