THE ORESTEIA of AESCHYLUS (5th C BCE Athens)








Before the royal palace at Argos. On the roof, a Watchman is seen outlined against a night sky.

[...]

*** We'll read from p.62: "Kassandra: The seer Apollo endowed me with this skill." to Klytaemnestra's final entrance. ***

AT ANCIENT GREECE

*Origins of Western Drama:

One of may --> Ritualism theory: Religious rituals (mediate between the human and the supernatural) eventually birth Drama. (For more see CRASH COURSE. Episode 1:___)

* 6th C. BCE: Rituals celebrating Dionysus spread through Greece. One of these most popular:**DITHYRAMBS** ---> eventually, a singer started acting out individual characters: **THESPIS** (who used masks to differentiate the characters).

*TRAGEDY_derives from the Greek words for GOAT and SONG (might refer to the animal sacrifices that were made during the festivals).

*Theatre gets institutionalized in late 6th C. BCE.

* 5th BCE: Spring Festival. Athens became City Dionysia with a theatre competition (Reaffirming Athens as a source of pride and power).

*Audience included women and slaves but only men could perform or vote for best play.

*Contest btw 3 playwrights who had to submit TETRALOGY (3 linked tragedies and a satyr play) + 486 BCE Comedy competition was added.

*THE CHOREGOS_producer

*PLAYWRIGHT_director, composer, and set designer. Sometimes actor :)

*2 or 3 actors played all the roles.

*DEUS EX MACHINA

*We've lost the music but have painted vases that suggest what prod. may have looked.

SATYRS and COMEDY

*Satyrs plays came at the end of each tragic trilogy.

*Feature the Chorus dressed as Satyrs.

*Only one Satyrs play survived "The Cyclops" by Euripides (Based on the Odyssey)

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*486 C. BCE: Second contest for Comedy was established with 5 competitors each year.

*KOMOIDIA: Party song.

*The Leanaea: Winter Festival for Athenians only.

*PARABASIS_ Speech in which the chorus addresses the audience directly.

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WTH 1 // FEB 23 ::: Aeschylus, "Agamemnon"

+ Case, Sue-Ellen. “Classic Drag”

La niña, el muro y la grieta.

ZAPATISTAS
MURO
GRIETAS
QUIEN CREE QUE SABE
LA OTRA, EL OTRO, LE OTROA
LOS TERCIOS
LOS ALGUIENES