History of Greek Drama
What city is considered the origins of drama?
Athens!
What was considered a citizen's public duty?
Participating in Greek drama by performing in the chorus.
What was the purpose of Greek masks?
1) Identified a character’s mood, age, and social traits.
2) Served as megaphone
3) Take on a specific character
4) Change roles
What was the purpose of a Greek Comedy?
Greek comedy often mocked people in power. (Their vanity & foolish behavior.)
How many Gods did the greeks worship?
12 gods!
What is the Dionysia?
This annual festival honored Dionysus (the god of wine and procreation) and featured music, song, and dance.
Who was not allowed to participate in Greek dramas?
Women were not allowed to act because Greek society was dominated by men.
Where was the orchestra located?
This part of the theatre was the ground-level area where the chorus performed.
When were satyr plays performed?
These short plays were performed between acts of tragedies. They made fun of the characters in a tragedy featured half-goat figures.
The Greeks believed that the gods lived where?
Mount Olympus
What is the chorus?
Early Greek plays used a group of actors, supporting the main actors, speaking and moving in unison to help tell the story.
How did ancient Greek actors dress in order to be seen on stage?
Long flowing robes with lots of padding and platformed shoes.
Where was the skene located?
Actors exited to change costumes and masks in this building behind the orchestra.
What are 3 themes commonly dealt with in tragedies?
Possible themes include: love, loss, pride, abuse of power, and relationships between men & gods.
What river was knows as the river of the damned?
The River Styx - Unburied souls without a proper funeral were believed to wander forever near this river.
Why is Thespis an important figure in theater?
This man is traditionally credited as the world’s first actor. He jumped onto the back of a wooden cart and started reciting poetry in character.
Why did the actors/actress broad or exaggerated gestures?
Because of limited movement, actors relied on this type of gesture to show emotion.
Where is the parados?
This passageway allowed the chorus to enter the orchestra.
What are the 5 essential sections of a tragedy?
What were two of the steps in the complicated ritual women performed allowing the dead into the underworld (Hades)?
1) Preparing body for cremation
2) Collecting bones & ashes
3) Burying the urn
4) Providing tomb with liquid offerings
5) Lead the morning
Other than to entertain, what is the deeper reason the Greeks perform drama?
Greek drama was used as a way to investigate this idea about human life.
Skilled speakers trained in the art of public speaking could be promoted to this role. They were highly regarded in society did not have to participate in the military.
Where is the purpose of the theatron and what was its shape?
This seating area was built into a hillside in a horseshoe shape.
What typically happens to the protagonist of a tragedy?
In a tragedy, the protagonist commits some terrible crime against the goes without realizing how foolish and arrogant he has been. As he slowly realizes his error, the world crumbles around him.
Why was playing a role in the burial process important for women?
Mourning the dead was one of the few public roles allowed for women in Greek society. (They took it very seriously.)