3. Main Characters
Dionysus = god of wine (grapes)
Thespis = first playwright (boring)
Aristotle = wrote Poetics
(about drama)
4. Tragic Playwrights
Aeschylus (It was all like public speaking)
Formal characterization
Added second actor
Sophocles
Added third actor
Considered the tragic ideal
Euripides
Less formal
Wrote about the underdog
5. What the big guy wrote
Sophocles
Oedipus trilogy
Oedipus the King
o Guy kills dad, marries mom
Oedipus at Colonus
o Guy wanders, dies
Antigone
o Girl breaks law, hangs self,
everyone dies
6. Style of Greek drama
Who?
Men, boys played all characters
No women
What?
Tragedy
When?
Festival for Dionysus
Daytime
7. Style of Greek drama
Where?
Amphitheatre
Why?
Honor the gods
Entertainment
How?
Bare stage
Formal acting more like public speaking
8. Tragedy
or
Whose Fault Is It, Anyway?
Five key elements
Good, noble, upper class man
Hubris
Tragic flaw
– Pride
Bad decisions
Falls
Dies
9. Tragedy Part II
or
A Tale of Two Feelings
Two emotions
Described by Aristotle
Fear
Pity
Catharsis
Purging of the emotions
11. Roman Drama
or
Is this a dagger I see before me?
Romans didn’t do much
drama
Mostly comedy
Violent entertainment
Chariot racing
Gladiator fights
Naval battles
Enemies (often Christians)
and lions
12. Life and Death
or
To Be or Not To Be
Greeks
Valued life
Philosophy for fun
Thinkers
Drama
No violence (drama)
Romans
Valued fighting
Violence for fun
Fighters
Not much drama
Violence (everything)