...Modern Performance and Adaptation of Greek Tragedy Helene P. Foley Barnard College, Columbia University “Leave it to a playwright who has been dead for 2,400 years to jolt Broadway out of its dramatic doldrums” begins a recent New York Times review (December 4, 1998) of a British Electra by Sophocles starring Zoe Wanamaker and Claire Bloom. This fall the Times has repeatedly remarked on the “deluge” of Greek tragedy in the 1998-99 theater season: the National Theater of Greece’s Medea, Joanne Akalaitis’ The Iphigeneia Cycle (a double bill that combines Euripides’ two Iphigeneia plays), a revival of Andrei Serban’s famous Fragments of a Greek Trilogy, and a four-and-a-half-hour adaptation of the Oedipus Rex were announced at the start of the season. Off-off Broadway versions will inevitably follow. The Brooklyn Academy of Music even hosted a dance/theatre piece based on the Eleusinian Mysteries. 1 The Classic Stage Company, an off-Broadway theater group devoted to performance and adaptation of Western classics, currently receives more scripts that re-work Greek tragedy than any other category of drama. 2 From a global perspective, New York is simply reflecting a trend set by important modern playwrights and directors worldwide. Greek drama now occupies a regular place in the London theater season. In the past twenty years, acclaimed productions have been mounted not only in Europe but also in Japan, India, and Africa. Translations are even beginning to proliferate in China, occasionally...
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...University March 4, 2010 Early Greece and All Its Glory Phoenician Alphabet The Greeks adopted the Phoenician alphabet. Just like the Phoenicians the Greek alphabet is written from right to left. The direction of writing later changed to ox-turning. Ox-turning is a written language that is written from right to left and on the next line it continues from left to right and so on. Eventually, the Greek alphabet does change to left to right but that’s during the fifth century. (Bantwal, 2008) Greek Education For Greek children, their education mostly consisted of poetry and song. (Hadas, 1950) Education was more popular among young boys but it was not uncommon for girls. The wealthier children remained in school for ten years. Grammatistes, paidotribes and kitharistes were the teachers who taught the children. Grammatistes taught literature, arithmetic, reading and writing. Paidotribes coached boxing, wrestling, and gymnastics. Kitharistes taught music. At age eighteen, boys would train for the military for two years before further education. (Discovery Channel, n.d) The Illiad and the Odyssey Homer wrote the two most classic poems titled the Illiad and the Odyssey. The Illiad is based on the last six weeks of the Trojan War. The main character of the Illiad is Achilles. Achilles and Agamemnon get in a heated argument and Achilles retracts from the war. The Greeks are losing the battle and Achilles does not rejoin the battle until he hears that his...
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... Greek Theatre Greek theatre was the epitome of theatre. It brought many different aspects to western civilization and our theatre system. The things you see in most of the American theatrical styles came straight from Greek style of theatre from long ago. Although our times are different from the rise of Greek theatre, the modern day theatre in western civilization it has somehow managed to tame the style of Greek theatre and cause a resurgence. Greek theatre has strongly influenced western civilizations style of the theatre throughout the years, and is causing it to resurge. This is a great thing, most people would think leave the past in the past, but this part of the past is very complex. The history of the Greeks style of theatre has paved the way for our modern day theatre and has enhanced the performance style by combining both styles. Modern theatre has created their own way of how theatre should be conducted, but in the end it was greatly influenced by Greek theatre. The resurgence of Greek theatre has begun to take place within our school systems. Most public or private school is requiring every student to at least take one level of theatre history, or performance theatre courses. This is a solution people can take so that the Greek styles of theatre will never die. We must continue to teach our generation and many more after us about the importance of Greek theatre. Everything is being modified now days with modern...
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...|officially named the Hellenic |Greek messenger to the gods |founder of the Academy in |literary form that is the |tragedian who wrote Oedipus | | |Republic |Hermes |Athens |crowning glory of Athenian Age|the King and Antigone - | | |Greece | |Plato |- drama |Sophocles | |2 |Greek god of wine and revelry |master of Greek comedy |god of war |capital city of Greece |what Greek actors wore during | | |- Dionysus |-Aristophanes |Ares |Athens |a performance in a play - | | | | | | |masks | |3 |lyric poet notable for his |religion of the 98% of Greek |The GLORY |dwelling place of the deities |prince of Troy who gave his | | |drinking songs and hymns - |people |that was |Mt. Olympus |life for his people - Hector | | |Anacreon |Greek Orthodox |GREECE | | | |4 |Father of Tragedy who wrote |what Prometheus...
