Introduction to Ancient Greek Tragedy
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Transcript of Introduction to Ancient Greek Tragedy
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Introduction to Ancient Greek
Tragedy
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1. Life in Ancient Greece
•Greece reached its peek in the 6th and 5th centuries, specifically in Athens
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Athens: The Place to Be:
• Named after the goddess Athena• Birthplace of Democracy• Center of commerce and arts
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Athens was on the cutting edge of…
• Philosophy• Art• History• Politics• Architecture
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Athens Sculptures• Realistic figures in
bronze and marble• Perfect human
form• Influence still felt
today–Our desire to look perfect has its origins in Greek sculpture
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Physical Excellence•Emphasis on physical training•No standing army, so this ensured “instant soldiers”
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Physical Excellence
•Athletic games were held in Olympia, the Olympics•Olive wreaths, a symbol of peace and a major industry
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2. Greek Tragedy• Ancient Greeks invented the
art of drama• Some plays from Ancient
Greece are still performed today
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Modern Words from Tragedy
• Orchestra• Thespian• Drama• Dialogue• Skene• Comedy• Tragedy
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Greek Tragedy
•Wealthy Athenians subsidized plays•Plays performed annually at the spring festival of Dionysus
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Greek Tragedy: Dionysus
• March/early April• Disrupted city life and could
not be contained—the ultimate block party!• Tragedy competition • Satyr (means, Risque)
competition
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Greek Tragedy: Playwrights• Aeschylus (525-456 B.C.)• Sophocles (496-406 B.C.)• Euripides (485-406 B.C.)
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Greek Tragedy: Plays
•Going to the plays was exceptionally popular•Day-long Performances•Theater was a sacrament, a form of worship
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Greek Tragedy: Plays•Plays were performed in large semi-circle, outdoor amphitheaters made of stone or wood• 15,000 to 17,000 spectators (all male)
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Amphitheaters
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OywHbxZze8o&feature=PlayList&p=E0E10A7C0B790392&index=0
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rwOR4y7JDrY&feature=PlayList&p=E0E10A7C0B790392&index=8
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TLDXzJEgIVk&feature=PlayList&p=E0E10A7C0B790392&index=11
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The Theater of Dionysus Today
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The Theater of Dionysus in Athens, Greece
Restored by the emperor Nero in 68 A.D.
(Computer recreation)
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Theater of Epidauros
(built 330 B.C., near modern day Nauplion, Greece)
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Epidauros
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Epidauros
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Greek Tragedy: Scenery and Costume
•Minimal Scenery and props• Platform shoes, and elongated togas with high waistbands•Masks stood for characters:–Grief -Happiness–Anger -Bearded King–Old Man -Young Girl
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Masks in Greek Theater
•Masks portray character types or character emotions • Fit over the head•Wig attached• Large mouth openings for speech
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Tragic and Comic Masks
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Greek Tragedy: Theatrical Machines (mechanai)
The ekkyklema (“a wheeled-out thing”) was a cart on wheels which carried a dead body onto the stage. It was sacrilegious to show a character actually dying on the stage.
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Greek Tragedy: Theatrical Machines (mechanai)
• The mechane (machine) was a crane-like machine that could lift a character up as if flying, or could carry an actor, usually in the guise of a god, to the top of the skene.
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Greek Tragedy: Chorus and Actors
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Greek Tragedy: Who could be in the Chorus?
• males• trained by a poet to sing and
dance• twelve or fifteen, depending on
when the play was written• the leader was called the
coryphaeus (“head man” or “leader”)–All men–Chanted or danced
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Greek Tragedy: Chorus
•Chorus–Provided “emotional bridge”•How? Through its five functions.
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Greek Tragedy: Chorus• Five Functions of Chorus–Set the mood–Represent common person–Takes a moral side/stand–Will warn characters–Expresses itself in common language, which is usually in contrast with hero
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Greek Tragedy: Actors
•Who could be an actor?–Males
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Greek Tragedy: Actors
–One to three actors•For most of the 5th century, no more than three were used
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Greek Tragedy: Conventions
• Play Observed Aristotle’s unities of time, place, and action–Time: Took place during a twenty-four hour period–Place: One setting–Action: No subplots
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Greek Tragedy: Conventions
• All violence took place off stage• Emotions of characters most
important elements of play
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Greek Tragedy: Tragic Hero/Protagonist
• Worthy• Mature• Imperfect• Disaster will befall him/her• Believes in his freedom to make choices• Hubris• Suffers• Transfiguration—Becomes a better
person• His/her tragedy causes a life reflection
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Greek Tragedy: Structure
•Encroachment–Bites off more than he can chew
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Greek Tragedy: Structure• Complication–Forces build up against the hero–Events become so complex that no single action can resolve them
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Greek Tragedy: Structure• Reversal–Clear to audience that hero’s expectations are mistaken–Hero might have a suspicion as to where his actions will take him. Usually, he/she
is ignorant though.
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Greek Tragedy: Structure•Catastrophe–Moment hero realizes full guilt–Hero realizes helplessness in the hands of the gods
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Greek Tragedy: Structure
• Recognition–Chorus suggests a larger order and sense of life exists beyond the hero’s downfall–Catharsis
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What is Catharsis?• Literally means “to purge” or “to purify”—to cleanse.• For a tragedy, catharsis references–The release of pent up emotions or energy (many times negative)
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Antigone
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3. Antigone
•Theme: What is the higher law: humankind’s or the gods’?
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Family Tree (Immediate)
• King Oedipus (deceased)• Queen Jocasta (deceased)–Eteocles (son)–Polynices (son)–Antigone (daughter)–Ismene (daughter)
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Family Tree (Extended)
•King Creon (Uncle: Jocasta’s brother) •Queen Eurydice (Aunt)–Haemon (Cousin and Fiance)