1. A2 Drama : Lysistrata
Aristotle’s Poetics
Activities for CHARACTER
Activities for THEME

2. Firstly>>>
• A slide or two about the exam
• To check our understanding
• To settle any nerves
• To feel better prepared for the task ahead.

3. Unit 4- The Written Exam
• Split into 3 sections- A, B and C
• Duration – 2 hours 30 minutes
• You must answer three questions, one from Section
A, one from Section B and one from Section C.
• The marks for individual questions and the parts of
questions are shown in round brackets: e.g. (2).
• There are 11 questions in this question paper.
(sample)The total mark for this paper is 80.
• There are questions about texts which we have not
studied – don’t attempt these ones please!

4. Section A
• The assessment focus in Section A is on the candidate’s
understanding of how a director may work with a company
during the rehearsal process to create an interpretation of
the chosen text.
• Candidates will be given an extract from the chosen play that
will form the basis for the questions and will allow them to
demonstrate their understanding in relation to the specific
extract. The questions will focus solely on the extract and
explore a rehearsal structure that will enable specific criteria
to be met.
• The assessment is asking:
1. • What is the purpose of rehearsal?
2. • How is this achievable in relation to this extract?

5. Sample Question from Section A
Answer ONE question from this section.
You are the director planning a rehearsal of the section of
the play reprinted in the source
booklet.
If you answer Question 1 put a cross in this box ( ).
1. Lysistrata by Aristophanes
You should refer to the extract reproduced on pages 2–7
of the source booklet.
(a) Outline for your performers two ways they might
indicate the relationship between
Lysistrata and Calonice at the start of this extract.

6. Section B
• The assessment focus in Section B is on how the candidate
may realise an interpretation of the chosen text in
performance for a 21st-century audience.
• Candidates should consider the role of the director in
interpreting texts and bringing them to life for an
audience, and how a director may influence and/or inform
an audience through the overall approach to the text, with
specific examples in support of any decisions that are made.
• There are no ‘right’ or ‘wrong’ answers to this question except
that the interpretation offered by the candidate must remain
true to the playwright’s original intentions and therefore
have regard for the historical context of the play.

7. Sample Question Section B
• Answer ONE of the following questions in this
section.
• Lysistrata by Aristophanes
• 4. As a director, outline and justify your approach to a
production of the play staged in your chosen
performance space.
(Total 30 marks)
• 5. As a director, outline your objectives for the
character of Lysistrata in your production of the play
and give supported examples of how your ideas might
be achieved in performance
(Total 30 marks)

8. Now on with the lesson...

9. Learning OUTCOMES
1. Able to explain the three unities (of
time, place and plot)
2. Able to describe at least one activity used by
performers to understand Character
development
3. Can identify one of the play’s THEMES from a
director’s viewpoint to develop their own
interpretation of the play for a modern
audience

10. Further understanding of the play
• The Poetics of Aristotle
• Activities around PLOT
• Activities around CHARACTER
• Activities around THEME

11. Starter activity- 15 minutes
• Look at the example of Theatre programme/s
• Using pens and paper provided, create a
POSTER DESIGN for your MODERN version of
Lysistrata.
• The Poster should contain image/s which
clearly illustrate your central THEME for the
play.

13. Aristotle 384-322 BC
• Aristotle writes of the poets of his time in his
famous work The Poetics.
• He sets forth the principles of quality poetry in
order of importance:
• plot,
• character,
• thought (theme),
• language,
• song, and
• spectacle

14. Origins of Greek Plays
• Classical Greek plays originated from
dithyrambic poetry, which are short poems
written in an inspired, wild, and irregular
strain.
• (The early playwrights eventually developed the dialogue
format later recognized as dramatic literature, but the poetic
nature of the writing remained inherent. )
• Therefore, classic plays of this time are often
analyzed using Aristotelian Theory

15. Three ‘Unities’ (Yew-ni-teas)
• Classic Greek plays : A strict formula -
1. The stage represents a single locale.
2. The plot recounts the events of a single day, and
3. The actions follow one storyline with no
subplots.
• Aristotle’s dramatic structure was eventually
adopted as the rules of playwrighting and
became known as the three unities: unity of
place, time, and action.

