OCR A-Level Classical Civilisation Greek Theatre | Full Summary Notes And Background 25+ pages| Bacchae, Frogs, Oedipus | Achieved A*

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‭Greek‬‭Theatre‬

‭Drama‬‭and‬‭the‬‭theatre‬‭in‬‭ancient‬‭Athenican‬‭society‬‭(p.1)‬
‭ ole‬‭and‬‭significance‬‭of‬‭drama‬‭and‬‭the‬‭theatre‬‭in‬‭ancient‬‭Athenican‬‭society,‬
R
‭including:‬
‭+‬ ‭The‬‭religious‬‭context‬‭of‬‭the‬‭dramatic‬‭festivals‬‭(p.1)‬
‭ ‬ ‭The‬‭organisation‬‭of‬‭the‬‭City‬‭Dionysia,‬‭including‬‭the‬‭make‬‭up‬‭and‬
+
‭involvement‬‭of‬‭the‬‭theatre‬‭audience‬‭(p.1-2)‬
‭+‬ ‭Structure‬‭of‬‭the‬‭theatre‬‭space,‬‭and‬‭how‬‭this‬‭developed‬‭during‬‭the‬‭5th‬‭and‬
‭4th‬‭centuries‬‭BC‬‭including‬‭(p.2)‬
‭+‬‭Machinery‬‭associated‬‭with‬‭the‬‭theatre;‬‭the‬‭crane‬‭and‬‭the‬‭wheel‬‭platform,‬
‭and‬‭how‬‭they‬‭cont‬‭ributed‬‭to‬‭the‬‭staging‬‭of‬‭Greek‬‭drama‬‭(p.2)‬
‭Nature‬‭of‬‭tragedy‬
‭+‬ T ‭ he‬‭origins‬‭of‬‭tragedy‬‭and‬‭how‬‭it‬‭developed‬‭during‬‭the‬‭5th‬‭century‬‭BC,‬
‭including‬‭its‬‭relationship‬‭to‬‭satyr-plays‬‭(p.3)‬
‭+‬ ‭The‬‭contributions‬‭of‬‭Aeschylus,‬‭Sophocles‬‭and‬‭Euripides‬‭(p.4)‬
‭+‬ ‭Use‬‭of‬‭actors‬‭and‬‭the‬‭Chorus‬‭(p.4)‬
‭+‬ ‭Use‬‭of‬‭masks,‬‭costumes‬‭and‬‭props‬‭(p.5)‬
‭+‬ ‭Common‬‭themes‬‭of‬‭tragedy‬‭(p.5)‬
‭+‬ ‭Aristotle’s‬‭theories‬‭about‬‭tragedy,‬‭including‬‭peripeteia‬‭(reversal‬‭of‬‭fortune),‬
‭hamartia‬‭(tragic‬‭mistake)‬‭and‬‭(catharsis)‬‭(p.5-6)‬
‭The‬‭Frogs‬
‭ ontext‬‭(p.6-7)‬
C
‭Summary‬‭(p.7-8)‬
‭Analysis‬‭(p.8-9)‬
‭Scholars‬‭(p.10)‬

‭The‬‭Bacchae‬
‭ ontext‬‭(p.10-12)‬
C
‭Summary‬‭(p.12-17)‬
‭Analysis‬‭(p.17-18)‬
‭Scholars‬‭(p.18-19)‬

‭Oedipus‬‭Rex‬
‭ ontext‬‭(p.19)‬
C
‭Summary‬‭(p.19-23)‬
‭Themes‬‭(p.23)‬
‭Scholars‬‭(p.23)‬

‭Essay‬‭questions‬‭(p.23-25)‬

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‭Drama‬‭and‬‭the‬‭theatre‬‭in‬‭ancient‬‭Athenican‬‭society‬

‭ ole‬‭and‬‭significance‬‭of‬‭drama‬‭and‬‭the‬‭theatre‬‭in‬‭ancient‬‭Athenican‬‭society,‬
R
‭including:‬
‭+‬ ‭The‬‭religious‬‭context‬‭of‬‭the‬‭dramatic‬‭festivals‬
‭ ‬ ‭The‬‭organisation‬‭of‬‭the‬‭City‬‭Dionysia,‬‭including‬‭the‬‭make‬‭up‬‭and‬
+
‭involvement‬‭of‬‭the‬‭theatre‬‭audience‬
‭+‬ ‭Structure‬‭of‬‭the‬‭theatre‬‭space,‬‭and‬‭how‬‭this‬‭developed‬‭during‬‭the‬‭5th‬‭and‬
‭4th‬‭centuries‬‭BC‬‭including‬
‭+‬‭Machinery‬‭associated‬‭with‬‭the‬‭theatre;‬‭the‬‭crane‬‭and‬‭the‬‭wheel‬‭platform,‬
‭and‬‭how‬‭they‬‭cont‬‭ributed‬‭to‬‭the‬‭staging‬‭of‬‭Greek‬‭drama‬
‭ ‬ ‭The‬‭representation‬‭in‬‭visual‬‭and‬‭material‬‭culture‬‭of‬‭theatrical‬‭and‬
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‭ ramatic‬‭scenes‬‭(pots)‬
d

