Week 1_ Intro to Ancient Greek Tragedy (2)

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Apr 3, 2024

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Topic 1: Ancient Greek Tragedy Topic Objectives: - Describe the historical significance of Greek tragedy. - Describe the qualities of Ancient Greek tragedy. - Apply Aristotelian principles of analysis to Greek tragedy. - Analyze Greek tragedy. History of Greek Tragedy ● Festival ○ City Dionysia ■ Civic and religious ■ 534 BCE - first competition for tragedy ■ Entries included 3 tragedies and 1 satyr play ○ Lenaia ■ Civic and religious, though not as foundational as the City Dionysia ■ 2 dramatists presented 2 plays (no satyr plays) ○ Rural Dionysia ■ Celebrations for fertility, harvest ● Civic obligation ○ Elected officials organized and managed the festivals ○ Massive audiences as people celebrated their cities, honored those in war, etc. ● Religious obligation ○ Celebration of Dionysis, the god of wine, celebration, theatre ○ Play celebrations included animal sacrifices, prayers ○ Gods were honored within the plays themselves Significance of Greek Tragedy ● Origins of Western theatre ● Distinction between oratory and performance ○ Thespis ● Plot structures and character development are foundational to the development of theatre Aristotelian Elements ● Plot ○ Complex vs. Simple ○ Peripeteia ○ Anagnorisis ○ Catharsis ● Character

○ Tragic hero vs. supporting character ○ Hamartia, Hubris ● Thought ● Language/Diction ● Song/Meter/Rhythm ● Spectacle How does this information translate into actually reading the plays? How do you create the play presentation? Play Presentation P ART 1 (5-7 MINUTES ) - A RISTOTELIAN P RINCIPLES Analyze the Aristotelian Principles within the play. Provide brief examination of the central conflict, characters, language/diction, thought/theme, song, and spectacle. This should not be a summary of the play, but a focused analysis. Use specific textual examples from the play as evidence of the analysis. P ART 2 (5-7 MINUTES ) - C ONTEXTUAL I NFORMATION Provide contextual information (Playwright, History of Production, etc.) that is relevant to our understanding of the play, the playwright, and the larger dramatic impact. P ART 3 - D ISCUSSION Q UESTIONS Using the text itself and the information given in the first two segments of the presentation, prepare 10 thoughtful, analytical, and interpretive questions about the play. The questions should be open-ended (not yes or no). Utilize the text and specific passages as evidence. P ART 4 - A NNOTATED B IBLIOGRAPHY OF R ESEARCH Create an annotated bibliography research that includes at least three critical, peer- reviewed scholarly sources about the play, playwright, dramatic movement, or other important contextual information. Each entry should be 2-3 sentences and be formatted using MLA style. P ART 1: P LAY A NALYSIS Aristotelian Analysis for The Oresteia 1. Plot: a. What is the central conflict for each play in the trilogy? b. How does the plot structure impact the other elements of the play? c. How does the plot create catharsis?

2. Character: a. Who is the tragic hero for each play? What textual elements support this reading? b. How does the character struggle with their tragic flaw? How do they engage with both peripeteia and anagnorisis? 3. Thought: a. What is the central theme of the play(s)? What is the textual evidence that supports this reading? 4. Diction/Language: a. How does the diction/language support plot, character, and thought? b. How does the diction/language create distinctions between characters? 5. Song/Meter/Rhythm: a. How does the sound of the play(s) impact the presentation? b. A note: This element can also refer to the pacing of the play. 6. Spectacle: a. What are the sensory (especially visual) images created, whether through language, stage directions, or production? b. How does spectacle impact the presentation? Backwards & Forwards Analysis for The Oresteia 1. Trigger & heap process: What happens to make something else happen? a. Focus is on how the play is constructed, which reveals the Aristotelian elements. 2. Proposes questions of how and why : a. Based on what characters do (lines, behaviors, actions) b. Example: How does Clytemnestra convince Agamemnon to walk on the carpets? P ART 2: C ONTEXTUAL I NFORMATION P LAYWRIGHT B IOGRAPHY – A ESCHYLUS ● c.525-455BCE ● Turned to playwriting because of a dream of Dionysus, and his first play was performed when he was 26 years old. ● Fought for Athens against the Persians at Marathon (490BCE); fought again in 480 at Salamis (likely inspiration for his tragedy The Persians ) o During Aeschylus’ time, Athens was a thriving economic center in Ancient Greece. The foundations of democracy and representative government were established (for some offices, officials were elected by lottery), and public assistance systems were used to help those in extreme poverty or disadvantage. ● Estimated that he wrote up to 90 tragedies, but only seven have survived. o The Oresteia ( Agamemnon, The Libation Bearers, The Eumenides ), The Persians, The Supplicants, Seven Against Thebes, Prometheus Bound

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