GED117-Week 2

Summary

Professor Will Nevantai explores the origins of Greek drama, highlighting its religious roots and the Dionysian festivals. He discusses the structure and features of ancient Greek theater, including the use of masks, stylized acting, and the chorus. The script delves into the architectural design for acoustics and the theatrical elements such as prologues, episodes, and exodos. The video concludes with the impact of Greek theater on expressing themes of life, death, and divine will.

Takeaways

• 🎭 Ancient Greek theater originated from religious rites and was used to honor gods and mark the coming of spring.
• 🏆 Playwrights like Aeschylus, Sophocles, and Euripides wrote plays for performance and judgment at Dionysian festivals.
• 📜 Playwrights had to submit three tragedies and one comedy to compete in these contests, evaluated by a panel of judges.
• 📚 Very few ancient Greek plays have survived to the present day.
• 🏟️ The ancient Greek theater was an open-air, semi-circular structure built into hills, resembling a primitive sports stadium.
• 🎟️ Some theaters, like the Athenian, could seat nearly 17,000 spectators in tiered seating.
• 💃 The chorus, originally a group of men led by a coragos, performed in the orchestra, which was the dancing place.
• 🎭 Actors performed on a platform with a skene (building) behind them, used for entrances, exits, and backdrops.
• 🔊 The theater was designed for excellent acoustics, with the skene's wall reflecting sound and the amphitheater's shape capturing it.
• 🎭 Actors wore stylized masks (personae) to convey character traits and used high shoes (kothurny) to project their voices.
• 👤 Typically, three actors played all speaking roles, with the protagonist having the largest part, and other characters often silent.
• 📝 Greek tragedies were structured into five parts: prologue, parodos, episodes, stasimon, and exodus, each serving a specific narrative function.

Q & A

What did Professor Wilnabantai discuss in the previous week's lecture?

In the previous week's lecture, Professor Wilnabantai discussed the beginning of Greek drama and introduced the playwrights Aeschylus, Sophocles, and Euripides.

How did the dramatic presentations of ancient Greece originate?

The dramatic presentations of ancient Greece originated from religious rites performed to honor gods or to mark the coming of spring.

What were the playwrights required to submit for the Dionysian festivals' competitions?

Playwrights had to submit three tragedies, which could be either based on a common theme or unrelated, and one comedy to compete in the contest.

What was the typical seating capacity of the Athenian theater?

The Athenian theater could seat almost 17,000 spectators.

What was the role of the chorus in ancient Greek theater?

The chorus, originally a group of men led by a coragos, danced and later became a group of onlookers who commented on the drama.

What was the purpose of the 'skene' in ancient Greek theater?

The 'skene' served as a resting place or dressing room for the actors and later became a place for painted backdrops.

What mechanical devices were used in ancient Greek theater to enhance the drama?

A rolling cart or platform and a small crane were used to introduce action off-stage and to show gods ascending or descending from heaven.

How did the ancient Greek theater design enhance acoustics for the audience?

The flat stone wall of the skene reflected sound, and the curved shape of the amphitheater captured the sound, enabling the audience to hear the actors clearly.

What did the stylized masks worn by actors in ancient Greek theater represent?

The stylized masks conveyed the personality traits of the characters being portrayed, such as a king, a soldier, a wise old man, or a young girl.

How many actors typically had speaking roles in ancient Greek tragedies?

Typically, three actors had all the speaking roles in ancient Greek tragedies.

What was the structure of an ancient Greek tragedy?

An ancient Greek tragedy was typically divided into five parts: prologue, parodos, episodes, stasimon, and exodus.

Outlines

00:00

🎭 Ancient Greek Theater and Its Origins

This paragraph delves into the origins of Greek drama, highlighting the contributions of Aeschylus, Sophocles, and Euripides. It explains that ancient Greek theater evolved from religious rites and was part of the Dionysian festivals. Playwrights competed by submitting three tragedies and one comedy to be judged by a panel. The paragraph describes the structure of the ancient Greek theater, including its seating capacity, the role of the chorus, and the use of the orchestra. It also discusses the architectural features like the skene, colonnade, and the use of painted backdrops. The mechanical devices used to enhance storytelling, such as rolling carts and cranes, are also mentioned, emphasizing the theater's focus on acoustics and the use of stylized masks and costumes to convey character traits.

05:03

🎭 Performance Techniques and Structure of Ancient Greek Tragedies

The second paragraph explores the performance techniques and structural elements of ancient Greek theater. It discusses the use of masks and high shoes (kothory) to amplify the actors' voices and their stylized acting methods, which were not realistic but rather expressive through gesture and tone. The paragraph outlines the typical structure of a Greek tragedy, including the prologue, parodos, episodia, stasimon, and exodus. It explains the role of the chorus in commenting on the action and the division of speaking roles among the actors, with one protagonist and two supporting actors. The paragraph concludes by emphasizing the use of music, dance, and verse to convey traditional themes and the central ideas of the religious festivals, such as the cycles of life and death, the will of the gods, and the concept of fate.

