BTA 103_GREEK THEATRE.pdf

GREEK THEATRE BTA 103 AY 2024-2025 GREECE ( H E L L EN IC R E PUB L IC ) HOM E T O 1 0 M I L L ION PE OPL E CLASSICAL GREECE Started after 750 B.C.E. rise of the polis (city-state) Rivalries for dominance pushed for creati...

GREEK THEATRE BTA 103 AY 2024-2025 GREECE ( H E L L EN IC R E PUB L IC ) HOM E T O 1 0 M I L L ION PE OPL E CLASSICAL GREECE Started after 750 B.C.E. rise of the polis (city-state) Rivalries for dominance pushed for creations of leagues/wage wars on fellow polis/Non-Greek states  POLIS Characteristic Greek institution “city-state”. *began as agricultural villages/towns and MANY stayed this way and never developed into cities.  POLIS Classification as a State: independent political unit Citadel; elevated, defensible rock for farmers (e.g. Acropolis in Athens) Availability of farmland and natural fortress determined location of polis Acropolis in Athens POLIS law and justice exist only in a polis. Worships gods in common ceremonies (e.g. Apollo in Delphi, Athena in Athens) Agora: marketplace / civic center / heart of the Greek’s social life A place of peace, order, prosperity, and honor. RELIGION POLYTHEISM – multiple gods great part of Greek art and literature was closely connected with religion (and of life in the polis in general) GREEK PANTHEON – TWELVE OLYMPIANS GREEK GODS gods were seen as behaving like mortals, except they have superpowers and are immortal. each polis had one Olympian as its guardian deity and worshiped it in their own special way. (e.g. Apollo at Delphi) WORSHIP IN ANCIENT GREECE each polis held athletic contests in honor of its god (birth of the Olympics) All Greeks were invited A sacred truce was declared worship was not an emotional experience -Matter of offering prayer, gifts, in return for protection and favors. cult & oracle at Delphi held great influence - people flock to learn about their future MYTHOLOGICAL CHARACTERS Greek heroes Greek monsters Hercules/Heracles – Sphinx Achilles – Cyclops Theseus – Chimera Odysseus – Medusa Perseus – Hydra Jason – Minotaur Bellerophon – Cerberus DIONYSUS -God of nature and fertility, of the grape vine and drunkenness and sexual abandon - He was honored in the famous City Dionysia, a festival where plays were first staged as part of a competition THEATRE OF CLASSICAL GREECE  FIFTH CENTURY GREECE Greek arts, notably theatre, flourished during the fifth century BCE. Outstanding playwrights such as Sophocles, Aeschylus, Euripedes, and Aristophanes emerged. Greek forms of theatre: tragedy, comedy, satyr plays  FIFTH CENTURY GREECE Greek view of human beings and gods also shifted; Greeks have become skeptical of their own myths Human reason and humanity went into the forefront of Greek culture. (eg. Democracy, philosophies) Despite this new way of thinking, Greeks still recognized the existence of fate. FIFTH CENTURY GREECE “Overall, in Greek thought, humans were elevated to a place of great prominence, but happiness still depended on a conjunction of human and superhuman forces…” This will be the focal point of Greek drama; the struggles of humans but where elements of the gods, of the supernatural are still eminent.  The Religious Background Dionysus, the god of wine, had a cult following – the cult of Dionysus “Dionysus is associated with darkness, with the loss of boundaries around the self experienced in a crowd.” – David Wiles Athens’ democratic government sponsored the cult of Dionysus and established festivals as tribute. The Dionysian Festivals 5th century Greek theatre was integrated to civic/religious discourse. The week-long festival included processions, sacrifices, celebrations, feasting and choral laments. THEATRE ARCHITECTURE  ORIGIN OF THE WORD “THEATER” From the Greek “theatron” (seeing place) Theater can refer to the place or venue where plays or performances are staged. Theatre can refer to the general art form or discipline in the academe. Theater of Dionysus  Theatron Parodos Orchestra Skene Parodos  ORCHESTRA the flat dancing floor of the chorus THEATRON the actual structure of the theater building. SKENE stage building The actors entered from either side and from a central door in the skene Mostly made of wood during the Early period of Greek drama Depictions of a skene on Greek vases PARODOS - a passage where spectators had access to the theater and