Topic: Drama Terms

Drama Terms

Drama as text vs. drama as performance

Forms of Drama: Tragedy, Comedy, Tragicomedy, Opera, Operetta, Musicals

Western Drama Historical Periods:

Greek Drama, Roman Drama, Medieval Drama, Renaissance Drama, 17^th/18^th century European Drama, 19^th century Drama-the birth of Modern Drama, 20^th century Drama, Contemporary Drama

Myth/Ritual/Religion/

Origins of Greek Drama:

Dithyrambs, tragoidi, Dionysus, City Dionysia, Rural Dionysia, Thespis 534 BC, Dramatic competition, tragedy, satyr play, trilogy, fate/religion/the gods

Aeschylus 523-456

Sophocles 496-406

Euripides 480-406

Trilogy

The Oresteia: Agamemmnon, The Libation Bearers, The Eumenides

The Theban Plays: Oedipius Rex 430 BC, Oedipus at Colonus 401 BC, Antigone 441 BC

Skene, theatron, