The Founding Greeks Early Theater to the Universality of Greek Plays
Jan 02, 2016
The Founding Greeks
Early Theater to the Universality of Greek Plays
I. Beginning of theater
A. Impersonation1. Animals2. Gods3. People
B. Evolved from storytellingC. Myths
Beginning of theater continued
B. Early dramas – religious in basis1. Egypta. Passion playsb. Osiris – god of life/deathc. Magic and healingd. Masks2. Native American dances3. African dances
Greek Theater
• Provides the transition between ritualistic theater and Western theater
• First formal theater on Crete
II. Early Greek Festivals
A. Worship of Dionysus1. God of vegetation, wine,
fertility2. Rites of adoration3. Masks4. 4 festivals each year
II. Early Greek Festivals
B. Developed into performances1. Singing 2. Dancing3. Reading poetry4. Drinking5. One actor with chorus
II. Early Greek Festivals
C. Greek religion1. Plays centered around
religious rituals2. Compare to church/temple
today3. Entertainment with themes
III. Evolution of Greek Theater
A. Thespis1. First actor2. Developed monologue3. Credited with mask4. “Thespians” = “actor”
III. Evolution of Greek Theater
B. Choerilus1. Added another character2. Female3. Females were played by boys/men
III. Evolution of Greek Theater
C. Festivals developed into contests1. 3 poets wrote plays2. Tetralogy
a. 3 tragedies b. 1 comedy
3. Tragedy – a. Tragos – goatsb. Goats sacrificed to
Dionysus
IV. Greek Theater Structures
IV. See handout
• Diagram and explanations will be on the test!
IV. Greek Theater Structures
A. Characteristics1. Open air2. Amphitheater seating3. Good acoustics
IV. More Greek Theaters
Theatre of Dionysus
Theatre of Dionysus
Greek Masks
Masks continued
Purposes for masks
• Stereotype representation of character
• Built in amplifier• Larger than life – visible
V. Playwrights
A. Aeschylus1. Father of Classical Greek
drama2. 82 plays – 7 survive3. Introduces 2nd character
a. Created dialogueb. Conflict
Playwrights cont.
B. Sophocles1. Used 3 speaking actors2. Created longer, more complicated plots3. Chorus lost importance4. Used painted back drop to indicate time and place5. 123 plays – 7 survive
Playwrights cont.
C. Euripedes1. Added more charactersand plot complication2. More realistic3. Innovator – gods with human traits4. Sympathy for female characters
Playwrights cont.
D. Aristophanes1. Known for comedies2. Satirizes Greek society,politics, literature3. 40 plays4. Plays still performed today
a. The Birdsb. The Frogsc. The Clouds
Playwrights cont.
F. Menander1. Last great playwright2. Over 100 plays3. Comic style influences
modern comic playwrights
Sources
• Brockett, Oscar G. The Theatre: An Introduction.
New York: Holt, Rinehart, and
Winston, 1979.• Brockett, Oscar G. History
of the Theatre. Boston: Allyn and Bacon, 1995.