Oedipus The King

A Tragedy in Context

The Greek Theatre

The need to imitate

Fun to pretend to be someone or something else As a means of communication - to demonstrate a situation/storytelling through words and actions
The need to worship the gods in order to please them

A Religious Ritual
Theatre was an attempt to explain:
The

relationship of the human to the divine the human to the material world the nature of violence and its origins how to attempt to control the irrational with the material worlds.

The Greek Outdoor Amphitheatre

Two major performance areas-

The Orchestra or Dancing Circle

served as the primary acting area

consisted of a building behind the orchestra probably used as a dressing room, later to be integrated into the stage action by an innovative playwright.

The Skene (scene building)-

Greek Scenic Devices

Periaktoi a revolving triangular devices with one scene painted on each side.

Where and how were the dramas performed?

In an amphitheatre
With a chorus who described most of the action. With masks With all the fighting and movement going on off stage. .With tragedy first, then comedy later.

Tragedy vs Comedy

A drama that concerns better than average people who suffer a transition from good fortune to bad fortune and who speak in an eloquent language Purging the soul of the "fear and pity" which most of us carry around (Aristotle called this catharsis)

Comedy concerns average or below average, people who enjoy a transition from bad circumstances to good (but not too good) and who speak in everyday language

The Chorus was

Dominant Representative of society Representative of normal mortal beings.

Dramatic

Sophocles The Man

Born in Colonus, a small town outside Athens, Greece in 495 B.C

Began as a performer at age 15

First recognized as a playwright for winning 1st prize at an annual theatrical competition when he was 28 years old.
Over 62 years, Sophocles wrote over 120 plays, 24 of which won first prize; the others placed in second at the competition

How Sophocles Changed Theatre

Introduced a third actor Insisted that the scenery be carefully painted and properly arranged Used grand and majestic language

Decreased the orchestra from 50 to 12 people

What impact would these changes have made?

And now to look at life in Ancient Greece

The Greeks vs The Persians

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QmkVSasZIM

The Role of Men and Women

Men

Women

Married from 25 - 30yrs Short hair with beards Schools taught reading, writing and mathematics, music, poetry, sport and gymnastics Education was from the age of 5 to 14, or for the wealthier 5 - 18 citizen boys entered a military training camp for two years, until the age of twenty.

Married from 12-16yrs Little formal education Kept at home with no political power Learned how to weave, spin, and perform other domestic arts

Social Hierarchy

Political Systems

Political Organization

Elected officials including 10 generals (strategos), magistrates (archons), and others. Council of 500 was charged with administering decisions made by the Assembly. The Assembly open to all citizens (all citizens were eligible to attend such meetings and speak up). They passed laws and made policy decisions. The Assembly met on the Hill of the Pnyx at the foot of the Acropolis.

Citizens were paid for jury service so not only the wealthy could participate.
Women did not participate in the political life of Athens.

What does this all mean?