Ancient Greek Drama

Greek drama grew out of choral performances at festivals for Dionysus, the god of wine and festivity. The City Dionysia in Athens was the most important dramatic festival.

Aeschylus (c. 525-456 BC) is considered the father of tragedy. He introduced the second actor to the stage, allowing dialogue between characters, and wrote the 'Oresteia,' the only surviving Greek trilogy.

The chorus was a group of performers who sang, danced, and spoke in unison. They provided background information, commented on the action, and represented ordinary citizens reacting to events.

Oedipus, investigating a plague on Thebes, discovers he has fulfilled the prophecy he tried to escape: he killed his father Laius and married his mother Jocasta. Aristotle considered it the perfect tragedy.

Aristophanes (c. 446-386 BC) is the greatest surviving writer of Old Comedy. His plays like 'Lysistrata,' 'The Birds,' and 'The Frogs' used humor and satire to comment on Athenian politics and culture.

Greek amphitheaters were built into hillsides with remarkable acoustics. The Theatre of Dionysus in Athens, which could seat up to 17,000 spectators, was the most important performance venue.

In his 'Poetics,' Aristotle described catharsis as the purging of emotions — pity and fear — that the audience experiences through watching tragedy. This remains a foundational concept in dramatic theory.

The large masks had exaggerated expressions visible from far away in the vast amphitheaters and included a built-in megaphone effect. Actors could also play multiple roles simply by changing masks.

In 'Medea' (431 BC), the sorceress Medea is abandoned by her husband Jason (of Argonaut fame) when he plans to marry the princess of Corinth. Her terrible revenge shocked ancient audiences.

'Deus ex machina' (god from the machine) referred to a god character lowered onto stage by a crane to resolve an impossible situation. Euripides was known for using this device. The term now means any contrived plot resolution.

Euripides (c. 480-406 BC) was the third great tragedian. He was known for his psychological realism and sympathetic portrayals of women and outcasts. Of his roughly 90 plays, 18 survive.

Thespis is credited as the first person to step out of the chorus and speak as an individual character, around 534 BC. This made him the first known 'actor,' and performers are still called 'thespians' in his honor.

Hubris — excessive pride or arrogance that defies the gods — is the most common tragic flaw (hamartia) in Greek tragedy. It leads characters like Oedipus and Creon to their destruction.

The 'Oresteia' (458 BC) follows the cursed House of Atreus through Agamemnon's murder by his wife Clytemnestra, their son Orestes' revenge, and his trial before Athena's court in Athens.

Winning playwrights at the City Dionysia received a crown of ivy (sacred to Dionysus) and great public honor. Three tragedians each presented a trilogy of tragedies plus a satyr play, competing for first, second, and third place.