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...unhealthy behaviors associated with it. Much like the ancient Greeks, people nowadays commit suicide for...
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...Literary Analysis of Antigone Sandra Peppers South University Antigone is an epic Greek tragedy written, by Sophocles, around 442 B.C.E. The women of ancient Greek were considered to be less significant than were the males of the same time period. As with this tragedy, gender roles play a pivotal part in understanding why Antigone, the female heroine, did what she did and graciously accepted the punishment that she was dealt. During this particular epic, it will be evident that power, wisdom and experience lay with males, while females were subjected to the obedience and dominance of the males. The males of this era were more assertive and demanded respect from females, as well as other males. Antigone, in the play by the same name, is portrayed as a strong willed female who has strong family ties and will do whatever it takes to honor her family. Antigone is not one to stand aside and play the role of victim when, in her heart, she knows what is right. Antigone is the daughter of the late king of Thebes, Oedipus. After the death of Oedipus, Etecoles and Polyneices take turns in ruling Thebes, but ultimately die by each other’s sword. Antigone has just learned that Creon, the new king of Thebes (and her uncle), has just issued a law stating that Eteocles will have a proper burial whereas Polyneices, who was considered a traitor, will not be mourned or wept over. He will be left for the birds to feast upon; ‘ But the hapless corpse of Polyneices-as rumour saith, it...
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...politics of greek tragedy ⁃ poets are considered as teachers (2) ⁃ good poetry could save the city, bad poetry could destroy it (4) ⁃ addressed towards the citizens of athens ⁃ political would be refereed as concern with human beings as part of a community according to Macleod (64) ⁃ A tragedy can thus be said to be more political the more it's male characters are engaged in the public life of the city. same goes for women ⁃ tragedies can be political in different ways ⁃ exercise of political power is one way which puts the head of the household of having power (example of this is on page 69) ⁃ issues of justice, is another form of different tragedies. judicial authority of court laws come into play. ⁃ Third different form of political drama is the life of the polis on a more personal level for its original audience members. Tragedy was understood to teach greeks to be good citizens. There are a few problems that derive from this. Free-born men in tragedies are usually kings and princes, Tragic heroes are heroic and elevated in character and they usually suffer from dreadful acts. ⁃ Lessons that are learned from tragic heroes are not to follow in their path because they do die. ⁃ any attempt to separate the domestic and the political in tragedy must be artificial (71) ⁃ the polis can be defined as both as a physical space and as the sum of its citizens (73) ⁃ the use of tragic space reflects the popular political assumptions of the ancient greeks. ⁃ tragedies...
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...Lit 11/3/11 Medea: A Piece in History Greek culture and theater provide many examples of the human condition as well as human nature. Among the authors best known from this time are Aeschylus, Sophocles, and Aristophanes. Euripides’s works have outlasted many of his contemporaries. In his play Medea, Euripides uses Medea’s character as a metaphor for women’s changing roles their taking a stand, their breaking the status quo hence overcoming the mandates of Greek culture. The play Medea by Euripides first appears in 431 B.C., the same year that the Peloponnesian war begins. Athens, ruled by Pericles from 447- 341 B.C. always made large amounts of money available for the festivals that include dramatic productions. Since theater was such an important part of the Athenian’s life, of course, it was at the center of the social and political facets as well. Thousands upon thousands of people would come to watch these productions. The festivals were very competitive, like a contest, and the results are permanently placed in the public records. Medea is now known as one of Euripides’ most famous plays, though it isn’t highly regarded in the history of the festival competitions mainly because of how the play contradicted the normal values of female’s roles in the Greek society. Women in Greek society have basically no rights at all. It was the male or husband that had all the rights in the family (Lawall 693). Few women in ancient Athens could read or write, and most were expected...
