Within the course of Ancient Greek Literature students of the third grade are taught ancient drama( theater).
Drama -etymology
The drama comes from the verb drao- o( δράω-ώ) meaning «do» «act». So drama is imitation, representation of an event in front of spectators. an act that contains speech, music -songs and movement.
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The ancient Greek dramatic theater was developed at the end of the Archaic period and fully formed in the Classical period (5th century BC.), the years of democracy in Athens.
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It has its roots in religious celebrations which were organized by the ancient Greeks in honor of the god Dionysus, during which theatrical performances were played.
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The first theatrical act was the dithyramb, hymn in honor of the god Dionysus
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Thespis had the idea to stand out from the dance, go ahead and say words, not sing. He struck up a conversation with the dancers and with this dialogue he became the first actor Thus the theater was born in ancient Greece.
It held an important position in the social life of the ancient Greeks. The performances were organized by the government spending wealthy citizens’ donors. For the needy free tickets had been established, which testifies to their importance.
The actors- hypocrites were three single men. wearing masks and to look more imposing they wore special shoes, "the cothurnus“.
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The performances given during the day, on occasion of some celebrations.
The performances given in theaters were outdoors harmoniously integrated into the surrounding landscape. The acoustics were excellent. The background was simple. There was no technical lighting.
The basic parts of the theater were: î•° î•° î•°
the main theater or auditorium (koilon) for spectators the orchestra (orcheomai= dance)a round place to dance The stage: a rectangular building, made of wood, used as a place for the actors. Depicting the facade of a palace or temple.
Kinds of dramatic poetry were:
Comedy Satirical drama Tragedy This year we are studying Euripide’s tragedy 'Helen'.
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Helen went down in history as a symbol of the femme fatale, beauty and infidelity. The myth leads to the war of Troy and the epics of Homer. Helen is the cause of a devastating and long war, which killed thousands of Greeks and Trojans fighters and led to the martyrdom of hundreds of refugee women, children and civilians. Helen, causing the scandal & "engine" of destiny, is considered to be both frivolous and vain
But there is another side to the story. In every war, people, leaders or ordinary citizens, usually look for an excuse or a scapegoat. Euripides in his tragedy of the eponymous heroine, "Helen", restores the name and reputation of Menelaus wife. He presents Helen as always beautiful, but loyal and mostly a victim of circumstances. The end of his play is happy, as Helen with her husband come back to their marital home reconciled. Euripides seems to mock and denounce the folly of those who devise campaigns and wars for economic benefits, seizing upon trivial causes. In the tragedy "Helen" Greeks and Trojans, in essence, fought for, an image, a ghost, "an empty shirt ", as our modern poet Seferis would say. From this thesis, everyone can draw conclusions about the motives that destroy people and cultures.
The messages conveyed by the tragedy are many and timeless:
The war has devastating consequences for both winners and losers. It is not easy to conquest knowledge and truth. Appearances deceive us and remove us from it. The truth is subjective and relative Honor and dignity, despite the passage of years, remain important human values. Man can direct his life. With the power of his mind he can acquire knowledge, freedom, and happiness.
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The play begins Some excerpts from "Helen" will be played by our third graders, directed by Mrs. Bakougianni Barbara * Some actors play more than one role (just like back then)
What do YOU think? What is their escaping plan?
The end of “Helen”: Both
spouses devise a plan of escape. Helen asks Theoclymenus to give her a ship to sail out in the open sea in order to provide, as was required under the customs, funeral honor to her dead husband. So both spouses manage to escape. When Theoclymenus finds out about the escape, he is ready to kill Theonoi but Dioscuri, Helen's brothers, appear as "deus ex machina" and manage to dissuade him; thus the drama closes peacefully.
Τhank you for your attention