actors might come and go during a play  Since ancient theaters were frequently modified and rebuilt, the surviving remains offer little evidence of the real nature of the theatrical space available to the Classical dramatists in the sixth and fifth centuries B.C. STAGE MACHINERY  Ekkyklema a wheeled platform with sets of scenes. o Shows an interior or some offstage scene such as a tableau; a way to clarify the action in the play. o Violence was prohibited from the Greek stage so it is thought that murdered bodies may have been displayed on the device. Stage machinery Mechane, or crane - was used to hoist gods and heroes through the air onto the stage; located at the right end of the stage o Greek dramatists made the most of the extreme contrasts between the gods up high and the actors on stage, and between the dark interior of the stage building and the bright daylight. Performers, Masks, Costumes and Music All performers were male (chorus were around 50 members at first) Thespis was the first actor. Aeschylus added the second actor while Sophocles introduced the third actor. Masks were essential part of Greek theatre: Tragic masks had formalized, expressionless faces. Comic masks presented caricatures, grotesques, or animal heads. Performers, Masks, Costumes and Music Costumes for tragedy included a tunic or sometimes a long/short cloak. Meanwhile, costumes for comedy were based on everyday wear and included a phallus. A double pipe, aulos, was integral in the music of Greek theatre. Another essential instrument was the harp.  GREEK CHORUS A group of actors who described and commented on the main action of a play with song, dance, and recitation. As the tragic protagonists act out their defiance of the gods, the chorus expresses the fears, hopes, and judgment of the people, the average citizens. Their judgment is the verdict of history. GREEK CHORUS It started a long history of chorus members in theatre productions. More recently the chorus exists in musical theatre, where their song and dance routines usually reflect and enhance the development of the plot.  Because Greek theatres were so large, the members of the chorus had to work hard to look and sound like one person. Their diction and lines had to clear and crisp so the entire audience could easily hear them. Their gestures were overly exaggerated. Frequently a chorus leader, called a coryphaeus, would aid with comprehension. GREEK CHORUS  Only 44 plays survived from the Greek classical period. These were written by Aeschylus, Sophocles, Euripides and Aristophanes. Greek tragedies did not necessarily end with a terrible event. Some end on an affirmative note. Many address the history and character of Athens. The Plays and the Playwrights Main types of Greek plays Tragedy Comedy Satyr Plays  TRAGEDY A play with a serious subject matter, inspired by episodes from Greek mythology. Often dealt with moral right and wrongs, with main characters that are of noble or distinguished birth (e.g., royalty) Performed with necessary dramatic exaggeration no violence was permitted on the stage and the death of a character had to be heard from offstage and not seen Aeschylus Was known for his innovation, adding a second actor and more dialogue, and even creating sequels. Agamemnon: how the gods punish a family for a series of murders. The Persians: the Athenian victory at Salamis is celebrated. Prometheus Bound: where the myth of Prometheus, the world's first humanitarian, is discussed. Sophocles was extremely popular and added a third actor to the performance as wells as painted scenery. Oedipus the King: (considered his greatest work) explores the depths of modern psychoanalysis as Oedipus unwittingly kills his father and marries his mother to avoid a prophecy he fulfills anyway. Sophocles Antigone: describes the tale of a passionate young woman who refuses to submit to earthly authority when it forbids a proper burial for her brother, Polyneices. The Women of Trachis: offers a touching story of a jealous woman (Deianira) and her husband (Heracles).  Isang sipi mula sa Agamemnon, salin sa Filipino ni Guelan Luarca TANOD Mga bathala, palayain ako mula sa bawat pasakit Nitong mahabang pagtatanod, isang buong taon nang 'Ang Troia, sa wakas, ay nalupig na'. Iyon ang utos sa gising... 