Notes on Greek Drama
From Aristotle’s Poetics
Definition of Tragedy: the imitation of an action that is serious, complete, and of a certain magnitude, inciting fear and/or pity
Six Parts of Tragedy: Plot, character, thought, spectacle, diction (meter), song
“Without action, there cannot be tragedy:”
The most important part of tragedy is the structure of the incidents.
“Tragedy is an imitation not of men but of an action and of life and life consists of action.”
Character determines men’s qualities, but it is by their actions that they are happy or the reverse.
Plot: “Plot is the first principle and the soul of tragedy.”
Plots are “simple” or “complex.” Complex tragedies contain elements such as reversal of situation and recognition that develop from the plot itself and come by surprise, which will best provoke the strong emotions of fear and pity.
Reversal of Situation: change— actions veer toward opposite
Recognition: character transforms from ignorance to knowledge, producing love or hate. Can happen by: “tokens” or physical marks, actions or word, memory or reasoning, all arising from plot, where the discovery is made by natural means.
The best form of recognition coincides with the reversal of situation.
Both recognition and reversal involve misjudgment; character misinterprets a situation and acts inappropriately in hamartia or ignorance.
Suffering: destructive or painful action
Complex plots also involve complication (beginning to turning point) and unraveling (turning point to resolution).
Structure of a Tragedy:
a. Prologue: Spoken by one or two characters before the chorus appears. The prologue usually gives the mythological background necessary for understanding the events of the play.
b. Parodos: This is the song sung by the chorus as it first enters the orchestra and dances.
c. First Episode: This is the first of many "episodes,” when the characters and chorus talk.
d. First Stasimon: At the end of each episode, the other characters usually leave the stage and the chorus dances and sings a stasimon, or choral ode. The ode usually reflects on the things said and done in the episodes, and puts it into some kind of larger mythological framework.
For the rest of the play, there is alternation between episodes and stasima, until the final scene, called the...
e. Exodos: At the end of play, the chorus exits singing a processional song which usually offers words of wisdom related to the actions and outcome of the play.
From:
Tragic Hero
The hero is not a totally good man who passes from happiness to misery or a bad man who passes from misery to happiness. The first is not piteous, the second is odious. The hero’s story must represent misfortune of an essentially good man brought down by error rather than vice.
Catharsis
An experience in art, a purging, release of emotions such as fear and pity, which is the purpose of art.
Hamartia
Some defect in the tragic character that helps cause his own ruin, generally hubris, or excessive pride. The flaw may seem to be jealousy, anger, or ambition, but it always is caused by the characters feelings of superiority. Because of this, the fall is not all undeserved.
Three early tragedian:
Euripides (480-406 BC)—Medeo, Hippolytus, Electra
Concern for realism and a determination to expose social, political, and religious injustices
Aeschylus (525-456 BC)—Oresteia
Earlest writer of Greek tragedy. Plays are deeply patriotic and religious. Added a second actor. Concerned with problems of guilt and punishment over several generations.
Sophocles (496-406 BC)—Ajax, Antigone, Oedipus
Dealt with specific struggle of a strong individual against fate. Added a third actor and a fixed chorus.
One comedy writer:
Aristophanes: Clouds, Birds, Frogs, Lysistrata
Orchestra: The orchestra (literally, "dancing space") was normally circular. A level space where the chorus would dance, sing, and interact with the actors who were on the stage near the skene. The earliest orchestras were simply made of hard earth, but in the Classical period some orchestras began to be paved with marble and other materials. In the center of the orchestra there was often a thymele, or altar. The orchestra of the theater of Dionysus in Athens was about 60 feet in diameter.
Theatron: The theatron (literally, "viewing-place") where the spectators sat. Usually part of hillside overlooking the orchestra, and often wrapped around a large portion of the orchestra (see the diagram). Spectators in the fifth century BC probably sat on cushions or boards, but by the fourth century the theatron of many Greek theaters had marble seats.
Skene: The skene (literally, "tent") was the building directly behind the stage. During the 5th century, the stage of the theater of Dionysus in Athens was probably raised only two or three steps above the level of the orchestra, and was perhaps 25 feet wide and 10 feet deep. Directly in back of the stage, it was usually decorated as a palace, temple, or other building, depending on the needs of the play. It had at least one set of doors, and actors could make entrances and exits through them. There was also access to the roof of the skene from behind, so that actors playing gods and other characters could appear on the roof, if needed.
Parodos: The parodoi (literally, "passageways") are the paths by which the chorus and some actors (such as those representing messengers or people returning from abroad) made their entrances and exits. The audience also used them to enter and exit the theater before and after the performance.
From:
Conditions of Performance:
Plays were performed in outdoor theaters. The Theater of Dionysus held 14,000 to 18,000 spectators.
People in the back were about 75 yards from the actors, without eyeglasses or any hearing aids, and the audience was often rowdy. Thus, the acting style was “declamatory” instead of “naturalistic;” subtle expressions or gestures were not used.The plays were not “realistic.” They were in daylight, so there was no way to “set the mood” with lighting, and the use of props was limited.Actors wore elaborately decorated robes and masks. Masks were used so that the male actors could play female roles and so that the usually three actors in the play could play multiple roles.Masks made the use of voice more important than facial expressions and limited the interaction between actors, so the voice and spoken word were most important.
Plays were part of the religious festival honoring Dionysus. Playwrights competed, and usually three tragedies were performed. Usually plays were performed only once (no theater runs). The plays were associated with religion, and tragedies especially were based on myth or history. The plays allowed 24 hours for the action of the play, no change of scenery, and no subplot (action which happens elsewhere told by another character.)
-John Porter; “Greek Tragedy and the Ancient Stage”