Plays Flashcards
How many actors in one play?
3
What’s one person singing called?
Monody
What’s a dialogue of singing called?
Kommos
What were masks made of?
Linen, cork, wood
What did tragic actors wear?
Either himation or chiton
What’s a himation?
Costume which hanged down to below knees
What’s a chiton?
Full length robe with a shorter cloak over top
What were costumes like?
Close fitted, sleeved, ornate, colourful and patterned
What were their shoes called?
Kothornoi
What were their shoes like?
Soft soles, turned up toes, up to thighs
Making fun of someone by name
onomasti komodein
Structure of a traditional tragedy
prologue, parodos, alternating episodes and stasima, exodos
Structure of an agon
each speaker sets out their argument then debate continues in stichomythia
Language of tragedy
Written as poetry with strict metre. Split into iambics and lyric (sung with an aulos.) Chorus usually spoke in lyric and the characters in iambic
Language of comedy
written in poetic metre and divided into spoken and choral sections. Obscene language common. Played with language and sound i.e. imitating the frogs. However, also included high-flown passages, especially in the choruses
Characterisation in tragedy
Embodiment of character-types, consistent characters
Characterisation in comedy
Less consistent, says or does something to fit the humour of the play. Questions or upholds stereotypes
Athenian view of leaders
fifth-century Athenians saw rule bu a tyrannos as associated with the bad old days and with the Persians who had invaded Greece in the previous generation
Bernard Knox’s view on heroism
Hero is someone who makes a decision rooted in his personal nature (physis) and maintains it to the point of self destruction. Inability to yield: he is faced with opposition but remains true to himself
Function of agon in Bacchae
Incorporate themes e.g. agon between Tiresias and Pentheus. Pentheus argues that it’s impossible for Dionysus to have been born out of Zeus’ thigh and Tiresias tries to rationalise it, parallels debate between contemporary intellectuals about whether the gods should be taken literally or as metaphors.
Function of agon in Frogs
Agon is central to Frogs as the reason Dionysus went to the underworld. Agon proves inconclusive but highlights that Aeschylus should win.
Function of agon in Oedipus
Playwrights show off their skills as rhetoricians e.g. Creon uses the ‘argument from probability’ against Oedipus’ usurpation accusation.
