Entry Form for the Contest at the Festival of Dionysus

Tragic Tale Title: ________________________________ Per. _____

Casting requirements:
Greek Tragedy consists of 1-3 “hypocrites” (actors) and 12-15 chorus members
(choreuts). In ancient Greece, Hypocrits could use several masks to portray several
characters. However, you will only create ONE MASK PER PERSON. You may have a
minimum of 5 and maximum of 7 players. Please list your players and their
roles below:
Hypocrit 1: ______________ Character: __________________________
Hypocrit 2: ______________ Character: __________________________
Hypocrit 3: (Optional) ______________ Character: _________________
Choreut 1: _______________ Choreut 3 (optional): _______________
Choreut 2: _______________ Choreut 4 (optional): _______________
Performance Goals: (25 total Product (Mask) Goals:
possible) (10 points total possible)
Masks will be graded individually
Volume 5 4 3 2 1 based on:
Memorization 5 4 3 2 1 Directions were followed:
Concentration 5 4 3 2 1 5 4 3 2 1
Staging 5 4 3 2 1 Supports Story:
Coordination 5 4 3 2 1 5 4 3 2 1
Script Requirements: (30 possible points)
In Greek Tragedies, the rules of the competition decreed that the Chorus would sing 5
odes, which were divided by 3 episodes. Your Tragedy will contain a Prologue (a
introductory speech given by one of the chorus members), a Parades (the “parade
entrance” of the chorus, chanting either to the audience or the hypocrites), 3 Episodes
(scenes of the play), 2 Odes (the songs or chants sung by the chorus in between
episodes.) and an Exodus (exiting parade of the chanting chorus).
Please write your script to include the specific elements
below:
Prologue: (This is a speech spoken by one chorus member at the beginning of the play
to introduce the characters and any problems they are facing. Minimum of 3-5
sentences.) 3pts
ONE CHOREUT:_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
Parades: (Chorus speaks together as they parade into the play. Minimum of 3-5
sentences.) 3pts.
CHORUS:___________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________

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Episodes: (These are the scenes which tell the main events of the play. You are required
to have 3 Episodes. In between each episode, the chorus sings or chants an ode to the
characters or the audience. Each episode must be a minimum of 6 sentences.)
Episode 1: (5pts.)
__________: ______________________________________________________________
_________: ____________________________________________________
_________: _____________________________________________________
_________: _____________________________________________________
_________: _____________________________________________________
_________: _____________________________________________________
Ode 1 (Minimum of 3-5 sentences.): (3pts.)
CHORUS: __________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
Episode 2: (5pts.)
__________: ______________________________________________________________
_________: _____________________________________________________
_________: _____________________________________________________
_________: _____________________________________________________
_________: _____________________________________________________
_________: _____________________________________________________

Ode 2 (Minimum of 3-5 sentences.): (3pts.)

CHORUS: __________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
Episode 3: (5pts.)
__________: ______________________________________________________________
_________: _____________________________________________________
_________: _____________________________________________________
_________: _____________________________________________________
_________: _____________________________________________________
_________: _____________________________________________________
Exodus: (The chorus ends the story and parades off. Minimum of 3-5
sentences.) (3pts.)
CHORUS: __________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________

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 Greek Theatre History
Greek theatre evolved from ritual and dance with a strong choral focus, to greater
emphasis upon dramatic action. The choric dithyrambs (choral songs) were
originally about the death and resurrection of Dionysus (god of wine and fertility)
in “The festival of Dionysus” held every fall. The festival lasted 6 days, and the
entire city was in holiday during that time.