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... archeological evidence suggests that the small caves around the Acropolis rock and the Klepsythra spring were in use during the Neolithic Period (3,000-2,800 BC). In Mycenaean times small towns developed around a fortified citadel where the king resided and controlled the surrounding area. Acropolis in Greek literally means “the highest point of the town.” Athens was a thriving Mycenaean center that very early in its existence became the center of a “synoikismos,” an alliance and peaceful coexistence of all the adjacent towns. Legend says king Theseus united the towns into one administrative entity, and this synoikismos appears to be instrumental in the city’s survival when all other Mycenaean centers were destroyed around 1200 BC by invading hoards from mainland Greece, or due to a possible invasion of tribes from the North. Athens was ruled not by one king but by a group of men, the Aristocrats. When Paul arrived in 51 CE, the Corinth he saw was little more than 100 years old but was five times as large as Athens and the capital of the province. Ancient Corinth, the original Corinth, founded in the 10th Century BCE, had been the richest port and the largest city in ancient Greece. Strategically located guarding the narrow isthmus that connects the Peloponnesus (as southern Greece is called) to the mainland, it was a powerful commercial center near two seaports only 4 miles apart. It's easy to see why Paul chose Corinth as headquarters for his mission to the west. The city was...
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...Antigone - commentary notes The Myth •Characters of a tragedy were not invented from scratch each time the writer composed a new play. •Images and stories inspired by myths were connected with every form of artistic expression and ceremonial ritual, proving that the greeks were not only familiar with a great number of mythical stories, but also made them to define themselves in the world and communicate their specific cultural issues. •In tragic theatre the characters were mentally close to the audience and shared the values of the democratic period in Athens. •The geographical characteristics of the mythical location, which usually existed in reality, could also be used in the stories and affect the dramatic events of the play. •The Theban saga of Lais and his children was one of the most popular in the Greek literary and iconographic tradition. The Festival •The tragedy of Antigone was presented in the theatre of Dionysus as part of a drama competition that took place every year during the city Dionysia, one of the city’s numerous festivals. •The city Dionysia, which was dedicated to Dionysus, god of fertility, wine and theatre, was one of Athens’ greatest annual festivals and aimed to celebrate the god’s arrival in Athens as well as the city’s wealth and prosperity. •The event took place in mid to late march when seagoing again became possible after the winter. •A rough schedule of the festival can be made as it developed...
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...AHE 1108 History of sport Examine and discuss the role of women in sport in ancient Sparta By Srdjan Vulic Identification number: S4129049 Name of lecturer: Rob Hess and Matthew Klugman Name of tutor: Fiona McLachlan Tutorial group: 11.30pm, Tuesday, Semester 2, 2014 Date of submission: 3rd September 2014 Sparta was a city in Ancient Greece between 650 B.C and 362 B.C which was seen to have one of the strongest soldiers and women due to their early commencement of training in tough conditions to strengthen their bodies and to toughen them up. Men were always seen as the dominant species compared to women, they were seen to be stronger and had more dominance and respect in the Olympic Games and sport. Instead of encouraging women in Greece to participate in the Olympics they were instead dispirited and some laws were made to prevent them from participating. Spectators would rather watch men participate then women because they believed women were weak and were not as exhilarating to watch as men. Spartan women had more freedom and respect than many other Greek women, ‘Spartan women were allowed to be landholders and they were free to speak for themselves, unlike many other Greeks.’ Spartan women were ordered to do no less body building than the males, Lycurgus the lawgiver of Sparta believed ‘stronger children come from parents who are both strong.’ The women were trained the same way as the men, they would both be taught how to survive in tough conditions and they would be removed...
