Antigone by Sophocles

1. Antigone by Sophocles Mrs. Gonzalez English 2

2. Origin of tragedy • Religious Festivals • Honoring Dionysus, the god of wine and fertility. • Died each winter but was reborn each spring • Dionysia: a festival in March or April lasting five days • Dithyrambs, choral lyrics in honor of Dionysus, = 50 men who sang around an alter • A goat was sacrificed to the god; thus tragedy (goat-song) was born • Thespis • Introduced an answerer (or actor) who dialoged with the leader of the Chorus. • Invented Drama. • Aeschylus • Introduced second actor (dialogue between characters). Dialogue became more important. • Wrote in trilogies (three plays based on a single story or theme.

3. Sophocles • Wrote more than 120 plays, but only 7 have survived. • Introduced the 3rd actor and lowered the Chorus to 15. • His trilogies ran out of order. Antigone was presented first, then Oedipus Rex and Oedipus at Colonus • Euripides • Most tragic of the three great playwrights. • Sought to humanize his characters and make his conflicts more real • Chorus was not important, detached from the main action • Opened his plays with a speech • “the god from the machine”: an ending of his plays with intervention from heaven.

4. Structure of Theater • 1st plays: audience stood to watch or sat on a hillside. • Wooden seats and stone benches came later • Theatron(watching-place): horseshoe-shaped viewing area allowed for 15,000-16,000 citizens (male, free Greeks) • Orchestra (dancing place): in front and surrounded on three sides by the viewing area • Thymele: alter to Dionysus, stood in the center. (Actors and Chorus performed here) • Skene: behind orchestra, changing hut/dressing room • Proskenion: back drop for the plays • Parados: the entrance to the orchestra used by the Chorus.

5. Actors and Acting • Hypocrite (actor): actor played a role or deceived an audience. • Actor and Playwright were one. • Protagonist (first contestant): played star role, messenger • Deuteragonist: second actor • Tritagonist: third actor • A play could have as many characters as was written, but only 3 actors played the roles. • Unlimited number of extras or mutes • All roles by men • Costumes and Masks allowed for the role differences • Robes with long flowing sleeves; boots with raised soles, and larger than life masks combined with sweeping gestures • Masks identified gender, age, and emotions. • Open mouth was said to have increased the resonance of the actor’s voice.

7. Chorus • Greek Tragedy: lyrical (to be sung). • Musicians were an important part of celebrations • Each instrument (flute, lyre, trumpet) had an emotional effect on the listener • Dance: any expressive rhythmical movement • Chorus moved in unison • Helped set the modd, added beauty to the production, provided background information, divided action into episodes, and reflected on events and themes. • Background characters (town elders, young maidens, or captives) • Asked questions, commented on actions, offered approval or criticism and gave advice

8. Conventions • Unity of action • Single action with no subplots • Unity of time • Limited to a period of 24 hours • Unity of place • Unchanging scene