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Greek tragedy is widely believed to be an extension of the ancient rites carried out in honor of Dionysus, and it heavily influenced the theatre of Ancient Rome and the Renaissance. Tragic plots were most often based upon myths from the oral traditions of archaic epics .
- The Origins of Tragedy
- A Tragedy Play
- Tragedy in Competition
- The Writers of Tragedy
- The Legacy of Tragedy
The exact origins of tragedy (tragōida) are debated amongst scholars. Some have linked the rise of the genre, which began in Athens, to the earlier art form, the lyrical performance of epic poetry. Others suggest a strong link with the rituals performed in the worship of Dionysos such as the sacrifice of goats - a song ritual called trag-ōdia - and...
Performed in an open-air theatre (theatron) such as that of Dionysos in Athens and seemingly open to all of the male populace (the presence of women is contested), the plot of a tragedy was almost always inspired by episodes from Greek mythology, which we must remember were often a part of Greek religion. As a consequence of this serious subject ma...
The most famous competition for the performance of tragedy was as part of the spring festival of Dionysos Eleuthereus or the City Dionysia in Athens, but there were many others. Those plays which sought to be performed in the competitions of a religious festival (agōn) had to go through an audition process judged by the archon. Only those deemed wo...
The first of the great tragedian poets was Aeschylus (c. 525 - c. 456 BCE). Innovative, he added a second actor for minor parts and by including more dialogue into his plays, he squeezed more drama from the age-old stories so familiar to his audience. As plays were submitted for competition in groups of four (three tragedies and a satyr-play), Aesc...
Although plays were specifically commissioned for competition during religious and other types of festivals, many were re-performed and copied into scripts for 'mass' publication. Those scripts regarded as classics, particularly by the three great Tragedians, were even kept by the state as official and unalterable state documents. Also, the study o...
- Mark Cartwright
- Achilles: A Warning for Greek Heroes. Let’s start with one of the most famous Greek heroes: Achilles. In the Iliad, Achilles was the most skilled Greek fighter; his victories and prowess earned him the title of “best of the Achaeans.”
- Odysseus. Unlike other Greek heroes, Odysseus’ pride did not cause his death — just a lot of unnecessary toil. For other Greeks, returning from the Trojan war, the journey was a short sail across the Aegean Sea, perhaps a week.
- Bellerophon: The Most Legendary of Greek Heroes. Bellerophon was one of the most legendary Greek heroes, and his narrative is a heart-breaking Greek tragedy.
- Phaethon. Phaethon was the son of Helios, the God of the Sun. In honor of his lineage, the Greek hero’s name meant “radiant.” Despite having such an illustrious lineage, the people of Phaethon’s town were skeptical.
- Agamemnon. The story-line of this drama starts at the time when Agamemnon, over-king of prototypical Greeks known as the Achaeans, is returning to his home at Argos.
- Libation-Bearers. Another daughter of Agamemnon and Clytemnestra, Electra, is angry over the killing of her father by her mother. It is unclear whether she is also angry over the killing of her sister, Iphigeneia, by her father, Agamemnon.
- Eumenides. The story told in this drama centers on the transformation of malignant Erinyes or ‘furies’ into benign Eumenides, which means euphemistically ‘those who have a good disposition’.
- Oedipus at Colonus. Oedipus, king of Thebes, had blinded himself in despair over his skewed identity after discovering that he had unwittingly killed his own father, the former king Laios, and had married his own mother, Jocasta, the widow of Laios.
- Prometheus Bound by Aeschylus. Aeschylus’ Prometheus Bound delves into the story of Prometheus, a Titan who rebels against the gods by stealing fire from them and gifting it to humankind, resulting in his eternal imprisonment.
- The Persians by Aeschylus. Aeschylus masterfully brings to life the historic Battle of Salamis in his dramatic work, The Persians. The play opens with a chorus of elderly Persians mourning the loss of their army and King Xerxes, who is yet to return from the battlefield.
- Seven Against Thebes by Aeschylus. Aeschylus weaves a powerful tale of brotherly conflict and its devastating consequences in Seven Against Thebes. The play centers on the struggle for control of Thebes, as Eteocles and Polyneices, two brothers with opposing ambitions, lead armies of six other leaders from neighboring cities.
- Oedipus Rex by Sophocles. Sophocles’ tragedy Oedipus Rex is a haunting tale tackling the concepts of fate and free will. Set in the city of Thebes, the play tells the story of King Oedipus, who is determined to uncover the truth behind a plague that has befallen his city.
May 1, 2013 · A Brief History of Tragedy. Tragedy begins in ancient Greece, of course, and the first great tragedies were staged as part of a huge festival known as the City Dionysia. Thousands of Greek citizens – Greek men, that is, for no women were allowed – would gather in the vast amphitheatre to watch a trilogy of tragic plays, such as Aeschylus ...
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6 days ago · Ancient Greek civilization - Tragedy, Theatre, Mythology: Greek tragedy was not itself intended as an immediate contribution to political debate, though in its exploration of issues, sometimes by means of rapid question-and-answer dialogue, its debt to rhetoric is obvious (this is particularly true of some plays by Euripides, such as the Phoenician Women or the Suppliants, but also of some by ...
