Theatre of Dionysus: Athens, Greece
General history about the theater itself and the history of theater in Greece
The evolution of theater in Greece, and therefore, theater's evolution as an art form over the course of early Western history, may be directly linked to the festivals of Dionysus of the land. Dionysus was the Grecian god of wine and misrule. Over the course of performances of tragedy and comedy written and designed to honor this God, all of Athens essentially shut down to observe the literary performed works of its greatest dramatists and judge them in competition, as well as the ribald satyr plays designed for the populace's enjoyment. Much of the history of the earliest period of Greek drama has been lost. But the earliest theater probably took place in the Athenian marketplace or agora. Eventually this became fixated as a site on the southeast slope of the Acropolis. This site was eventually was chosen for a theater dedicated to Dionysus. (Theater of Dionysus, CUNY, 2004)
The first Greek dramas were largely choral in nature. They then took on the form of alternating a chorus speaking as a collective with the individual voice of a singular actor, the first of whom, legend suggests, was named Thespis. He became the spiritual patron of all subsequent thespians or actors. Gradually, the religious elements of theater became more subtly injected into the plots of Greek drama. Drama's ritual elements began to be less important than the elements of character and plot. At the end of this period of history, in later comedies like "Lysistrata" by Aristophanes, the dueling personas of Aphrodite and Athena take on far less importance than, for instance, the drama of the human characters engaging in debates over the morality of war. (Elderkin, 1940)
Architecture of Greek theaters -- a parallel reflection of social realities
It should be noted that Greek theaters, including the theater of Dionysus are not freely standing...
The skene or 'tent' was the building that was directly behind the stage, and this was where the actors of the drama could enter or exit from. It would usually be decorated as a temple or a palace, and it would have at least one set of doors from where actors could enter the stage. At times, there would be access to the skene form the roof, so that
This echoes life. To others we present as a simple person, perhaps even shallow and one-dimensional. Yet inside we are a mass of interminable twists and turns of plots and subplots. The story must reflect positive morality or, as Aristotle warned, when storytelling goes bad, the result is decadence. As stories become more extravagant and violent, and all the areas of storytelling - acting, stage settings or environments, music,
The bacchius ritual is an expression of another related god, who has been embraced by some as the guide of the spiritual through free expression and has been judged by others as the leader of good people to wicked excess. Though the story of Bacchus is controversial it is one that needs retelling. In Andrew Dalby's work, Bacchus a Biography the life story of Bacchus is told, from am ore
works of art speak to different people in different ways. Explore and explain which performances and which ideas from the course that you have seen and heard this semester have "spoken" with most impact…how and why? Works that Speak to Me The quote by poet Allen Ginsberg made a big impact on me. He says, "Whoever controls the language, the images, controls the race." (Maser 180). This means a lot to
For Aristotle, true freedom and liberty consists in ruling and being ruled in turn and not always insisting on fulfilling one's own personal desires at the cost of others. Thus, for Odysseus, true freedom can only come about when one is allowed to contribute to society for the betterment of everyone involved, a sure sign of moral correctness and rational thinking. In addition, Aristotle stressed the importance of justice and goodness,
Religious Life in Ancient Athens Civic Athenian Festivals Athenians practiced a polytheistic religion which expressed itself through civic festivals and cults. The system developed greatly in the Classical period. The festival served to provide the Athenians with a basis in their worship, give them a sense and a meaning in life, and provide them with a sense of identity as human beings. The polytheistic religion provided a simple and safe explanation for
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