‭ ‬‭The‬‭role‬‭and‬‭significance‬‭of‬‭drama‬‭and‬‭theatre‬‭in‬‭ancient‬‭Athenican‬‭society,‬
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‭including‬‭the‬‭religious‬‭context‬‭of‬‭the‬‭dramatic‬‭festivals‬

‭Significance‬‭and‬‭role‬‭of‬‭drama‬
‭ he‬‭Ancient‬‭Greeks‬‭took‬‭their‬‭entertainment‬‭very‬‭seriously,‬‭and‬‭used‬‭drama‬‭as‬‭a‬
T
‭way‬‭of‬‭investigating‬‭the‬‭words‬‭they‬‭lived‬‭in,‬‭and‬‭what‬‭it‬‭meant‬‭to‬‭be‬‭human‬

‭Rural‬‭Dionysia‬
‭ nly‬‭open‬‭to‬‭the‬‭people‬‭of‬‭Athens‬‭as‬‭the‬‭sailing‬‭season‬‭was‬‭closed,‬‭therefore‬‭the‬
O
‭plays‬‭tended‬‭to‬‭poke‬‭more‬‭fun‬‭at‬‭their‬‭society‬‭and‬‭politicians,‬‭as‬‭it‬‭would‬‭be‬
‭understood‬‭by‬‭the‬‭audience.‬‭Held‬‭in‬‭the‬‭winter‬‭month‬‭of‬‭Poseidon‬‭(roughly‬
‭corresponding‬‭to‬‭December).‬‭Celebrated‬‭in‬‭honour‬‭of‬‭Dionysus‬‭(god‬‭of‬‭wine,‬
‭pleasure‬‭and‬‭fertility).‬‭Processions‬‭through‬‭the‬‭streets‬‭with‬‭revellers‬‭and‬‭singers,‬
‭as‬‭well‬‭as‬‭satyrs.‬‭Mainly‬‭comedies‬‭were‬‭performed.‬

‭ ‬‭The‬‭organisation‬‭of‬‭the‬‭City‬‭Dionysia,‬‭including‬‭the‬‭make‬‭up‬‭and‬‭involvement‬
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‭of‬‭the‬‭theatre‬‭audience‬

‭City/Grand‬‭Dionysia‬
‭ pen‬‭to‬‭more‬‭people‬‭as‬‭the‬‭sailing‬‭season‬‭was‬‭open,‬‭meaning‬‭less‬‭poking‬‭fun‬‭at‬
O
‭politicians‬‭and‬‭society‬‭as‬‭they‬‭wanted‬‭to‬‭look‬‭good,‬‭and‬‭the‬‭jokes‬‭or‬‭references‬
‭may‬‭not‬‭have‬‭been‬‭understood‬‭by‬‭a‬‭wider‬‭audience.‬‭Tragedy,‬‭comedy‬‭and‬‭satyric‬
‭drama‬‭may‬‭have‬‭originated‬‭from‬‭this‬‭festival.‬‭Help‬‭in‬‭March.‬‭Each‬‭of‬‭the‬‭3‬‭tragic‬
‭poets‬‭wrote,‬‭produced‬‭and‬‭probably‬‭acted‬‭in‬‭3‬‭tragedies‬‭on‬‭a‬‭theme.‬‭A‬‭winner‬
‭was‬‭then‬‭selected‬

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‭Role‬‭of‬‭the‬‭audience‬
‭ he‬‭role‬‭of‬‭an‬‭audience‬‭in‬‭Greek‬‭tragedy‬‭is‬‭to‬‭become‬‭part‬‭of‬‭that‬‭theatrical‬
T
‭illusion,‬‭to‬‭partake‬‭in‬‭the‬‭act‬‭as‬‭if‬‭they‬‭were‬‭part‬‭of‬‭it.‬

