Greek Drama
I. Origins of Drama
A. 5th c. BC
B. Festival of Dionysus
A. Outdoors
1. Athenian Acropolis
2. religious ceremony – mandatory attendance
3. 15,000 spectators
4. open air
5. masks, megaphones, seating
B. Competition
1. Compete for prizes
a. Mostly honor
b. Laurel crown
2. 1 satyr play – a farce
a. half goat/half man
b. played lute
3. 4 tragedies (begin well, end badly)
4. 5 comedies (begin badly, end well)
C. Chorus only
1. songs
2. dancing
C. Add actor - Thespis
D. Add 2 speakers - Aeschylus
E. Sophocles added 3rd speaker – tension
A. Human motives
B. Used old myths
C. About humans interaction with the gods
D. Belief in fate
E. Created tragic flaws
F. Won festival 18x
1. 6 plays per festival
2. never lost lower than 2nd
G. wrote 123 plays
H. murder scenes never included violence
I. 427 BC – Oedipus the King (trilogy)
F. Structure
A. Prologue
1. characters introduce the myth
2. story of the Sphynx
B. parados- Procession of Chorus
C. 1st Episode – characters and chorus – dialogue
D. Stasimon – End of episode
1. Choral Ode
2. Reflection
E. Exodus – Chorus leaves
1. rejoicing
2. lamentation
G. Purpose of Chorus (15 members)
(Choruses were widespread in culture: marriages, funerals, athletic victories, religious festivals, even battles)
A. Implores gods, goddesses to explain or intervene
B. Gives background info
C. Asks questions about characters
D. Shows importance of divine laws
E. Songs of joy or sorrow
F. Speculate on action in the play
G. Give advice to characters
II. Oedipus the King
A. Oedipus Rex
B. Written in 427 BC by Sophocles
C. Setting: Thebes of ancient days
1. an abode of gods and demi-gods
2. Zeus was angry and destroyed with a flood
3. First king to rebuild was Cadmus
D. Foundling raised by king and Queen of Corinth
E. Oracle Prediction
F. Flees Corinth to Thebes – encounters Sphinx
III. Sphinx
A. Guardian
B. Guides man to the next world
C. An Egyptian king “exported” idea of Sphinx to Mesopotamia and Greece
D. Egytpian Sphinx were benevolent
E. Greek Sphinx ate people!
F. Greeks changed it to female
A. Woman’s head
B. Body of a lion
C. Serpent tail
D. Eagle’s wings