Greek Theatre Flashcards
What is a dytharamb
Hyms sung in unison
Explain a thespian drama
One actor and a chorus
Actors used robes of thespus
Masks were used to change characters
Elements :
Actors
Audience
Conflict (dialogue)
Tell me about aeschylus
Earliest dramatist
Introduced the second actor
Won 13 contests
Reduced the importance of the chorus
Themes: Morals Justice Religious issues Philosophical
Tell me about Sophocles
Greatest greek dramatist
Introduced the third actor
Wrote 100 plays -7survived
MASTER OF IRONY
Themes:
human relationships
Built skilful climax
Well developed episodes
Euripides
The last of the tragedians
Reduced importance of chorus
Introduced melodrama
Critiqued on faulty drama structure
Themes:
Philosophical
Psychological
Questions atheists
Tragedy plays !
Explain this
- Derives from the work tragos(goat song)
- when in procession to the temple the chorus wore goat skin
- the best tragedy won a goat as a prize
- concerned with gods, heroes, kings
- elevated language
- hero has some kind of tragedy flaw with creates the transaction go from good to bad fortune
- sometimes had a happy ending
Structure: Prologue Chorus would enter and sing and not leave the stage Murders happened behind the scene Messenger would inform the audience Male played females
Style: epic
Comedy
Developed from when the villagers collected their harvest safely
People enjoyed the satyres of the play
Derived from the work komoidia(merrymaking)
Fooling around developed into comedies
Describe the structure of a greek theatre
Theatre of Dionysus
Semi circle, orchestra and skene
Raised audience - standing, wooden bench, concrete bench
Paradoi on the sides: for entrance and exits and mainly for the chorus
Paraskenia: 2wall either side of the skene facing the audience
Skene: used as a back drop from the area actors are, can be used to enter and exit the stage, changing of costumes and masks happen her, there is somtimes a door, the roof is used as an entrance for gods
Orchestra: where the actors sings and act, the temple of Dionysus is here
Seats 10 000-15 000 people
Functions of the chorus
Act as the actor in the drama Give advice and opinions Sympathise with the protagonist Sets the mood of the play Reacts in the way the writer wants Expresses the playwrights views Provide a rhythmical function to song and dance
Greek actors
Thespis is the first actor
Actors increased from 1-3, and a chorus
Only male
Each actor played a number of roles, doing so with masks
Large musical elements present
Actors were skilled in acting singing dancing acrobatics
The protagonist and the the second actor was introduced and that created dialgue and conflict and he was call the antagonist
Thid actor never spoke, changed costume or watched
Tragedy actors
Only acted tragedies
Remained static, god like creatures, singing and speaking in harmony with the music
Upright formal and subdued speaking
Costumes: Expressive tragic masks Long tunic High headgear Padded costumes Platformed /soled shoes Colour indicated class
Comedy actors
Acrobatic and versatile
Costumes: short tunic Skin colour tights Expressive comic masks Soft slippers Padding in costumes Less hampering costumes
Costumes
Robes of thespus Long robes called a tunic Ankle length Embroidered and elaborate Able to move in High and big head gear Colour depicted class Hat=journer Purple=royal Short leathered tunic= shepard Long trailing on the floor= grief High platformed boots increasing height Chorus wore the same costumes as the actor they were supporting but their masks were much lighter
Masks
Everyone would wear masks
Helped identify sex, emotion, age of character
Covered the whole face
The mouth was big and wide open to help with projection
Tragedies and comedies were very different masks
Props
Help identify character