Keywords

💡Greek Drama

Greek Drama refers to the theatrical tradition that originated in ancient Greece. It is the foundation of Western theater and includes genres like tragedy and comedy. In the script, the theme of Greek drama is central, as it discusses the development of this art form from religious rites to competitive performances by playwrights such as Aeschylus, Sophocles, and Euripides.

💡Aeschylus

Aeschylus was an ancient Greek playwright known for his tragedies and is considered one of the three great tragedians of classical Athens. The script mentions him as one of the playwrights whose works were performed and judged at the Dionysian festivals, highlighting his significant role in the evolution of Greek drama.

💡Sophocles

Sophocles, like Aeschylus, is one of the preeminent playwrights of ancient Greece, known for his profound tragedies. The script refers to him in the context of the plays submitted to the Dionysian festivals and notes his contribution to the dramatic arts through the use of painted backdrops in his plays.

💡Euripides

Euripides is the third of the great Athenian tragedians discussed in the script. His plays are known for their emotional depth and complex characters. The script positions Euripides alongside Aeschylus and Sophocles as key figures in the development of Greek theater, emphasizing their collective impact on dramatic presentations.

💡Dionysian Festivals

Dionysian Festivals were celebrations in honor of Dionysus, the Greek god of wine and theater. The script explains that the dramatic presentations of ancient Greece developed out of these religious rites and were performed during the yearly festivals, serving as a platform for playwrights to showcase their work in competitions.

💡Theater Architecture

The architecture of ancient Greek theaters is characterized by open-air, semi-circular structures built into hillsides, resembling modern sports stadiums. The script describes the seating arrangement, the orchestra, and the stage setup, which included a platform for actors and a 'skene' building for backdrops and entrances/exits, illustrating the physical environment in which Greek drama was performed.

💡Chorus

The chorus in Greek theater was a group of performers who danced and commented on the drama. Initially led by a 'coragos,' the chorus later became a group of onlookers providing commentary. The script explains the role of the chorus as an integral part of the performance, situated in the orchestra and interacting with the main actors.

💡Masks

Masks, or 'personae,' were used by actors in ancient Greek theater to convey the personality traits of their characters. The script mentions that these stylized masks likely had constructed mouths to amplify the voice, allowing the audience to hear the actors clearly without modern amplification systems.

💡Acoustics

Acoustics in ancient Greek theaters were designed to enhance the audibility of the actors' voices. The script describes how the flat stone wall of the 'skene' and the curved shape of the amphitheater captured and reflected sound, ensuring that the audience could hear the lines spoken by the actors clearly.

💡Cothurnus

The 'cothurnus' refers to the high shoes worn by actors in ancient Greek theater. The script mentions these shoes as a means to elevate the actors above the stage, potentially aiding in voice projection and enhancing their presence during performances.

💡Tragedy Structure

The script outlines the typical structure of ancient Greek tragedies, which included the prologue, parados, episodes, stasima, and exodus. This structure provided a framework for the development and resolution of the central conflict in the play, showcasing the traditional themes of tragedy.

Highlights

Introduction to ancient Greek drama and playwrights Aeschylus, Sophocles, and Euripides.

Ancient Greek theater's origin from religious rites to honor gods and mark the coming of spring.

Plays were performed and judged at Dionysian festivals, with a selection board and panel of judges.

Playwrights submitted three tragedies and one comedy to compete in the contest.

Few ancient Greek plays have survived to the present day.

Description of the ancient Greek theater's structure, resembling a primitive sports stadium.

The Athenian theater's capacity to seat nearly 17,000 spectators.

The chorus's role in the orchestra, originally led by a coragos.

The platform for actors to perform and the skinny or building behind it.

Use of painted backdrops in the theater, starting with Sophocles.

Lack of realistic props and scenery, with settings suggested by the play and dialogue.

Mechanical devices like rolling carts and cranes to introduce off-stage action and divine presence.

The ancient Greek theater's design to enhance acoustics for clear audience hearing.

Actors' use of stylized masks to convey character personalities.

Actors elevated by kothorny, high shoes, possibly aiding voice projection.

Non-realistic acting methods due to masks, high shoes, and full-length tunics.

Three actors performing all speaking roles, with the protagonist having the largest part.

Structure of ancient Greek tragedies into prologue, paradise, episodes, stasimon, and exodus.

Use of music, dance, verse, and architectural innovations to convey traditional themes of tragedy.

