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Greek Drama

Greek

Theater

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• About Our Trip……Theater was a celebration in ancient Greece. The Athenians of the fifth century B.C. held festivals to honor Dionysus, their god of wine. During these holidays, citizens gathered to watch competitions between playwrights, who presented plays derived from well-known myths. These plays depicted events that exposed arrogance and that emphasized reverence for the gods.

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Sophocles wrote three tragedies about the royal family of Thebes, a city in northeastern Greece. These tragedies were Oedipus the King, Oedipus at Colonus, and Antigone. Antigone follows the crimes of Oedipus and the civil war between her brothers. Her Uncle Creon is now leader and order that one of her brothers will not receive burial rights. So begins Antigone…

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• Describe the structure and purpose of ancient Greek theater.

• Describe and identify the characteristics of ancient Greek drama.

• Explain the role of the Chorus.• Explain the Myth of Oedipus.• Identify the conflict in Antigone•

• .

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Orchestra- in modern drama, this is called the stage, but in Ancient Greek theater, it was called the orchestra or the dancing place of the Chorus.

Chorus- central to the production and important in interpreting the meaning of plays. Their main function was to sing and dance choral songs.

Choragos- Leader of the Chorus.Parados- Entrance song of the Chorus.Exodus- Final existing scene.Dionysus – God of winePaean- Thanksgiving to the god Dionysus

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Sophocles

Theater

Chorus

Greek Theater finds its origins in religious rites that date back to 1200 BC. The worshippers of Dionysus exhibited emotional hysteria or “ectasis” that followers related to purification. This emotional display evolved in time into Greek theater.

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Theater Travel Journal

Theater Web Links

The Structure

Theaters

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SophoclesWeb Links

Biography

The ancient Greek dramatists Sophocles wrote on hundred plays, but only seven remain in existence. His most famous are the three dealing with Oedipus Rex (Oedipus the King), Oedipus at Colonus, and Antigone. This trilogy was written over a span of forty years.

Born in Kolonos, near Athens, Sophocles was one of the most respected Greek dramatists of his time. Sophocles frequently won first place in the competitions of plays performed in the Dionysian festivals. Sophocles was mainly concerned with the search for truth and self-understanding, even when the search leads to tragedy.

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Play history

Sophocles Travel Journal

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ChorusWeb Links

Some readers think Sophocles gives so important a statement to the Chorus because he regards its members as a collective conscience for the community. Others disagree. They claim the chorus is best understood as another character who is no more or less complicated than the other players. There is no single way to interpret the chorus and its role, but most commentators stress its importance.

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Background

The Actors

Chorus Travel Journal

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