An introduction to the beginnings of theater Aristotles 6 Elements of Theater In this order 1 Plot The arrangement of events on stage 2 Character The agents of the plot 3 Theme The reason the playwright wrote the play ID: 585474
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Slide1
Ancient Greek Theater
An introduction to the beginnings of theater.Slide2
Aristotle’s 6 Elements of Theater
(In this order:)
1. Plot- The arrangement of events on stage
2. Character- The agents of the plot
3. Theme- The reason the playwright wrote the play
4. Language- Dramatic language is both dramatic and narrative
5. Rhythm- Every aspect has a rhythm and together they create the mood of the play
6. Spectacle- Everything seen or heard on stageSlide3
Grecian Theater
550 BC-220 BC
Athens was the center of the action
Every year there was a festival called Dionysia (like an Aquatennial or Town & Country Days) where they honored the god, Dionysus (god of harvest & wine)
Greeks used to perform plays at festivals to honor their godsSlide4
Where did they perform?
Amphitheaters were built so that the shows could be seen by the masses as well as accommodate a large cast on stage.
12+ actors
14,000+ viewers
They used the uneven landscape as a resource to set these huge arenas.
Eventually, a wall or backdrop was added to the set as the theater productions grew. Slide5Slide6Slide7Slide8
What about the acting?
Dudes only. Women did not act. Typically they were not in the audience either.
Three genres: Tragedy, Comedy, & Satyr (Tragicomedy)
The festivals were also competitions.
There was typically a “chorus” of about 12-15 actors. (They didn’t really sing)
They would also wear masks as a way to exaggerate their faces to the crowds and to appear as one personSlide9
A little more about the acting
Actors would wear metal on the bottom of their shoes to create a louder sound from their dance steps (thus is born, the first tap shoe)
The lead roles went to high society members.
People would go all out on their acting.
If the character gets stabbed--the actor actually gets stabbed.
Or dies. (They would use prisoners for actors)Slide10
Who writes the plays?
4 dudes to know: Aeschylus, Sophocles, Euripides, AristophanesSlide11
Aeschylus
Father of Tragedy
Most famous play
The Persians
It’s about how the Persians won a battle and killed all but one dude.
And
The Suppliants
These like 50 sisters have to marry their cousins.
They flee and ask a king for help. He does.
The cousins come & he shoos them away.Slide12
Sophocles
Wrote over 123 plays...only 7 survived
Oedipus Trilogy
Kills his dad. He marries his mom. They have kids. She realizes he is her son. Kills herself. He pokes his eyes out. He’s exiled.
Antigone
She wants to bury her brothers.
Her fiance dies. Slide13
Euripides
Wrote about 92 plays, about 18 survived
Hippolytus
He won’t do it with his step mom.
She kills herself and leaves a note saying that He raped her. His dad reads it. Hipp. gets exiled and then the truth comes out but he’s half dead. He dies.Slide14
Aristophanes
He came in after the other three had died
The Frogs
Basically Dante’s Inferno. Dionysus goes down into hell to bring Euripides back from the dead
Lysistrata
Women won’t do it with their husbands because the men make all the decisions and then go to war. The women won the battleSlide15
References
http://bellevuecollege.edu/artshum/materials/drama/Hoffman/101SIXARISTOAPLAYspr03.asp
http://www.ancientgreece.com/s/Theatre/