THEA 11000 Lecture Notes - Lecture 2: Lyric Poetry, Religious Festival, Aeschylus
3 Aug 2016
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Originates in 5th century athens: religious festival for dionysus that ends in playwright competition. Thespis- transforms songs into drama by stepping out of the chorus and introducing a dialogue with the chorus. Sophocles- victory of solumnus heroes: 15 chorus, 3rd actor flexibility, oedipus rex, antigone, electra, respond to high moral imperative. Euripides- progressive men: realism, political activism, the trojan women- about massacre, medea- women"s rights, psychology. Part of the festival of dionysus devoted to comedies and comedic playwrights: later split into their own festival, old comedy- 5th. Only survive from aristophanes: new comedy- 4th century bce o. Aristophanes- social satire: the frogs, the clouds, lisistrata. Masks- portray a number of characters: three men, play women children gods, see facial expressions from far away. Mechane- cranes that fly actors down from skene. Violence done off stage and described by chorus or messenger.
