Greek Tragedy Structure and Literary Allusions

Greek Tragedy Structure

Recall that a playwright divides the play into different Acts that are similar to chapters in a book. Greek tragedies follow a different structure than the typical Five Act Structure that divides the five plot points across five acts. Instead, the Greek Tragedy typically follows a Three Act Structure divided into Protasis, Epitasis, and Catastrophe:

Preview an example of a Three Act Structure featuring the great Greek Tragedy, Oedipus Rex.

The Chorus in the Greek Drama

Although the chorus in the English Drama might be one person, the chorus in the Greek Drama is an important part of the play and might consist of 12-50 actors who sing, dance, and speak throughout the play. Many historians believe that the chorus should appear as one of the actors in the play and blend seamlessly into the performance.

In the Greek Drama, the purpose of the chorus is:

• To comment on themes
• To summarize information
• To provide background information
• To express the hidden thoughts that actors could not say

Allusions and the Greek Drama

Remember that when a writer uses a casual or indirect reference to something else such as another work of literature, a historical event, a biblical story, or mythology, they are using allusions in their works.

Many allusions used today come from the world of Ancient Greece including their gods, goddesses, and dramas. View the video below to review allusions in the world today:

Tragedy Elements Self-Assessment

After you clearly understand the structure of a Greek Tragedy, practice your understanding below:

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