‭ ‬‭Structure‬‭of‬‭the‬‭theatre‬‭space,‬‭and‬‭how‬‭this‬‭developed‬‭during‬‭the‬‭5th‬‭and‬‭4th‬
+
‭centuries‬‭BC‬
‭Theatre‬‭space‬
‭According‬‭to‬‭5th-4th‬‭century‬‭BCE‬‭Greek‬‭pottery‬‭decoration,‬‭the‬‭stage‬‭was‬‭built‬
‭around‬‭1‬‭metre‬‭above‬‭the‬‭ground‬‭and‬‭had‬‭steps‬‭at‬‭the‬‭front.‬‭The‬‭stage‬‭had‬‭an‬
‭entrance‬‭on‬‭the‬‭left‬‭and‬‭right‬‭sides‬‭and‬‭from‬‭a‬‭single‬‭central‬‭doorway.‬‭It‬‭is‬‭very‬
‭likely‬‭that‬‭there‬‭was‬‭painted‬‭scenery.‬‭The‬‭stage‬‭scene‬‭could‬‭have‬‭a‬‭top‬‭platform‬
‭from‬‭which‬‭actors‬‭could‬‭look‬‭down‬‭on‬‭the‬‭audience,‬‭usually‬‭while‬‭playing‬‭gods.‬

‭Theatre‬‭of‬‭Dionysus‬‭at‬‭Athens‬
‭ uilt‬‭in‬‭the‬‭6th‬‭century‬‭BC,‬‭and‬‭would‬‭hold‬‭the‬‭Great‬‭Dionysia.‬‭At‬‭the‬‭end‬‭of‬‭the‬
B
‭5th‬‭century‬‭BCE,‬‭a‬‭rectangular‬‭stage‬‭building‬‭with‬‭wings‬‭on‬‭each‬‭side‬‭were‬
‭added,‬‭and‬‭only‬‭the‬‭front‬‭seats‬‭were‬‭made‬‭of‬‭stone.‬‭In‬‭the‬‭4th‬‭century‬‭BCE‬‭all‬
‭the‬‭seats‬‭were‬‭made‬‭in‬‭stone‬‭and‬‭walkways‬‭were‬‭made‬‭to‬‭facilitate‬‭access.‬‭Stage‬
‭scenery‬‭came‬‭to‬‭be‬‭made‬‭of‬‭stone.‬‭This‬‭form‬‭would‬‭go‬‭on‬‭to‬‭become‬‭standard‬

‭Architecture‬‭of‬‭Greek‬‭theatres‬
‭●‬ ‭Orchestra:‬‭flat‬‭area‬‭where‬‭the‬‭chorus‬‭stood,‬‭sang‬‭and‬‭danced‬
‭●‬ ‭Parados‬‭(paradoi‬‭plural):‬‭gateway‬‭entrance‬‭on‬‭each‬‭side‬‭of‬‭the‬‭auditorium‬
‭●‬ ‭Prohedria:‬‭throne-like‬‭seats‬‭in‬‭the‬‭front‬‭rows‬‭for‬‭VIP’s‬
‭●‬ ‭Proskene:‬‭platform‬‭supported‬‭by‬‭columns‬‭in‬‭front‬‭of‬‭the‬‭skene‬
‭●‬ ‭Skene:‬‭backdrop‬‭of‬‭the‬‭stage.‬‭Acted‬‭as‬‭scenery.‬‭Place‬‭for‬‭actors‬‭to‬‭change‬
‭costumes‬

‭ ‬‭Machinery‬‭associated‬‭with‬‭the‬‭theatre;‬‭the‬‭crane‬‭and‬‭the‬‭wheel‬‭platform,‬‭and‬
+
‭how‬‭they‬‭contributed‬‭to‬‭the‬‭staging‬‭of‬‭Greek‬‭drama‬
‭A‬‭wheeled‬‭platform,‬‭called‬‭an‬‭ekkyklema,‬‭was‬‭pushed‬‭out‬‭of‬‭the‬‭doorway‬‭and‬
‭used‬‭to‬‭dramatically‬‭reveal‬‭new‬‭scenery.‬‭A‬‭crane‬‭(mechanae)‬‭was‬‭situated‬‭to‬‭the‬
‭right‬‭of‬‭the‬‭stage‬‭and‬‭was‬‭used‬‭to‬‭lift‬‭actors‬‭who‬‭were‬‭playing‬‭gods‬‭or‬‭heroes.‬



‭Nature‬‭of‬‭tragedy‬

‭+‬ T ‭ he‬‭origins‬‭of‬‭tragedy‬‭and‬‭how‬‭it‬‭developed‬‭during‬‭the‬‭5th‬‭century‬‭BC,‬
‭including‬‭its‬‭relationship‬‭to‬‭satyr-plays‬
‭+‬ ‭The‬‭contributions‬‭of‬‭Aeschylus,‬‭Sophocles‬‭and‬‭Euripides‬
‭+‬ ‭Use‬‭of‬‭actors‬‭and‬‭the‬‭Chorus‬
‭+‬ ‭Use‬‭of‬‭masks,‬‭costumes‬‭and‬‭props‬
‭+‬ ‭Common‬‭themes‬‭of‬‭tragedy‬