Greek Theater, Tragedy Ritual, Performative Realities Aristotle’s Poetics.
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Transcript of Greek Theater, Tragedy Ritual, Performative Realities Aristotle’s Poetics.
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Agenda
• Origins of Drama– Phallic Procession, Komasts, etc.
• Athenian Dramatic Festivals– Ritualized Secularism
• Drama: Production Elements• Aristotle’s Poetics
– Drama Explained?–Antigone via Aristotle
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Aristotle on Origins
• ethnic-geographical• psychological-anthropological• Dionysian-ritual
Aristotle
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Cultic Parallels-Precursors
• Komos– (Dionysian) revel
» (also term for dramatic production)
• Phallic procession– Dionysian phallus pole
on parade
Komasts: archaic Corinthian vase
Procession of the Phallus Pole
Proto-Drama (?): komos-like Performance of the Return of HephaestusProtocorinthian vase painting , 600-575 BCE
HephaestusDionysus
padded, phallic costume
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Historical-Political Sketch
• Archaic Greek tyranny (600s-500s BCE)
– democratizing despotism– Dionysian reorganization
• Athens– Pisistratus (r. 561-572 BCE) & City/Greater
Dionysia› 1st tragedies ca. 534 BCE
– Democratic developments, 511-› 1st comedies 486 BCE
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Athenian Dionysia
• Rural Dionysia (Dec.)• Lenaea (late Jan/Feb)
– 440/430 dramatic competition instituted
• Anthisteria (Feb)• City/Greater Dionysia
(late March)– principal dramatic festival
at Athens
Dionysus
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Greater Dionysia: Program• Assignment of choruses• Proagōn
– preview of plays
• “Introduction” processional– to and from Academy
• Official parade (pompē)• Preliminary ceremonial
– theater purified– public honors– tribute displayed
• Poetic/dramatic contests– Dithyrambic choruses
(10 + 10)
– Comedy (5 plays)
– Tragedy (3 tetralogies)» tetralogy = sequence
of…› 3 tragedies
› 1 satyr drama
by an individual poet, and presented in a single day
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Tragedy: Ritualized Secularism
• Dual Focus (Barlow)– ancient, mythic, heroic,
archetypal– contemporary, political,
communal, skeptical
• Ambivalent affirmation– Vernant– Hall
Theater at Epidaurus
altarentry (parodos, eisodos)entry (parodos, eisodos)
low wooden stage with skene (from ca. 420 BCE)
Basic Design: Theater of Dionysus ca. 420 BCE
skene (stage building)
wooden bleachers
stone seats (dignitaries)
steps
theatron (“viewing place,” auditorium, theater)
kerkis (“wedge”seating section)
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orkhēstra (“dancing space” for
chorus)
Dionysus and Ariadne Queen-character
Himeros (= Eros) Heracles(Pappo)silenos
Pronomos (piper) Charinus (kithara player)King-character
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Human, Other ResourcesPersonnel (all male)• poet (poiētēs)• producer (khorēgos)• director (didaskalos,
“teacher”)• actors (hupokritai)• chorus and “chorus
leader” (koruphaios)• piper
Gear• masks• costumes• props• scenery• special effects
– mekhanē» crane to lower gods et
al.
– ekkuklēma» trolley to wheel out
corpses etc.
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Tragedy: Structure & Elements• prologue
– portion preceding parodos• parodos
– chorus entry• episodes
– segments between major choral numberrs
• stasima (sing. stasimon)– major choral numbers (not
including parodos)• kommos
– lamentation scenes (chorus-character sung dialogue)
• exodos– portion following last stasimon
• stichomythia– rapid back-and-forth
dialogue• agōn
– debate scene• messenger speeches
– description of off-stage action
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Poetics: Approach
Method• definition• classification• analysis• teleology• critical evaluation
Critical foci• organic coherence• plausibility / realism• emotional power• utility / enjoyment
– therapeutic value
– educational value
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Poetics: Critical Vocabulary
• Plot, muthos– simple
– complex
– episodic
– anagnorisis
– peripeteia
– hamartia
– complication / reversal
• Ethical component– ethos-“temperament”
– thought
– hamartia
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Antigone via Aristotle (discussion)
Criteria fulfilled• Royal family
(superior)• pity• reversal (peripeteia)
for Creon• catharsis
– Creon’s
– but ours??
Criteria left wanting• Dual protagonists –
Antigone, Creon– violates Aristotelian
economy of plot??
• Pity for Antigone?– or admiration: noble
defiance of patriarchy?
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Antigone via Aristotle??
• fit– royal family
(superior)
– felt pity» emphasis plot
– role reversal – Creon» peripeteia
– catharsis» Creon’s
• dual protagonists – Antigone, Creon– violates Aristotelian
economy of plot??
• didn’t feel pity for Antigone– noble defiance of
patriarchy
“A tragedy, then, is the imitation of an action that is serious and also, as having magnitude, complete in itself; in language with pleasurable accessories, each kind brought in separately in the parts of the work; in a dramatic, not in a narrative form; with incidents arousing pity and fear, wherewith to accomplish its catharsis of such emotions.” (7-8)
Aristotle on Tragedy
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