Antigone — key terms Flashcards
Thespian
an actor
Koilon (or Theatron)
the auditorium of the Greek theatre
Diazoma
upper and lower levels of the Koilon (auditorium)
Periactoi
two prismatic pillars, one stage left, one stage right (these could be rotated to change scenes during the performance)
Ekeclema
platform carrying “dead bodies” that was wheeled on (this was done because Greek theatre never showed a murder or suicide on stage)
Proscenium
acting area, or stage, in front of the skene
Tragedy
a genre of Greek drama that portrays the downfall of a noble protagonist due to a tragic flaw or external circumstances
Chorus
a group of performers who comment on the action of the play, sing and dance, and provide moral and emotional insights
Amphitheatre
a large, open-air theatre with a semi-circular seating arrangement, often built on a hillside
Orchestra
the circular performance area at the centre of the ancient Greek theatre, where the chorus and actors performed
Skene
the building behind the stage where actors could change costumes and represent different settings (usually the temple or palace)
Masks
the exaggerated facial coverings worn by actors in Greek theatre, which helped identify characters and amplify their expressions
Protagonist
the main character in a Greek play, usually a tragic hero who faces a conflict or struggle
Antagonist
the character or force that opposes the protagonist in a Greek play, creating conflict and tension
Parados/Paradoi
the entrances which provided access to the orchestra (for the thespian’s and chorus)
these were also aisles that actors would use to enter if they were supposed to be coming from outside (not the temple or palace). the right parados came from the city or port; the left parados led from the fields or abroad.
Thymele
an altar in the centre of the orchestra used to make sacrifices to Dionysus
this in time became the spot where the leader of the chorus (coryphaeus) would stand
Paraskenia
extensions or annexes on the sides of the skene
Deuteragonist
the actor playing the second most important role within a scene or play
Tritagonist
the actor playing the third most important role within a scene or play
Diazoma
upper and lower levels of the Koilon (auditorium)
Periaktoi (singular form periaktos)
two prismatic pillars, one stage left, one stage right
these could be rotated to change scenes during the performance
Diazoma
upper and lower levels of the Koilon (auditorium)
Prologue
the opening section of a Greek play that provides background information and sets the stage for the story
Parode (Entrance Ode)
the entry chant of the chorus, often in an anapestic (short-short-long) marching rhythm (four feet per line)
typically the parode and other choral odes involve the following parts, repeated in order several times:
- Strophe
- Antistrophe
- Epode
Strophe
the first part of a choral poem where the chorus moves in one direction while singing
Antistrophe
the responsive section of a choral poem where the chorus moves in the opposite direction from the strophe
Epode
the final section of a choral poem that concludes and summarises the themes expressed in the strophe and antistrophe
Episode/Epeisodion
an interlude or section alternation with the stastimon, varying in number from three to six and containing the main action of the drama
Stasimon
a choral ode in Greek drama that follows the episodes and is performed by the chorus while they remain stationary
stasima (plural) provide commentary, reflection, and often express the collective emotions, thoughts, or moral judgments of the chorus in response to the events of the play
Stichomythia
the rapid line-by-line exchange between two actors
Agon
literally “struggle” or “competition”, this refers to pivotal scenes of competitive dialogue in tragedy, such as between Antigone and Creon
Enjambment
the carrying over of a unit of sense onto a second line of verse
Rhesis (plural rheseis)
a longer speech of varying length, though usually no longer than about a hundred lines, in which a character offers an exposition of their situation, or a description of events
Pleonasm
Using more words than necessary to express meaning, often for emphatic effect
Oikos
“home” or “extended family”
Polis (plural poleis
the city, the formative political and social unit of the ancient Greek world
Philia
one of the four ancient greek words for love: philia, storge, agape and eros
in Aristotle’s Nicomachean Ethics, philia is usually translated as “friendship” or affection (the complete opposite is called a phobia)
Dramatic irony
failure of a character to see or understand what is obvious to the audience
Exode (Exodus)
final scene of a play after the last stasimon
Hamartia
refers to a tragic flaw or error that leads to a character’s downfall
Hubris
excessive pride or self-confidence; arrogance
Peripeteia
(Greek: “reversal”) the reversal of fortune or change in circumstance
Catharsis
the process of releasing, and thereby providing relief from, strong or repressed emotions
Anagnorisis
(Greek: “recognition”) the startling discovery that produces a change from ignorance to knowledge
Dike/Dice
the goddess of justice and the spirit of moral order and fair judgement as a transcendent universal ideal
Dike is Greek for “justice”, in Green drama especially as a higher principle guiding human destiny
Denouement
the final outcome of the main complication in a play
Nuntius
a messenger or herald who delivers important news or information to others
Bathos
descent from the sublime to the ridiculous
bathos is a sudden change in speech or writing from a serious or important subject to a ridiculous or very ordinary one
Pathos
the use of emotional appeal or evoking sympathy and empathy in order to persuade or affect an audience
Themis
Divine law
Anagnorisis (Aristotle definition)
in his Poetics, as peart
