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Staging of a Greek Tragedy

  • Props were used depending on what character you played
  • Masks were used made out of many materials and sometimes even human hair
  • In earlier plays animal skins were sometimes used for props
  • Most props used were very simple (a crown for a king, spears for military, etc.)
  • A "props-maker" (skeuopoios- made the props)

Costumes

Structure

Music and Dance

  • Prologue- it's usually two scenes and sometimes three, speaker normally addresses audience, this follows the entry of the chorus, sometimes a monologue
  • Parados- entry of the chorus and the song they sing, traditionally entered on an empty stage
  • Episode- scene(s) between parados and the first stasimon, the length of episodes vary, sometimes divided by four chorale interludes, can contain dialogue
  • Stasimon- an extended song of the chorus after the parados, gets shorter as play proceeds
  • Exodos- scene(s) following final stasimon, this is when the crane was used for the gods appearance
  • Epiparodos- sometimes the chorus goes off in the middle of the tragedy and then re-enters, sometimes a song accompanies it

Special Props

  • Had long sleeves and went down to the knee or ankle
  • Elaborately patterned (embroidered using a loom)
  • Earlier fabrics seemed associated with 'Barbarian' characters
  • At the end of the century characters wore patterned fabric and 'Barbarian' characters wore headdresses
  • Wore masks during performances
  • All chorale parts were sung along with a flute
  • The chorus sang and danced
  • Choros- dance in a ring
  • Don't know exactly what sort of steps were in the dances
  • Chorale songs divided into three sections: 1)Strophe- turning, circling 2)Antistrophe- counter-turning, counter-circling 3)Epode- the after song

Chorale

  • Ekkyklema (wheel out)- large wheeled platforms could be rolled out to display scenes that had taken place beyond the view of the audience
  • Mechane/Krane (Machine)- a crane-like device that was used to lift actors to make it appear like they were flying/ enter dramatically. This was used commonly to portray gods.
  • Entered into a stately march singing or in small groups
  • Passages sung and danced in unison
  • Dialogue exchanged with main characters may have been sung
  • Different music associated with different types of plays

Special Props

Krane/ Ekkyklema

Ekkyklema

Color of Fabric

Footwear

  • Dark clothing- mourning
  • Yellow- feminine
  • Costumes were intricate and important to the success of the tragedy

Greek costumes

  • Flat soled boots
  • Tragic costumes included different types of footwear depending on character
  • Later on heeled boots worn and were a symbol for tragedy
  • Cotharnus- high boot or soft shoe with thick sole
  • the only evidence we have for how Greek costumes looked like come from pictures on vases that have been found.
  • Today no masks survive because they lacked durability.

Three Unities and Playwrights

Three Greek Playwrights

Aeschylus- his are the oldest surviving plays. He began competing with plays in 449 B.C at Dionysus Theatre (one of the major theatres of the time in honor of Dionysus). -characters have limited traits, clear and distinct -emphasized forces that were beyond human control -power of state eventually replacing personal revenge. -chain of guilt and punishment(all reconciled at the end)

  • Three unities: unity of time, unity of place, and unity of action
  • unity of time- many plays were confined to a short period of time.
  • Unity of Place- plays do no cut about (There is no "Meanwhile in Athens.."
  • Unity of Action- Plots are focused and to the point; there should only be one storyline.
  • These played a key role in the structure of the plays

Sophocles

Greek Theaters Today

Conventions of Greek Tragedy

  • won 24 contests, never received lower than 2nd place at others
  • fixed the chorus at 15 people
  • -emphasis on individual characters -reduced role of chorus -more complex characters -exposition motivated -scenes climactic -poetry clear and lovely -action clear and made sense - few very elaborate visual effects - the theme of the play was emphasized

How a Greek Tragedy Was Staged

Euripides

  • very popular, known as "The father of melodrama"
  • -dealt with characters usually considered unfit to the stage which questioned values -dramatic method often unclear: not always clearly related episodes, with many reversals -less poetic language, more realistic characterizations and dialogue

Aristotle and the Three Unities

History Of The Greek Theater

Terms to Know

  • analyzed plays and classified kinds of drama, and laid down overall rules for the construction of a tragedy.
  • complained that the people of his time ruined plays by rhetorical display, the actor was more important than the play, and that the poets messed with the plot to give a favorite actor an opportunity to display his talent. He said the writers lacked the power of portraying character, drama was in need of new topics, and original ideas.

Any Questions?

  • "reversal" (peripeteia): occurs when a situation seems like it s developing in direction, the suddenly turns to another
  • "recognition"(anagnorisis or "knowing again"): a change from ignorance to consciousness of a bond of hate or love.
  • "suffering" (pathos):the third element of plot is a destructive or painful act.
  • Performed in late March/early April at annual state religious festivals in honor of Dionysus
  • These plays took the form of contests between three Greek Playwrights
  • all actors were male-may have impersonated satyrs (half men-half goat) by wearing masks and dancing in goat skins
  • The word tragedy comes from the Greek word tragoedia meaning "goat song"
  • Eventually, the singing of a choral lyric broadened to any heroic story, an actor was introduced to answer questions that were posed by the choral group
  • The Greek word for actor is hypokrites, meaning answerer.
  • Very large open aired structures

Often on side of a hill

  • Orchestra- the dancing place and the primary performance area (Full circle)
  • Theatron- the seeing place (rows of benches that were usually wooden and later on built of stone)
  • Skene- the stage building (it means tent) originally a wooden building where actors changed out of costumes
  • Parodos- exits and entrances (long ramps)

Seating in Greek Theater

Location

There was preferential seating given to the priest and other important people

Front row center- High priest of Dionysus Eleuthereos

Special block of seats reserved for the council of assembly (Boule)

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