I challenge myself here to write up seven elementary “plot outlines”—I call them overviews—for seven Greek tragedies: (1) Agamemnon and (2) Libation-Bearers and (3) Eumenides, by Aeschylus; (4)
Oedipus at Colonus
and (5) Oedipus Tyrannus, by Sophocles; (6) Hippolytus and (7) Bacchae (or Bacchic Women), by Euripides.
What is considered Greek tragedy?
Greek tragedy
is a form of
theatre
from Ancient
Greece
and Anatolia. It reached its most significant form in Athens in the 5th century BC, the works of which are sometimes called Attic
tragedy
. … In
tragic theatre
, however, these narratives were presented by actors.
What is the greatest Greek tragedy?
Oedipus Rex
is often considered the greatest Greek tragedy, encapsulating masterfully all Greek tragedy elements; it has a likable protagonist, a sharp climax, expressive, rhythmic literary work, as well as a plethron of meaningful themes; it is without a doubt a drama that has stood the test of time!
What are the three Greek tragedies?
Blood, gore, thrills, chills, and romance abound in these plays by three of the great Greek authors. Included are “
Medea” by Euripides
; “Antigone” by Sophocles; and “Agamemnon” by Aeschylus.
What are the 5 Greek tragedy terms?
- Anagnorisis*
- Bathos and pathos*
- Catharsis*
- Chorus*
- Empathy and sympathy*
- Hamartia*
- Hubris*
- Nuntius*
What is the shortest Greek play?
There is also
the Rhesus
, the shortest Greek tragedy we have, which may be by Euripides. Other tragedians whose work is now lost include Phrynichus, Choerilus and Pratinas—all of whom wrote before Aeschylus—and the sons of Phrynichus and Pratinas who belonged to the generation of Aeschylus and Sophocles.
What are 3 rules that Greek tragedy must follow?
Unities, in drama, the three principles derived by French classicists from Aristotle’s Poetics; they require a play to have a single action represented as occurring in a single place and within the course of a day. These principles were called, respectively,
unity of action, unity of place, and unity of time.
What is the purpose of a Greek tragedy?
Tragedy: Tragedy dealt with the big themes of
love, loss, pride, the abuse of power and the fraught relationships between men and gods
. Typically the main protagonist of a tragedy commits some terrible crime without realizing how foolish and arrogant he has been.
What are the four major qualities of a Greek drama?
The four major qualities of Greek drama were that they were performed for special occasions (such as festivals),
they were competitive (prizes were awarded for the best show)
, they were choral (singing was a large part of drama, and the chorus was all men, about 3 to 50 of them), and they were closely associated with …
What are the 6 elements of Greek tragedy?
In Poetics, he wrote that drama (specifically tragedy) has to include 6 elements:
plot, character, thought, diction, music, and spectacle
.
Do all Greek tragedies end in death?
Misconception #1: All Greek tragedies have a “tragic” ending, in which the protagonist suffers some kind of downfall. … In fact,
many of our surviving Greek tragedies do not end with the protagonist dying
or suffering any kind of horrible fate or downfall at all.
What was a Greek tragedy like in structure?
The basic structure of a Greek tragedy is fairly simple. After a prologue spoken by one or more characters, the
chorus enters, singing and dancing
. Scenes then alternate between spoken sections (dialogue between characters, and between characters and chorus) and sung sections (during which the chorus danced).
What famous ancient Greek tragedies are still enjoyed today?
- Oedipus Rex by Sophocles. This classic tragedy is still read and performed today. …
- Prometheus Bound by Aeschylus. Though Aeschylus wrote two other plays about Prometheus, Prometheus Bound is the most popular and influential. …
- Medea by Euripedes. …
- The Persians by Sophocles. …
- Antigone by Sophocles.
What is Orestes tragic flaw?
Orestes is in exile and does not appear on stage during Agamemnon, but the Chorus hints he will return to avenge his father’s death. Orestes is often considered a tragic hero, a character whose errors in judgment lead to his downfall. Aristotle calls the tragic hero’s
judgment error hamartia
, or a fatal flaw.
What is tragedy Aristotle?
“Tragedy,” says Aristotle, “is
an imitation [
mimēsis] of an action that is serious, complete, and of a certain magnitude…through pity and fear effecting the proper purgation [catharsis] of these emotions.” Ambiguous means may be employed, Aristotle maintains in contrast to Plato, to a virtuous and purifying end.
What does Peripeteia mean in English?
Peripeteia, (Greek: “
reversal
”) the turning point in a drama after which the plot moves steadily to its denouement. It is discussed by Aristotle in the Poetics as the shift of the tragic protagonist’s fortune from good to bad, which is essential to the plot of a tragedy.
