Greek+Tragedy+notes

Greek Tragedy notes –

A.D. – Anno Domini – the year of Our Lord C.E. – Common Era BCE – Before Common Era BC – Before Christ


 * Dionysius – Greek god of revelry, chaos, wine. Festival tragedies were written in his honor.
 * Apollo – Greek god of reason, music, order, math, and the sun.
 * fate – the Greeks believed that every person had a fate or destiny that was determined before birth. The Fates were three female figures who spun, measured, and cut off the thread of life.
 * hubris – excessive pride. This Greek concept implies stepping beyond the role set for the person by the gods, or taking on a role beyond what that person should be doing.
 * chorus – a group of 8 to 40 men (originally priests who recounted the stories of the gods in unison), who comment on the action of the tragedy, usually showing the point of view the audience should have.
 * dramatic irony – when the audience knows something the characters don’t know
 * vicarious – second hand, in the sense of an experience that we see someone else having (a book, play, or film) but don’t have ourselves.
 * Thespis – the first actor, c. 534 BCE. Thespis stood apart from the chorus and spoke the words of a god, inventing the first actor. The chorus would respond in unison.
 * Aeschylus – Greek playwright who added a second actor.
 * Sophocles – the Greek playwright (495 – 406 BCE) who added a third actor and first used a little scenery. He wrote Oedipus, Antigone, and Philoctetes.
 * skene – the backdrop in front of which the play is presented. Inside, costumes and masks are stored.
 * ode – a set piece the chorus speaks in unison
 * episode – (epi = around) the pieces between the odes which are the action of the play.

Requirements of a Classic (Greek) Tragedy A classic tragedy is
 * 1) a serious work about an important person (king, great warrior, etc.) who has the potential to be a good person and a positive role model.
 * 2) This person, as the result of a character flaw (often hubris) or fate
 * 3) Experiences a catastrophe, such as losing his entire family or his kingdom.
 * 4) This person then experiences a reversal (a reversal of fortune) when he or she realizes his or her mistake or fate.
 * 5) Viewing the play evokes a feeling of pity for the tragic hero and terror (fear and awe) at the power of the gods. This is a catharsis, an emotional purge.