Greek Drama
Terms
Terms
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- prologue
- dialogue spoken by one or two characters giving necessary background about the play, believed to be invented by Euripides, foreshadows, spoken before chorus enters, historical or mythological background, became Greek custom, detail on everything leading up to play
- Sophocles
- wrote oedipus, his plays contain irony, themes= folly of arrogance, wisdom of accepting fate, made actors chief element of play, chorus from 12 people to 15 people with 3 actors instead of 2, drama with humans and humans not humans and gods
- Dionysus
- greek drama began as a ritual observance in his honor
- tragic flaw (harmartia)
- the great man falls because of some weakness of character, moral blindness, or error ( usually hubris), gods and fate are also responsible
- hubris
- excessive pride
- dramatic irony
- audience knows something that the characters dont, adds suspense
- apotheosis
- ascension to god-like status
- antistrophe
- 2nd movement (response to strophe), chorus sings while moving west to east (left to right)
- choregos
- wealthy patrons who supervise plays, public service required of the wealthy (income tax), chose and trained chorus, no control over which play they financed, tragedies more expensive than comedies
- Thespis
- inventor of tradgedy, first person to use actors, introduced masks, make-up and costumes
- arete
- pursuit of excellence
- chorus
- consisted of Athenian men and women, 12-15 singers/dancers who represent the community, very imporatant to play, provides background info, reflect, narrate, comment, unify
- tragedy/tragic hero
- not villain or perfection, basically good and decent, has a flaw and/or made a mistake, does not need to die, but undergo change
- catharsis
- by raising the emotions of the audience, tragedy purged the audience of negative emotions, purification know as this, not going through it yourself
- pathos
- a plot with tragic reversal (perpeteia) and anagnoresis (recognition) best arouses pity and fear in the audience this quality of evoking pity is called thisf
- parados
- performed by chorus, 1st scene of play after prologue, chorus performs while entering the orchestra, sung and accompanied by dance, provides relevant info to play, takes name from corridor at front of the stage
- anagnoresis
- change from ignorance to awareness
- exodos
- performed by chorus, final scene of play, chorus/actors exit, typically dialogue but may be form of song, usually offers words of wisdom related to the actions and outcome of the play
- ate
- ruin, delusion (reckless behavior that causes hero's death or downfall)
- strophe
- two parts of a choral ode in classical Greek drama sung while the movement is executed, first movement in an ode (between episodes), chorus sings while turning east to west (right to left)
- epilogue
- final scene of play, closes, ties up loose ends tells what happens to main characters, provide moral of story or words of wisdom
- peripeteia
- change in fortune that the tragic hero experiences throughout the play