greek theatre
Startling discovery; a moment of epiphany; time of revelation when a character discovers his true identity. Anagnorisis occurs in Oedipus Rex when Oedipus realizes who he is.
Anagnorisis
Chief opponent of the protagonist in a Greek play.
Antagonist
The choral movement in classical Greek drama in the opposite direction from that of the strophe. (movement from left to right on the stage)
Antistrophe
Conversation between characters in a play.
Dialogue
Failure of a character to see or understand what is obvious to the audience. Oedipus, for example, was unaware early on of what the audience knew: that he was married to his own mother, Jocasta.
Dramatic irony
Scene or section of a play with dialogue. An episode may be compared with acts or scenes in a Shakespeare play. Episodes come between the odes sung by the chorus.
Episode
Final scene of a play after the last stasimon.
Exodus
imitation or reproduction of the supposed words of another, as in order to represent his or her character.
Mimesis
Poem sung in a play or a festival
Ode
imitation or reproduction of the supposed words of another, as in order to represent his or her character.
Mimesis
In a tragedy, sudden reversal of fortune from good to bad.
Peripeteia
Introduction of a play that provides background material.
Prologue
The choral movement in classical Greek drama in the oppostite direction from that of the antistrophe. (movement from right to left on the stage)
Strophe
Four plays (three tragedies and one satyr play) staged by a playwright during the drama competition each spring in honor of Dionysus.
Tetralogy
q Building behind the stage. First used as a dressing area for actors (and sometimes an entrance or exit area for actors), the skene eventually became a backg
Skene
Extensions or annexes on the sides of the skene.
Paraskenia:
Acting area, or stage, in front of the skene.
Proscenium
q Ground-level area where the chorus performed. It was in front of the proscenium.
Orchestra:
q Passage on the left or right through which the chorus entered the orchestra.
Parados
q Altar in the center of the orchestra used to make sacrifices to Dionysus.
Thymele
q Tiered seating area built into a hillside in the shape of a horseshoe.
Theatron
Armlike device on the skene that could lower a "god" onto the stage from the heavens.
Machine
Group of three plays on a related subject or theme.
Trilogy
King of the Olympian gods.
Zeus
is a song sung by the chorus when it enters. A stasimon is a song sung during the play, between episodes of action.
Parados