1. The Greek word for goat is “tragos” and the Greek word for song is “ode”. So the
literal translation for the word tragedy is “goat-song”. It is not sure if this was to
imply “song sung when a goat was sacrificed” or “song for a goat prize” or “song
sung by men wearing goatskins.”
2. Playwrights submitted entries for the contest to be held during the last 3 days of
the festival.
3. Each playwright submitted 3 tragedies and one comedy. On their day, they would
start at dawn, and continue until sunset.
4. Greek plays showed:
a. Violence and daily life
b. Social issues of the time
c. War
d. Murder
e. Lust
f. Betrayal
5. The first function of the chorus was as narrator (telling stories, providing
information).
6. When the first actor stepped out of the chorus and assumed a role, the chorus was
then able to assume a role as well (i.e. If the actor was playing a god, the chorus
could become his worshippers).
7. Lead actors were called hypocrites (the answerers). Women were not permitted to
perform. It is not known if they were allowed to attend performances.
8. The chorus could work within the limits of the action as characters, or from outside
the action as impartial commentators.
9. The chorus was the ideal spectator. It provided commentary and questions, gave
opinions and warnings, and clarified experiences and feelings of characters in
everyday terms. The chorus sympathized with victims, reinforced facts, separated
episodes, and often served as spokespeople for the conservative members of the
community.
10.As the number of actors increased from one to three, the size of the chorus, which
originally numbered 50, was reduced.
11.In the fifth century BC the tragic chorus numbered 12-15 members, while the
comedic chorus numbered 24.
12. Members of the chorus were chosen from the general population.
13. Chorus members were unpaid volunteers doing their civic duty. They were typically
young men who were about to enter military service. It is said that the effort of the
singing and dancing through three tragedies and one satyr play was equivalent to
competing in the Olympic Games.
14.The rehearsal period for a chorus was likely four months or more.
15.Choruses probably did not rehearse in the theatres in which they later performed.
Not wanting spectators to see the play before the festivals, they probably rehearsed
in a closed rehearsal room.
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 16.The chorus was trained and costumed at state expense through a choregos (a
wealthy citizen) who chose this job as his way of paying taxes and getting his name
on a monument.
17.Early dramatists (Aeschylus and probably Sophocles and Euripides) taught their
own choruses.
18.The parades (chorus entrance) marks the beginning of the play, and the exodus (its
exit) the ending.
19.The purpose of the chorus was to bridge the gap between the audience and the
players and to intensify the emotion.
20.The functions of the chorus were to
a. Maintain a sense of ceremony and ritual
b. Establish a lyric mood through rhythmic chanting and dance
c. Reinforce the passions of the dramatic action
d. Connect the audience and the actors by making responses and asking
questions
e. Unite music, dance, and speech and connect dramatic episodes
21.The chorus could punctuate the action of a play with bursts of song and dance,
which enlarged the dramatic action and relieved tension.
22.Instruments used to accompany choric songs and dances included flutes, lyres,
horns, drums, and bells.
23.Costumes for the hypocrites consisted of long robes, tall shoes, and large masks.
The goal was for all audience members to see the character.
24.The most essential part of the costume was the mask. The mask could show a
character’s emotions, while the robes told a characters status. Masks were made of
wood, leather, or cloth and flour paste. They had large mouth holes so their speech
could be heard. The eyes were drawn in, very large, and the pupils were cut out so
actors could see.
25.The best performers were given a kid goat as a prize.

Three were the composing elements of tragedy: the Prose, the Lyrics and the Dancing. The tragedy was
beginning with the entrance of the chorus on the orchestra singing an ode, called Parodos. The chorus were also
singing between the dialogic parts of the play other songs called Stassima in ensemble or devided in two groups
(Hemechoria).

The songs for the chorus were written in doric dialect. Beside these songs there were also other songs performed
by one actor (Monodia) or two (Diodia). Parodos, stassima, monodies and diodies composed the lyric part of
tragedy.

The prose was beginning withPrologos, the part before the entrance of the chorus. The plot was developping
with the Epeissodes and finishes with the Exodus.

Prologos, Epeissodia and Exodus were written in attic dialect and in verses. As far as the metrics is concerned
these parts were written in Iambic Trimetron.

The poets were also composing the music for their plays. The songs were performed by an orchestra composed
by flute, phormigx, drums and sometimes guitar (Kithara).

The organization of the tragic contests

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Tragedies were being presented to honour god Dionyssos. In the major Athens area four festivals were being
organized in god's honour: The Small Dionyssia at the end of December, the Lenea in January, the Anthesteria
in February and the Great Dionyssia in March.
Tragic contests were being organized during the Lenea and the Great Dionyssia (sometimes also during the
Anthesteria). During the Small Dionyssia some old plays were plated again. New tragedies were presented
during the Great Dionyssia,the biggest celebration after Panathenea.This celebration was lasting for six days.
The first day was the day of the sacred parade (foreigners were allowed to participate). The next two days were
the days, when dithyrambic dancing contests were being held. During the last three days drama contests were
being organized.
Only three poets it was allowed to participate. The Honorable Archon had the right to make the choice of the
three final participants. If a poet wished to participate, he had to submit to the Honorable Archon three tragedies
and one satyric drama, in other words, a tetralogy. The Archon was choosing the three poets, who were paid from
the State, as also the hypocrits, three for every poet. The expenses for the chorus were covered by Sponsors,
wealthy Athenians.The Sponsors were deeply respected in athenian society.
A few days before the contest the list of the judges was being formed ( 500 Athenians - 50 from each line ). Their
names were written in little spheres and kept closed in ten urns in Parthenon.
The presentation was beginning with the sunrise. Each of the three last days participated one poet with his
tetralogy. The Athenians who were attending the presentation did not pay any ticket, because this was paid to the
producer by the State (Theorica), so that even the poor could participate to the celebration.
At the end of the presentation ten judges were elected one out of every urn, five of which, chosen by lottery,
were deciding for the winner. The herald was announcing the name of the winner and the Honorable Archon was
putting on the winner's head a crown of ivy, the holy plant of Dionyssos. The State was keeping official records
of the contests, on boards made of marble with the names of the poets, the sponsors and the hypocrits.

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