Classical Theatre PowerPoint

7/24/2019 Classical Theatre PowerPoint

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Ancient Theatre

Greek Theatre and The Trojan Women


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Part I:Introduction to Classical

Theatre


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Classical Theatre History

Greek plays were performed late March and earlyApril at religious celebrations honoring ionysus

According to Aristotle! tragedies arose fromimpro"isations the lead of the choral dithyrambs#hymns sung in praise of ionysus$

As such in both historical precedent and content!tragedies were part of the religious tradition ofthe ancient Greek world%

Moreo"er! Greek tragedies were formali&ed in theform and content! as we shall discuss in regardsto Aristotle's Poetics%


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Aristotle's Poetics

(ummary of Poetics:http:))www*%cnr%edu)home)bmcmanus)poetics%html
http://www2.cnr.edu/home/bmcmanus/poetics.htmlhttp://www2.cnr.edu/home/bmcmanus/poetics.html


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+iterary Criticism TermsThese de,nitions are deri"ed from www%dictionary%com% (tudents will be e-pected to befamiliar with the following terms! and be able to apply them! when speaking and writing

about literature%

Anagnorisis: a critical moment of disco"ery preceding peripeteia in Greek tragedy

Clima-: the highest point of action

Complication: The introduction of something une-pected or a problem into a plot

.piphany: a sudden insight into the essential meaning of something

tragic /aw: character defect that causes the downfall of a character in Greek tragedy

Introduction: opening of a work that helps establish scene! locale! and character

Metaphor: most simply when something is used to represent something else! a symbol

0arrati"e: a truth or ,ctitious account of e"ents

Plot: a storyline! a plan! scheme! or main narrati"e in a work of ,ction #also know subplot$

Peripeteia: a sudden turn of e"ents or une-pected re"ersal

Parado-: a statement that seems contradictory but actually e-presses a truth

1esolution)enouement: 2the tying up of loose ends3 in a plot

1ising Action: the raising of suspense as a plot progresses from the complication to clima-

Irony: use of words to con"ey a meaning that is opposite of its usual meaning #see also dramatic irony$

Parody: a humorous or satirical representation of serious writing

Allusion: a reference to something else: a literary allusion occurs when an author references another work

(trophe: The ,rst mo"ement in the chorus in classical Greek drama! turning from one side to the other

Antistrophe: the second part of this choral mo"ement! where the chorus mo"es in the opposite direction

.pode: third part of the choral ode! at this point the chorus stands still
http://www.dictionary.com/http://www.dictionary.com/


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+iterary Criticism Terms #cont%$

Archetype: The essential or original model! character! form! which allothers follow4 e-ample! the 5ourney from one place to another! frominnocence to knowledge! from childhood to old age% #ad5% archetypal! e-%Homer is the archetypal poet$

Motif: a recurring element in a narrati"e that has symbolic signi,cance

6ral Tradition: (tories! myths! and legends that are passed down orally,which is to say in spokenrather than writtenform! such as The Epic ofGilgamesh, Arabian ights, and the Homeric epics

(atyr play: a burles7ue drama usually in"ol"ing a chorus of satyrs to followthe trilogy of tragedies presented by a playwright at the ionysian festi"al

(atyr: mythological woodland creatures usually represented with the torsoof a man and the e-tremities of a goat% (atyrs that attend ionysius


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Theatre! ramatic! and +iterary Terms

Theatre Terms

6rchestra: literally the 2dancing space3 in a theatre% 8sually circular! it occupied the spacebetween the Proskenion and the audience% This performance space for the chorus would

pro"ide a bu9er of sorts between the audience and the performance of the actors%

Proskenion: a raised area where the actors would perform between the skene and theparados

Parados: 2passageways3 from which some characters would enter and e-it in the play4

likewise! they are the entrances and e-its for the audience

(kene: the 2scene building3 at the back of the theatre% eginning as simple woodenstructure for changing costume! the skene de"eloped into an often ornate! multile"el stonestructure which was utili&ed by the actors%

Prosopon: Masks worn by Greek performers

Poetry Terms

http:!!owl"english"purdue"edu!owl!resource!#$%!%&! #note for stressed and unstressed!

accented and unaccented are used$ Meter: the basic rhythmic structure of "erse

Iamb: a foot composed of one unstressed syllable followed by a stressed syllable

Anapest: a foot composed of two unstressed syllables followed by a stressed syllable%

1hythm: a musical 7uality articulated in poetry by the repetition of similar sounds or sound

patterns
http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/570/03/http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/570/03/


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1. Exposition (Introduction)

This usually occurs at the beginning of a shortstory. Here the characters are introduced.We also learn about the setting of the story.Most importantly, we are introduced to the

main conict (main problem).


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2 Rising Action

This part of the story begins todevelop the conict(s). buildingof interest or suspense occurs.


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3. Climax This is the turning point of the story.

!sually the main character comesface to face with a conict. The maincharacter will change in some way.


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4. Falling Action

All loose endsof the plot are

tied up% Thecon/ict#s$ andclima- are

taken care of%


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5. Resolution The storycomes to a

reasonableending.


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Greek Theatres: .pidarus


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.pidarus *


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Anatomy of a Greek TheatreGreek Theatre Terms:

http:))www%whitman%edu)theatre)theatretour)glossary)glossary%

htm


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Greek Theatre Masks


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Characters from Homer's'liad

Helen of Troy: married to Menelaus #a Greek$ butshe's stolen by Paris #a prince of Troy$

Tro5an 1oyalty: ;ing Priam his wife

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