Antigone and Greek Drama Notes:

Directions: Using the resources provided, research your assigned topic

with your group members. Working together, answer the questions about
your topic. Two people should researching while the rest of the group records the answers.
Everyone should be familiar with the information because the group will need to teach the
information to the class. All members of the group must participate in the presentation. While
your group presents the information, the rest of the class will be recording the answers, so it is
important that you speak clearly and loudly. Good luck!

Greek Drama:
Resource: http://etc.ancient.eu/culture/acting-greek-theatre-honoring-dionysus/

1. When did acting originate? ________________________________________________

2. Who is Dionysus?

3. How long did the festival honoring Dionysus last? _______________________________

4. What did the festival begin with? What was the purpose of this tradition?

5. What is a dithyramb?

6. Athenian acting seemed to be dominated by ___________________________________.

7. What types of plays did the Athenians perform? (there are 3) Circle the most popular one.
_____________________, ______________________, _______________________.

8. How many actors were allowed on stage at one time? ____________________________.

9. Only ______________ were allowed to perform in plays.

10. In the space below, draw a diagram of the Theatron (Greek Stage) and give a brief
description of each part. Use this link as a resource:
http://academic.reed.edu/humanities/110tech/theater.html

Orchestra:

Theatron:

Skene:

Parados:
Tragedy:
Resource: http://www.ancient.eu/Greek_Tragedy/

A Greek Tragedy is A drama or literary work in which the main character is brought to ruin or
suffers extreme sorrow, especially as a consequence of a tragic flaw, moral weakness, or
inability to cope with unfavorable circumstances.

1. Greek tragedy was a popular and influential form of drama performed in theatres across
ancient Greece from the _____________________________.
2. The most famous playwrights were: __________________________________________
3. What other type of genre did Greek Tragedy lead to? ____________________________
4. Where was a tragedy play performed?

5. Were both men and women invited to watch these plays? ________________________
6. Tragedies were often focused on Greek mythology or religion. What rules did the
actors/playwrights have to follow because of this serious subject matter?

7. Early tragedies only had ___________ actor who would perform in costume and wear a
mask.
8. Eventually, three actors were permitted onstage. Why was there a limitation on the
number of actors?

9. How could playwrights work around this limitation?

10. Although plays were specifically commissioned for competition during religious and
other types of festivals, many were __________________________________ into scrips
for _____________________________.
11. What were these scripts regarded as? ________________________________________.

Sophocles:
Resource: https://www.ancient.eu/sophocles/

1. Who was Sophocles?

2. List two of his most famous plays.

3. Name all three Great Greek Tragedians:

4. He was ____________ years old when he first entered his plays in a competition. He
entered his last play at the age of _____________.

5. He won at least _________________ festival competitions.

 6. Why did Sophocles quit acting out his own plays?

7. Give two reasons why Sophocles was an innovative playwright.

1

8. What did adding 3 actors allow for in plays?

9. What is the chorus?

10. Sophocles plays were based off of classic tales of _______________________________

11. How many plays did Sophocles write?

Tragic Hero:
For questions 1-3 use the handout I provide as a resource.
1. A tragic hero is a literary character who makes a ___________________ error that
inevitably leads to his or her ____________________.
2. According to Aristotle, a tragic hero must possess the following characteristics:
a. A hamartia which is: _______________________________________________
b. A reversal of _____________________ brought about because of the heros error
in ______________________.
c. The discovery or recognition that the reversal was _________________________
_________________________________________________________________.
d. Hubris which is: ___________________________________________________.
3. Why is it important that the tragic hero starts off no better or worse morally than normal
people?

For questions 4-7, use this resource:

http://www.classics.upenn.edu/myth/php/tragedy/index.php?page=oedhero
4. Aristotle's ideas revolve around three crucial effects:
a. First, the audience develops an ______________________ attachment to the
tragic hero
b. Second, the audience fears __________________________________________.
c. Third (after misfortune strikes) the audience __________________ the suffering
hero.
5. Through these attachments the individual members of the audience go through a
catharsis, a term which Aristotle borrowed from the medical writers of his day, which
means a "____________________" -- the viewer of a tragedy refines his or her sense of
difficult ethical issues due to the experiences of the tragic hero.
6. What is Oedipus tragic flaw or hamartia? ____________________________________
7. Why does the audience pity him? ____________________________________________
Teiresias:
Resource: http://www.greekmythology.com/Myths/Figures/Teiresias/teiresias.html

1. Teiresias is a prophet of ____________________.

2. Where did he live? ____________________.
3. Who were his parents? _____________________________________________________
4. When Teiresias was on Mount Cyllene, he found a pair of _________________ and
killed them.
5. Who was angry at him for doing this? ________________________.
6. What was his punishment?

7. What did Teiresias do for 7 years?

8. How did he release himself from his curse?

9. How did Teiresias become blind?

10. What did Athena give him to compensate for the blinding?

11. How did he die?

12. What famous myth does Teiresias play a part in? _______________________

Greek Burial Practices:

Resource: https://pacifictheatrearts.wordpress.com/ancient-burial-customs/

1. Greeks believed the soul had no rest as long as _________________________________

_____________________________________.
2. An unburied body was considered an ___________________ to the gods.
3. Anyone finding an unburied body was expected to immediately throw _______________
_______________________________________________________________________.

4. If a body was left unburied during war, it was considered a violation of ______________
_______________________.

5. Who was in charge of preparing the body for the funeral? _________________________
6. What is Charons obol?

7. Why would family members put a gold tablet on the lips of the deceased?
 8. Who are the rulers of the Underworld?

For question 9, use the following link: http://www.greeklegendsandmyths.com/the-

underworld.html

9. Describe the three regions of the Underworld:

Tartarus

Asphodel Meadows

Elysium