V Born in Athens 6th Century B.C.

V Was always poetic.

V Poetic means had a specific rhythm.
V Rhythmically complex divided into spoken and sung
parts
V Spoken -> actors
V Sung -> chorus (very important: no play without
chorus) ( were normal Athenian citizen)
V ˜ragedy
V Comedy
V Satiric drama

Important FAC˜:
V It was NO˜ possible for a writer to write a tragedy and
a comedy at the same time!!!!!
V ˜he writers were directors and stage managers at the
same time (at the early ages of theater actors as well)
V A piece with serious content
V ˜hemes obtained from Myths (characters act in a
mythical world)
BU˜: ˜hey have concerns and thoughts that are linked to
the reality which they in some way criticize.
V ˜he characters often stand against an ethical dilemma,
have to choose a specific way and are often Dzcrusheddz at
the end.
V Worship of Dionysus ( people had to overcome themselves, try to
pretend being Dionysus and as a result feel his divine power).
(they did that wearing improvised masks and clothing)
V ˜he rituals included a part called Dithiramvos. People dancing
around while singing stories of Dionysusǯs life. (there was one
person who sung first (improvising) and everyone else repeated
after him)
V Arion : Important changes: People had a specific dress code and
sung specific lyrics (no longer improvised)
V ˜hespis: ˜hespis took one person from the singing mass and
assigned him to start a dialogue with the others by following a
specific script and the mass of people that was now called chorus
answered.
V Aishilos added later another actor and Sofocles another one.
V 4
 ɔɚ
  ɑ ɑɋ 
ɕ 
ɕɔɚ 
ɏ
 
,
ɑɡ ɔ
ɔɧ 
, ɋɚ ɑɡɔ , 
ɏ

 

ɔ
ɑɔ ɔ
, 
 ɏ ɔɚ ǯ ɕ  
, ǯ ɡɔɚ ɏ
ɛɔɚ ɕ  ɔɚ 
ɋ
ɔ
ɔɔɧ
 ɕɋɑ
 ɏ .
V Characteristics: 1) imitation 2) perfect human 3) has one
specific topic 4) script has specific structure and length 5)
It is played it is not supposed to be read 6)eleos and fovos:
the writer of the tragedy has to create a script which cause
the fear and sympathy of the audience. 7) ˜hat is caused
mainly by the problems and suffer of the characters. 8) ˜he
writer has the duty to relief the audience at the end
(katharsis).
V Spoken-epic part:
prologue, epeisodeia
(scenes) , exodus.
V Lyrical part: parodos (part
that the chorus sings while
entering the stage), stasima
( parts sung between the
scenes)
V Some times the characters
sing as well either alone or
with the chorus.
V ˜ragic hero: A Ú
  is the
main character in a tragedy. (it has to
be mentioned that the tragic hero, as
a human being is able to make his
own decisions etc. it is up to him what
he is going to do.)
V But he has to face his faith, the gods
and generally owers that are stronger
than him. (but also himself and his
ethics ).
V First Atis (blindness of soul and body
-> his destruction), he causes hybris
that causes the nemesis (the anger of
the gods) and tisis (the punishment).
V But a tragic hero is not only crushed
because of his actions. Some tragic
heroes are crushed because of their
ancestorsǯ actions.
V Peripeteia: conversion of the situation
(from happiness to sadness etc.)
R
  
Satyric: Chorus constitutes of satyrs. ˜he satyrs
undertake difficult challenges but they never
succeed . ˜he topics are taken from the mythology
but they highlight its waggish side. From this aspect
the satyric drama is closer to the tragedy but
generally the whole mood that it emits is closer to
the comedy with the biggest difference that comedy
has more political topics.
  

Comedy : Comos + odi (the song of the comos )

Comos: fellowship of drunk men that sing and have

fun.

Divided into ancient, middle age and new comedy

Ancient most important: Aristophanes! Criticized

current matters in Athens ( political etc.). ˜he heroes
of his play that manage to overcome the depressive
reality are normal Athenian citizens.

Characteristics : 1 loose connection between scenes 2

chorus plays vital role 3 masks and costumes very
important 4 use of swear words 5 sometimes the actor
spoke to the audience.



Most important: theatre of
Dionysus in Athens under the
Acropolis.

Orchestra: chorus Kolion:

Audience Stage: Actors ( triple
function)

˜wo parodoi led to the orchestra.

On the stage the audience could

see three doors ( tragedy- palace,
comedy- house) was mostly
wooden.
V NO independent performances.
Plays only at contests.
V 2 major contests: Megala
Dionysia, Lynaia. ( they had also
religious, cultural and to some
extend political importance)
V Megala Dionysia : (at the end of
March) 3 tragedy writers (with 4
plays (3 tragedies and one satyric
drama each)) and 5 comedy
writers with one play each took
part. First day- comedy. Last 3
and most important days
tragedy
V Lynaia: 3 tragedy writers with 2
plays each and 5 com. with one.
V Arxon: before the performances the
arxon had to allow the writers to carry
out their play ( they did that by providing
them chorus or not ) ( remember no play
without chorus)
V Xorigos: was the rich Athenian that
provided money for the performance. He
had the privilege to choose the chorus
and his name was mentioned at the end
of the performance.
V Critics: 10 people who decided, which
writer would be the winner of a contest.
˜hey were chosen in 2 stages. First some
were chosen from the people of every
tribe ( 10 Athenian tribes) and then one
of them was chosen by change to be a
critic. ˜he critics were influenced to a
great extend by the reactions of the
audience.
V Actors: 1) only men 2) played either tragedy or comedy
not both 3) they played more than one character in a
performance 4) Apart from actors there were also
characters that did not speak 5) they had to have a great
voice 6) the price of the best actor was given only to one
of the main characters. 7) after a while they become more
important than the writers.
V Chorus: 12 at the beginning then 15 people. For comedy
24
V Aulitis: 1) played the double lumen during the lyrical
parts of the play 2) went into the orchestra with the
chorus and was festively dressed 3) didnǯt wear a mask 4)
had a special rim to regulate the sound 5) lumen is the
connection to the God Dionysos.
V Actors wore masks
V Dif. Masks for tragedy and for
comedy
V ˜ragedy: at the beginning the mask
simple with calm characteristics.
Gradually the mouth become bigger
and the general characteristics
stronger (Dzfrozen horrordz)
V Comedy: the opposite masks
become more and more natural.
V Masks came from religion but the
served theatrical purposes and thatǯs
why they were used in plays. (e.g.
Man had to play women) But the
most important thing: ˜he masks
were designed in such a way that
they represented not a specific
person but an idealistic human
being.
V ˜ragedy: 1) long coat with sleeves that reached the
ankle. ˜he sleeves highlighted the movement of the
arms and the length of the coat added a sense of
majesty to the character.
V Comedy: 1)Skinny rigid cloth. 2)At the area of the belly
and rear they stuffed fillings. 3)women long coat 4)
men short ( had the appropriate length so that the
fallos could be seen, which was mandatory)