16. Three Unities cont...
• Place. The setting of the play should be one
location, usually on the street in front of an
architectural structure.
• Time. The action of the play should represent the
passage of no more than twenty-four hours.
Previous events leading to the action are
recounted on stage as exposition.
• Action. No action or scene in the play is a
digression. All actions in the play must contribute
directly to the single plotline

17. Activity for PLOT- (20 minutes)
• List the events of the play, like a police
report, on a chart with a column for time of
day, location, and title of the action so that
you can see the progression of events and
how they fall within the three unities
Time of day Location Action

18. The Players & Characters
• As we have discussed before, originally whole play
was presented by one CHORUS
• Later the individual actor, known as hypokrites, or
“answerer,” was added to answer the calls of the
chorus. Later the single actor was called
protagonistes, meaning “first competitor.”
Protagonistes later developed into the main
character or “protagonist.”

19. Performance space creates
a style of acting
• The plays were often performed in theatres
that held thousands of spectators, therefore
the actors wore full masks of wood or leather
to help accentuate their features. The masks
had large gaping mouths carved out to aid in
vocal amplification.
• The acting style was broad and highly physical
so that all could see and hear each gesture.

20. Character Discussions and Activities
• Imagine the characters in mask. What expressions
might each character have to represent their
character and help differentiate themselves from
other characters?
• See if you can make the expression and have your
partner sketch it or photograph it. See if you can do
different but relevant masks like this for all the main
characters. (15 minutes)

21. Mask templates

22. Character discussions
• How are the male characters depicted differently than the
female characters in language, actions, and physical
appearance?
• In a play filled with common characters, which character
appears to hold the highest social standing? Why? How is this
character treated by others?
• How would modern audiences respond if Lysistrata were
performed only by men?
• How would modern audiences respond to the phalluses and
nudity?

23. Character Activity- (20 Minutes)
• Wear masks and attempt to act one or two of
the scenes in the play.
• Work on projecting your voice beyond the
mask and using exaggerated movements with
your body and full gestures so that they can
be seen from a distance
• Use the stage (or outside) to test this if it is
safe to do so.
• Discuss what it was like to act with a mask.

24. Character activity – Choral reading
• Choral readings can be very challenging to keep
together. It is difficult to remain in unison, deliver
dramatically, and be understood.
• Explore the challenges of performing in a Greek
chorus by chorally reading with 6 to 8 students
the choral odes from the text.
• First simply reading together, then add group
movements and dramatic expressions, all in
unison (20 minutes)

25. Thought/Theme
• Classic Greek comedy was the political satire of
its age. Looking at the thought or theme behind
the comedy gives modern audiences insight into
political issues in ancient Greece.
• 6 minute activity
• Do you know what the themes of the play are?
• On the next slide are 14. You have 6 minutes with
a partner to try and list as many as you can. GO

26. Themes in the Play
• 1. The war between the sexes.
• 2. Abstinence brings about peace.
• 3. Make love not war.
• 4. “Never underestimate the power of a woman.” (Lysistrata)
• 5. Behind every great man is a great woman.
• 6. Love your neighbour.
• 7. The brute man is saved by the love of a good woman.
• 8. The city folk and the country folk join forces.
• 9. The power of united nations.
• 10. Moral chaos ensues when women are missing.
• 11. The veil of silence will be lifted.
• 12. Brawn vs. Brains.
• 13. Nakedness reveals the truth
• 14. “Life with women is hell. Life without women is hell, too.” (Koryphaios
of Men)

27. Adapting the play for a modern
audience
• Using the list of themes, which ones would
seem most fitting for a modern interpretation
of the play?
• Consider how the three unities, of
location, time and action we discussed
earlier, can fit into your idea.
• Make notes in your journals/log books of your
ideas – spider diagrams are good too!
• (10 minutes)

28. Activities for THEME
• Since titles often reflect theme, suggest a
new title for the play that best reflects its
theme
• Add it to the poster you started at the
beginning of the lesson.
• Would your poster be different now that you
have considered other themes?
• (6 minutes)

29. Activities for THEME
• Although theme is often assigned to an entire play or
story, individual scenes in a play can also be assigned
themes.
• One can easily assign scene beginnings and endings
with the entrance or exit of a character. E.g., the first
scene ends when Lysistrata is no longer alone; a new
scene begins with Calonice’s entrance.
• ‘French Scene’ identification, originating from French
method of play writing predominant in the 1600-
1700’s.
• Break the remainder of the play into scenes and
identify a theme for each (20 minutes)

30. Learning OUTCOMES – check up
1. Able to explain the three unities (of
time, place and plot)
2. Able to describe at least one activity used by
performers to understand Character
development
3. Can identify one of the play’s THEMES from a
director’s viewpoint to develop their own
interpretation of the play for a modern
audience

31. Happy Easter!