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...An Introduction to Oedipus Rex by Sophocles. Greek and Roman plays, and even Indeed ancient Indian plays (a common Indo-European Tradition), usually had a pivotal character that “held the play together”. Also there would be a Chorus that would come into play when the tragedy would begin unfolding. The Greco-Roman variants were almost always tragedies. Be it Homer’s Iliad or Odessey. The hero after long travails always seemed to return to nothing and would come to grief. Achilles, Priam, Agamemnon, Oedipus, all came to grief. In the Greco-Roman tradition, it seems to be a common practice by the Bards and playwrights, to depict their heroes as strong and upright men who fell prey to either their fates or to the whims and fancies of jealous gods (the plight Medusa & Cassandra). It appears the Greeks and the Romans looked to tragic plays as a sort of vent for their pent up emotions. Not surprisingly, the Indian answers to Homer’s works are also tragedies in keeping with the ancient Indo-European custom. Both the Ramayana and the Mahabharata are tragedies on an epic scale, where great wars are fought over matters of honor and virtue, and great armies decimated and cities sacked, and where great heroes come to naught. Sophocles takes us back to the times when Kings made their decisions based on oracles, and made propitiatory sacrifices. Sometimes even of their near and dear ones, as the sacrifice of a child, made by the Greeks at the outset of the Trojan war, for favorable winds...
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...woman in Athens A historic view point by Cecil Fuson. Being a woman in Ancient Athens was not what the movies and Plays led me to believe. The Athenian Democracy was a democracy of the minority. Every man, no matter their class had equal say in the ruling of the government. But Women, Slaves and Foreigners had zero civil rights and no influence on how things were done. Because the Athenian’s were a very exclusive society, they rarely allowed outsiders share in the privileges the citizens had. As Such, Female Children were raised to serve. To produce new citizens for the polis. It was not uncommon for a young woman’s freedom to be restricted during their reproductive years. Or even to be married off to a family member. Doing so ensured that the financial resources were kept within the family. That leaves a very dark image of life for a woman in Athens. However this was not the way it was for all women. There were the Mistress of upper class. They were trained in the general arts. Thus allowing them to participate in debates and other acts that most women were cut off from. However life was not all peaches and cream for the mistress. They paid for their freedom. They gave up all possibility of having kids as well as of ever having a normal home life. Some believe that the Hetaera as they were called were borderline prostitutes. There was a big difference between the poor and wealthy families. Women from poor families, while not able to take part of normal society. They...
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...Antigone is a play written by Sophocles in or before 441 BC. Sophocles is a greek poet and a tragic dramatist, who wrote three great tragedies about the Theban mythology. Antigone is known as the first of these plays. The play Antigone shows conflict between the king and a woman. The play was written in Athens, a Greek city The ancient Greeks developed Democracy which gave people to have power on making decisions based on their own beliefs. Antigone, daughter of Oedipus is visualized as a tragic heroine. Since women were unable to hold power during those times after the death of Oedipus, the throne was left to his two sons Polyneices and Eteocles. The two brothers were to take teir turns on sharing the throne but Antigone soon lears that the brothers have killed each other in a was over the throne. Due to the death of her brothers Creon, who is Antigon’s uncles becomes the next ruler. Creon’s first order as a King decrees that anyone who buried Polyneices body should be stones to death. even with this order Antigone declares that she will bury Polyneices body. She choses to sacrifices her own life for the devotion to her family and the belief that she wants to ensure that her brother’s soul would make it to the underworld. Back in the times woman’s role were subjected to obey the men, and their rights were limited. Antigone risks her life to bury her brother, because she believed that without a proper burial that the soul will never be able to move on to the next life. When...
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...Social issues in Aristophanes comedy Introduction Comedy was derived from a Greek word komoidia, which means song. Aristotle argued that comedy was ultimately developed from song. With the introduction of comedy people did not grasp it quickly simply because no one took it seriously. Aristophanes is considered the best playwright of comedies in the classical literary period because of his comedies that are extant. Aristophanes, Eupolis, and Cratinus were among the best playwrights who ancient critics recognized for their literary works. Aristophanes’ plays are the only surviving samples of the literary genre conventionally referred to as old comedy. Old comedies were characteristic of topical issues touching in the society and real personalities. New Comedy transcended topical issues to generalized contexts together with stock characters. The move was because playwrights had internalized the perspectives of the people’s cultures after changes. The Old Comedy, which was a specialty of Aristophanes, had sophisticated and subtle dramatic form that adopted many approaches as far as entertainment and humor was concerned (Silk 78). According to Andreas (92), Aristophanes comedies, which gratify the Old Comedy genre, can be analyzed in three distinct characteristics, namely; festivity, complexity, and topicality. The structure of the play espouses what is known as complexity in the plays of Aristophanes and thus treated differently as a separate section. As far as the comedy...
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