Expression of central religious festival ideas such as life and death cycles, divine dictates, and fate.

Upcoming discussion on Aristotle's Poetics in the next video.

Transcripts

[Music]

[Music]

hi everyone i am professor wilnabantai

of the department of arts and letters

last week we discussed about the

beginning of greek drama and we were

introduced to aeschylus sophocles and

euripides

this week we will discuss the ancient

greek theater

the dramatic presentations of ancient

greece develop out of religious rites

performed to honor gods or to mark the

coming of spring

playwrights such as aeschylus

sophocles and europeas

wrote plays to be performed and judged

at competitions

held during the yearly dionysian

festivals

works were chosen by a selection board

and evaluated by a panel of judges

to compete in the contest

writers had to submit three tragedies

which could be either based on a common

theme or unrelated

and one comedy

unfortunately

very few of this ancient greek place

survived today

the open air semi-circular ancient greek

theater

built into the side of a hill

looked much like a primitive version of

a modern sports stadium some brick

theaters

such as the athenian theater could seat

almost

17 000 spectators

sitting in tiered seats

the audience would look down on the

orchestra

or dancing place

occupied by the chorus

originally a group of men

led by an individual called the coragos

who danced enchanted

and later a group of onlookers who

commented on the drama

raced a few steps above the orchestra

was a platform

on which the actors performed

behind this platform was a skinny

or building

that originally served as a resting

place or dressing room

behind the skinny was a line of pillars

called a colonnade

which was covered by a roof

actors used the skinny for entrances and

exits

beginning with a place of sophocles

painted backdrops were hung there

these backdrops however were most likely

more decorative than realistic

historians believe that realistic props

and scenery were probably absent from

the ancient greek theater

instead

the setting was suggested by the place

dialogue

and the audience had to imagine

the physical details of a scene

two mechanical devices were used

one a rolling cart or platform was

sometimes employed to introduce action

that had occurred off stage

for example

actors frozen in position could be

rolled onto the roof of the skinny to

illustrate an event such as the killing

of edipuses father

which occurred before the play began

another mechanical device

a small crane was used to show

god's ascending to

or descending from heaven

such devices enabled playwrights to

dramatize the myths that were celebrated

at the dionysian festivals

the ancient greek theater was designed

to enhance acoustics

the flat stone wall of the skinny

reflected the sound from the orchestra

and the stage

and the curved shape of the amphitheater

captured the sound

enabling the audience to hear the lines

spoken by the actors

each actor wore a stylized mask

or persona

to convey to the audience the

personality traits of the particular

character being portrayed

for example a king a soldier a wise old

man

a young girl

the mouths of these masks were probably

constructed so they amplify the voice

and projected it into the audience

in addition the actors were kothorny

a high shoes that elevated them above

the stage

perhaps also helping to project their

voices

due to the excellent acoustics the

audiences who see plays performed in

this ancient theatres today

can hear clearly without the aid of

microphones or speaker systems

because actors wear masks and because

males play the parts of women and gods

as well as men

acting methods in the ancient greek

theater were probably not realistic

in their masks

high shoes

and full-length tunics

actors could not hope to appear natural

or to mimic the attitudes of everyday

life

instead

they probably recited their lines while

standing in stylized poses

with emotions

conveyed more by gesture and tone

than by action

typically

three actors had all the speaking roles

one actor the protagonist would play the

central role

and have the largest speaking part

two other actors would divide the

remaining lines between them

although

other characters would come on and off

the stage

they would usually not have speaking

rules

ancient greek tragedies were typically

divided into five parts

the first part was the prologus or

prologue

in which an actor gave the background or

explanations that the audience needed to

follow the rest of the drama

then came the paradise

in which the corpse entered and

commented on the events presented in the

prologue

following this were several episodia

or episodes

in which characters spoke to one another

on the stage and developed the central

conflict of the play

alternating with episodes were stassimon

in which the chorus commented on the

exchanges that had taken place during

the preceding episode

frequently

the coral oats were divided into

trophies

or stanzas

which were recited or sung as the chorus

moved across the orchestra in one

direction

and

anti-strophies

which were recited as it moved in the

opposite direction

the fifth part was the exodus

the last scene of the play

during which the conflict was resolved

and the actors left the stage

using music

dance and verse as well as a variety of

architectural and technical innovations

the ancient greek theater was able to

convey the traditional themes of tragedy

thus

the greek theater powerfully expressed

ideas

that were central to the religious

festivals

in which they first appeared

the reverence for the cycles of life and

death the unavoidable dictates of the

gods

and the inscrutable workings of

fate

next week we'll talk about the poetics

of aristotel

again i am professor will nevantai of

the department of arts and letters thank

you for listening see you in our next

video

[Music]

you