Elements of Greek Theater 2

Elements of Greek Theater
- Greek Drama:
o Has roots in the Athenian festivals honoring Dionysus (god of wine; god of
fertility); festivals usually filled with drunkenness and sexuality
These festivals were performed during the first week of seasonal changes
The core element of these festivals was revelry- drunken men dressed in
rough goatskins and sang in choruses to imitate the capering of goats, as
well as to honor Dionysus; the word tragedy literally means goat song
from the Greek tragos and ode.
Along with revelry was a serious and sacred side of the festivals; the men
also sang about the sorrow that comes with winter, the pruning of the
grapevine, and death; they also sang of spring, new growth, and rebirth
the cycles of seasons and life.
The songs of the festivals were choral hymns:
Chants, songs, paeans, poems
Referred to as DITHYRAMBS
Began informally, but became traditional
A choral leader evolved- he recited lines alone and waited for an
answer from the chorus- this was first theatrical dialogue. An
actor who was separate from the chorus and leader of the chorus
was later added.
o The first tragedies:

c. 534 B. C.- Thespsis, an Athenian from the borough of Icaria, traveled
from village to village and organized local celebrations throughout
Attica. He is usually credited with the introduction of the first actor, but
some scholars believe Phrynichus, his successor, deserves the credit.
The actor conversed with the chorus leader and the chorus itself; he
could take on several roles at different times during the intervals of the
chorus singing.
These early tragedies focused on human matters, not just on hymns to
Dionysus.
The Golden Age of Greece included tragedies written by Aeschylus,
Euripides, and Sophocles, that reached a great height of literary artistry.
o The evolved tragedies:

5th century B.C.- the technique of the tragedy was improved with the
addition of more actors and a greater complexity of plot and theme.
People congregated in amphitheaters to see dramas, which were
specifically written to be performed; the drunken spontaneity of before
was relegated to SATYR plays- comic relief from larger tragedies.
The audience could expect the tragedies to focus on vengeance, severe
punishment, exile, death, and early Greek myths.
o City Dionysia:
Most prestigious of the drama festivals held in Athens
Held over a six-day period
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Throngs of visitors, dignitaries, and rural citizens came to see the
spectacle, which represented a major aspect of religious worship.
There were two processions from Dionysus temple and back again, and
public sacrifices were performed at his altar.
A few days before the performance in a spot near the theater, the
playwright offered a PROAGON, a preview of coming attractions to
build enthusiasm.
On three successive mornings, dramatists who had been chosen by the
archon (mayor), each presented a TETRALOGY, consisting of three
tragedies and a satyr play.
The play began at sunrise and ended at noon; audiences were serious
about viewing the performance and often ran in fear from the more
intense characters, as well as weighed the judgments and decisions of
others.
The state paid each actor from public funds. The CHOREGOS, or
patron, usually a wealthy Athenian, considered it an honor to help pay
for production costs.
The actors provided their own costumes and masks, which had been
passed down for generations in their family, and were repainted for each
performance.
At the end of the performance, ten judges determined the winners and
awarded prizes.
- The Greek Theater:

