1. Ancient Greek Theater Ms. Aixa B. Rodriguez World Cultures Theme Mythology Unit ESL L5 and Art in Literature Class High School for World Cultures Bronx, NY
35. The satyrs were mythical half-human, half-goat servants of Dionysus.
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37. What made GREEK THEATER unique? used a chorus The choric dithyrambs (choral songs) were originally about the death and resurrection of Dionysus (the god of wine and revelry). Chorus reflects what the audience is thinking “color commentary” Provides background and spectacle
38. What is the function of a chorus? The first function of the chorus was as narrator (telling stories, providing information). to bridge the gap between the audience and the players by making responses and asking questions
39. What is the function of a chorus? to intensify the emotion and establish a lyric mood through rhythmic chanting and dance to maintain a sense of ceremony and ritual
40. How was Music and Song used in greek theatre? The chorus could punctuate the action of a play with bursts of song and dance, which enlarged the dramatic action and relieved tension. Instruments used to accompany choric songs and dances included flutes, lyres, horns, drums, and bells.
41. How was Music and Song used in greek theatre? The ‘Parados’ (chorus entrance) marks the beginning of the play, and the exodus(its exit) the ending. Singing Dancing Strophe (1 section of a lyric poem in a Greek drama) Antistrophe (answer)
42. What was the size of the Chorus? As the number of actors increased from one to three, the size of the chorus, which originally numbered 50, was reduced. 12-15 men
43. Did the chorus ever act? The Chorus could play the worshipers of a God, or as in Oedipus, the villagers and Theban elders (town leaders).
51. What were the functions of the masks? to masks bring the characters' face closer to the audience. to enable an actor to play in several different roles.
52. What were the functions of the masks? to help the audience to distinguish sex, age, and social status, in addition to revealing a change in a particular character’s emotions and appearance. a mask—called a “persona” Masks contained “megaphone” to amplify their voices
53. Sound Assistance Another adaptation that the Greeks' developed for their theatre masks were special mouths that acted like megaphones to amplify their voice for everyone in the huge theatre to hear.
54. How did masks help visibility and characterization? Actors wore masks with exaggerated facial features and expressions to make it easy for all viewers to identify a particular character because theatres were very large.
55. What is the history of Greek Masks? Greek actors originally started wearing masks that were very human like that just covered part of the face Eventually with the increase in theatre size the mask changed as well The mask then began to cover the whole head and resembled legends from Greek mythology not humans
56. How were masks made? usually made by the people that who wore them in the play from consisted of cloth, leather, and wood with animal hair and painted or died different colors with flowers and other plants attached to them. Famous actors in bigger plays may have had jewels and other ornate items placed on their masks
62. SOPHOCLES496 BC to 406 BC Son of wealthy Athenian merchant Lived during golden age of Athens Center of democracy Important figure in society Becomes cultural spokesperson Noted playwright Wrote primarily tragedies Witnessed decline of Athens 495 B.C.E. :Born in Colonus, in Attica 441: Writes Antigone 431-404: Peloponnesian War (Athens v. Sparta) 429: Writes Oedipus Rex 406: Sophocles dies
63. What were the prophecies in Oedipus the King? Oedipus: “Aye, 'tis no secret. Apollo once foretold That I should mate with mine own mother, and shed With my own hands the blood of my own sire. Hence Corinth was for many a year to me. A home distant; and I trove abroad, But missed the sweetest sight, my parents' face. ” Jocasta: “An oracle Once came to Laius, I will not say 'Twasfrom the Delphic god himself, but from His ministers, declaring he was doomed to perish by the hand of his own son, A child that should be born to him by me.
64. Oedipus Rex Delphic Oracle, prophecy Corinth and Thebes Sphinx riddle Self-punishment Children: Eteocles, Polyneices, Ismene, Antigone
72. Oedipus Plot A messenger from Corinth also arrives to inform Oedipus of the death of Polybus, whom Oedipus still believes is his real father. The messenger informs him that he was in fact adopted and his real parentage is unknown. In the subsequent discussions Jocasta guesses the truth and runs away. Oedipus is stubborn A 2nd messenger arrives and reveals that Jocasta has hanged herself Oedipus, upon discovering her body, blinds himself with the golden brooches on her dress. The play ends with Oedipus entrusting his children to Creon and leaving in exile, as he promised would be the fate of Laius' murderer. The play begins years after Oedipus is given the throne of Thebes. The chorus of Thebans cries out to Oedipus for salvation from the plague sent by the gods in response to Laius' murder. The blind prophet, Teiresias, is called to aid Oedipus in his search; He warns Oedipus not to follow through with the investigation. Oedipus accuses him of being the murderer, even though Teiresias is blind and aged. Oedipus promises to exile the man responsible for it. Oedipus accuses Teiresias of conspiring with Creon, Jocasta's brother, to overthrow him. Oedipus calls for one of Laius' former servants, the only surviving witness of the murder, who fled the city when Oedipus became king to avoid being the one to reveal the truth.
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74. Dramatic Irony in Oedipus Story revolves around two different unsuccessful attempts to change the course of fate: Jocasta and Laius's killing of Oedipus at birth and Oedipus's flight from Corinth later on. Jocasta kills her son only to find him married to her. Oedipus leaves Corinth only to find that he has carried out the oracle's words.
75. Dramatic Irony … cont. Oedipus counts on his own ability not the gods. The irony is, of course, that the oracles and Oedipus's reasoning lead to the same outcome. Oedipus is a thinker. His intelligence is what makes him great, yet it is also what makes him tragic. Marriage to Jocasta and ruling Thebes was the prize for ridding Thebes of the Sphinx. Oedipus's intelligence, a trait that brings him closer to the gods, is what causes him to commit the most terrible of all sins. In killing the Sphinx, Oedipus is the city's savior, but in killing Laius (and marrying Jocasta), he is cause of the plague that has struck the city at the play's opening. Sight here means two different things. Oedipus is blessed with perception. But he is blind to the truth, for all he seeks it. Oedipus is human and we recognize this in his agonizing reaction to his sin. Watching this, the audience is moved to both pity and fear: pity for this broken man, and fear that his tragedy could be our own. Watching this tragedy gives us the audience a sense of purging. This is the catharsis which Aristotle spoke of.
103. Sophocles’ Antigone Set in Thebes (a city in ancient Greece) Antigone is the daughter of Oedipus and Jocasta Antigone’s brothers, Eteokles and Polyneces, took opposite sides in a war Eteokles and Polyneces killed each other in battle Antigone’s uncle, Kreon, became king of Thebes