'kin Ng babaeng namimintog sa labis na pag-asa. Ang Nakahilig sa 'king mga siko, nakalukmo sa bubungan babaeng 'yan, ni Atreus, Anaki'y lalaki kung humakbang. Anaki'y aso. Nakakintal na sa gunita ang bawat At tuwing ako'y mahihiga sa katre kong basa sa bituin, hamog, Mga hukbo ng gabing pinamumunuan niyong talang At pakapa-kapa sa lagim ng gabi ang ligaw na Naghahatid ng taglamig o binhi ng tag-init, pagmumuni-muni naghahatid Sampu ng maaayang panagimpang malaon nang Ng bawat nating kinabubuhay — mga nagbabagang bantay sa paghimbing... maharlika Ay, ngunit hindi — dito'y pawang sindak lamang ang Sa langit — kilala ko na silang lahat, maging ang kasiping. takdang sandali A, bawal pang matulog, ay bawal pa — Ng kanilang pagbangon at paglubog, at ngayon, hinihintay ko Ang hudyat na apoy na sisibol mula sa Troia, na magsasabing, Euripides known for his clever dialogues, realism, and habit of posing awkward questions to the audience with his thought-provoking treatment of common themes. His characters’ tragic fates were caused entirely by their own doing (i.e., flawed nature & uncontrolled passions) Euripides Hippolytus and The Bacchae: exploring the psyche of men attempting to deny a natural life-force such as sexuality or emotional release. Medea: frenzied jealousy of a woman who has lost her husband's interest. Hecuba: cruelty of Greek warriors who enslave the Trojan queen and sacrifice her daughter at the tomb of Achilles. The plays of these three playwrights continue to be performed and adapted at present and even infused into literature and theatre subjects at school. COMEDY Humorous and light theatrical depiction of Greek society of the time. Poked fun at politicians, philosophers, and fellow artists Provided details on the Greek government, political institutions, legal systems, religious practices, education, and warfare. SATYR PLAYS  Satyr Plays Farcical, vulgar pieces named after the satyrs (half-man, half-human companions of Dionysus) Costumes comprised of a horse’s tail, erect phallus, and a head-mask with pointed ears, snub-nose, and wild hair and beard Euripides’ Cyclops is the only surviving satyr  The Plays and Theatre-going The plays were performed once during the competition. Mostly, there was no concept of revival or reruns during this time. The audiences only come to watch plays during the Festival of the City Dionysia, once a year, not as frequent as we would nowadays. Staff-bearers patrolled the aisles to keep the crowds under control (they were drinking and eating).  While theatre was free, your seat was determined by your social status: the rich had cushioned seats at the front, while the peasants, artisans and women were forced to take seats at the back. In the later years, after a full day of drink, Greek audiences would be throwing stones and heckle when they disliked a performance. ELEMENTS OF DRAMA Aristotle's Poetics: first systematic writing on drama developed between 336-331 BCE from the winners of the City Dionysia  ELEMENTS OF DRAMA Plot: WHAT; Main Action; refers to the character’s objectives Character: WHO; the ones who drive the plot along Thought: WHY; the psychology behind the character’s action. Why does a character want what he wants? Now known as the Theme.  ELEMENTS OF DRAMA Diction: HOW; the dialogue; a tactic characters use to achieve their, often opposing, objectives (subtext) Music: Rhythm of speech or the use of literal music. Both of which can drive a narrative forward or delineate character and emotion. Spectacle: The special effects, stage machinery, the presentation.  Other important Greek theatre terms Mimesis – imitation or representation of action and characters Hubris – arrogance/excessive pride Hamartia – tragic flaw/fatal mistake (e.g., being unfaithful)  Other important Greek theatre terms Anagnorisis – recognition or discovery of the real identity or true nature of a character’s circumstances. Peripeteia – reversal of fate/fortune Catharsis – purgation of emotions LEGACY Greek theatre has influenced modern entertainment in many areas. Actors with costumes, special effects, the use of satire, and even the shape of the theatre itself are all lasting inf luences. Works of such great playwrights as Sophocles, Euripides and Aristophanes formed the foundation upon which all modern theatre is based. The architecture of the ancient Greek theater has continued to inspire the design of theatres today.