Introduction to the Greek Drama

Drama Review

Remember that the idea of using actors and actresses to perform started thousands of years ago in Ancient Greece. Since people in Ancient Greece worshipped various gods, performances occurred during festivals to honor the gods they worshipped, and the performances most often honored the god Dionysus, who was the god of theatre. The theatres of Ancient Greece set the stage for theatres today.

Let's review the basic elements of a drama below:

Introduction to Aristotle

Aristotle was an ancient Greek philosopher who was born in 384 BC, and his goal as a philosopher was to question and study many important subject areas in life including science, art, and logic among others. One art form that Aristotle studied was the drama. Recall that according to the philosopher Aristotle, there are certain elements that make a good drama. Aristotle's ideas helped form one main type of drama—the tragedy.

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Tragedy
- When a good, kind man of importance or royalty who has admirable qualities encounters a disaster due to his own poor choices or decisions

Aristotle explains that a tragedy should unfold as follows:

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Scene 1:
- Cartoon depiction of people dead in the streets with a cartoon depiction of Zeus saying "Behold, mortal! Punishment for your pride!"
Scene 2:
- A cartoon audience watching the play in shock with two men having thought bubbles
  - Thought Bubble #1: How sad, he wasn't a bad person. What a terrible fate!
  - Thought Bubble #2: If that could happen to a person like him, it could happen to me too!
Scene 3:
- Three people who watched the play discussing it out in the streets
  - Person #1: That was a great play! The end was very moving!
  - Person #2: Yeah, it was intense, but I'm glad I saw it. Really makes you think!
  - Person #3: That's the sign of a good tragedy!

The Greek Tragedy

Previously, you learned about the English dramas and the famous playwright William Shakespeare along with the various types of dramas: comedies, tragedies, and histories among others. View the characteristics of each type of play below:

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Characteristics of Shakespeare's Plays:

Tragedies (10 Written)
- Serious themes and motifs
- Death is important
- Contains a (tragic) hero with a fatal flaw; often a nobleman
Comedies (18 Written)
- Comedic Language
- Plot Twists
- Mistaken Identity
- Wedding(s) or Reunion(s)
- Love Obstacles
Histories (10 Written)
- Propaganda for Shakespearean current events
- Real figures from England's history
- Embellishment of plot and characters

Although there are many similarities in Greek and English drama, Greek drama developed thousands of years before the English drama, and the English tragedies stem from the Greek tragedies. View the video below to further understand the elements of the Greek Tragedy

Since you have already read an English Comedy, in this module, you will have the opportunity to read a Greek Tragedy written by Sophocles.

Drama Analysis Review

Recall that one purpose of analyzing any work of literature is to find out the theme or main idea of the text. You had the opportunity in previous modules, but let's make sure to review the video below. It will take you through the 10 steps you need to follow in order to craft an in-depth analysis of a Greek tragedy that you will read later on in the module.

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