Rules of Greek Tragedy?

Question

I need to know the conventions of Greek Tragedy, the rules in Greek Theatre and a bit about Aristotle does anyone know anything about this or any good websites that explain it ?thankyou x

Answer 1

Just do a web search of Aristotle's Poetics and read it. The section on Tragedy that is. Most of your answerers haven't any idea, the one just before me is close. Other conventions were that the actors wore masks depicting the characters, some think that the actors wore thick soled boots to make them taller, but that is a misconception based on a false assumption about a statuette of a Greek Actor, that there was always a chorus that represented the view of the people, the actors were priests at first, then orators, then specially trained actors. the early festivals required each playwright to enter a tetrology, three tragedies and a satyr play on the same topic. The satyr play was a spoof of the tragedies for some well needed comic relief after the three tragedies. They are so named for their chorus of satyrs, mythical beasts half horse, half man, but only two legs unlike a centaur that had four legs and the upper torso of a man. Satyrs are often confused with Pans which are half goat, half man. Both are fertility symbol creatures. The Greek theatre had a full circle performance area called an orchestra which had an altar in the center of it Greek tragedies are symbolic sacrificial rites in which the main character sacrifices something important (such as his high position, and sometimes his life) for the good of society. Many Greek tragedies have happy endings, the Orestia for example, and the Helen of Euripides is more a comedy than a tragedy showing the evilution of playwrighting in ancient Greece. Also first the plays had just one actor and a chorus, then two, then three-again the evolution of playwriting. ON and on and on.

Answer 2

Rules Of Greek Tragedy

Answer 3

Have a look at the introduction to some of the Leobe Classics series. Here is a very short note:

Convention: Big national event, four plays per day, three tragedies and a comedy. Religious ceremony more than popular event like today's theater. It changed from a recital of a poem to multi character acting, scenery developed and props. So you might need to look at a particular period of Greek theater.

You will find synopses of the following online at Amazon and Blackwells etc:

M S Silk:
Aristophanes and the Definition of Comedy
Tragedy and the Tragic

Taplin, O
Literature in the Greek World (good short intro to the topic)

A feminist translation:
Women on the Edge Four Plays (Blondell et al) Women on the Edge

The Greek play was part of a ritual,it went on for weeks (they still have theatre festivals in Greece) and was as religious as were the games. Four plays were performed at at time - three tragedies and a comedy. Note that although we have trilogies from Aeschelus, these were not performed as trilogies in his day.

For re-evaluations for Greek theater, have a look at Nietszche, Hollingdale, Kauffman. Any book on Aristotle or Plato will give you a decent outline of their views of theater in half a dozen pages.

Answer 4

Check this site. It's about the conventions of Greek Tragedy.
http://www.class.uidaho.edu/luschnig/GTC/1L.htm

An analysis of Aristotle's definition of Tragedy here: http://www.cnr.edu/home/bmcmanus/poetics.html

Answer 5

It has also been "discovered" recently that what were [previously considered to be "rules" for Greek tragedy, prescribing what must be -- hero of high social standing, falls through some character flaw, no gory action depicted on stage -- done off-stage, obey the three unities -- were not actually rules prescribing but DESCRIBING what was going on.

Answer 6

Read The Poetics of Aristotle on Tragedy.

Answer 7

In general:
the play takes place in the time that it takes to do the play
it takes place in one location
there is only one story line

There won't be more than three individuals acting at once,
but there will be a chorus who may or may not respond in unison.
They will comment on the play--and life and everything else--in between scenes.

The actors will be masked.

That's the basics

Answer 8

The basic of a greek tragedy is that every ones (or most) of the caracters die at the end of the story for some reason or another. The other type is a comedy where every one live. Johan