o THEATRON- seeing place- area in which the audience sat.
Shaped like a horseshoe and had rows of stone bleachers rising upward
and backward in tiers; first row were seats in honor of city officials, the
choragus, and the priest of Dionysus; behind them sat male citizens and a
special section of EPHEBI, eighteen-year-old boys enrolled in military
training; women were seated behind them and then slaves.
ORCHESTRA- the circular area at ground level where the chorus
danced; originally dirt, but later paved with stone
THYMELE- in the center of the orchestra; an altar to Dionysus on
which sacrifices were made and which served as a stage prop
PARADOS- entrance passage for the chorus on the left or right of the
orchestra; the flute player and occasional harpist generally sat in the
corner of the orchestra
SKENE- a wooden structure, or scene building, located on the side of
the orchestra, which formed the open end of the theatron; usually
resembled a palace or temple, but served as a dressing room for the
actors
PROSCENIUM- level area in front of the skene on which most of the
plays action took place, although at times the actors might move to the
orchestra or even the roof of the skene; may have been raised one step
higher than the orchestra
Technical equipment:
Devices for imitating lightning and the sound of thunder
Brass noisemakers
PINAKES, painted scenery
PERIAKTOI, three-sided prisms set in holes on the stage floor
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ECCYCLEMA, a wheeled platform which was rolled out of the
skene to reveal a tableau of action that had taken place indoors
MECHANE, the machine- consisting of pulleys and ropes
that could be mounted on the roof of the skene and used to bring
about the miraculous appearance of gods; the term, deus ex
machina, or god from the machine, refers to the intervention of
a supernatural being to resolve a dramatic dilemma.
o Costumes:
In early dramas, costumes were long, flowing robes and hightopped
leggings
The use of masks, wigs and makeup (earlier, they had smeared their
faces with wine dregs)
Eventually, tragic actors wore ornate costumes with long sleeves and an
eye-catching belt worn above the waist to increase the illusion of height
or stature
Color symbolization:
Green- mourning
Red- procurers
White boarded with purple- royalty
Travelers indicated their role by wearing hats

Excessive ornamentation- mantles, tunics, sashes, heavy jewelry
The tragic hero was set apart from the rest of the actors by gloves, body
padding, COTHURNUS boots (high-heeled buskins), which added
height and significance to the figure.
Masks served two purposes: their exaggerated expressions amplified the
emotions which the character portrayed and on the inside of the mask,
the small megaphone amplified the actors words
Masks were made of cork or wood, fit over the actors whole head, and
were painted with linen or leather; the heros mask was extended by a
dome on top, or ONKOS; only three actors appeared on stage at a time,
so multiple masks made the doubling of roles possible.
o Actors:
All members of the cast were male
Actors were called HYPOCRITES; the chorus members were called
CHOREUTI
Actors, like athletes, had to be able to endure long performances in
cumbersome masks and costuming, as well as be able to sing
The role of the PROTAGANIST was assigned to a tenor; the
DEUTERAGONIST, or second in importance, to a baritone; the
TRITAGONIST, or least important, to a bass.
Participants took on a god-like status because they often acted as deities.
Actors joined an actors guild, called the artists of Dionysus, and were
exempt from military service on the basis of the importance in the
worship of Dionysus.
Stars of the Greek stage were idolized and often demanded outrageous
salaries.
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o Chorus:
The key to understanding the meaning and purpose of the theater; the
nucleus from which the tragedy evolved; acted as ideal spectator, the
conservative spokesperson of the community wherein it clarifies the
experiences and feelings of the characters in everyday terms and
expresses the conventional attitude toward development of the story
Can also serve as a central figure in the tragedy
Tragedians used the chorus to create a psychological and emotional
background to the action through its odes
It introduced and questioned new characters, chastised and admonished
wayward characters, sympathized with victims, explained events as they
occurred, established facts and affirmed the outlook of society, covered
the passage of time and events, and separated EPISODES.
o Structure of the Tragedy:

Prologue: opening scene; here, the background of the story is
established, usually by a single actor or in a dialogue between two actors
Parados: the entrance of the chorus, usually barefoot and chanting a lyric
which bears some relation to the main theme of the play.
Episode: the counterpart of the modern act or scene, in which the plot is
developed through action and dialogue between the actors, which the
chorus sometimes playing a minor role.
Stasimon- the choral ode. A stasimon comes at the end of each episode
so that the tragedy is a measured alternation between these two elements.
Exodos: the final action after the last stasimon, ended by the ceremonial
exit of all the players.
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Elements of Greek Theater

o The first tragedies:

o The evolved tragedies:

- The Greek Theater:

Travelers indicated their role by wearing hats

o Structure of the Tragedy:

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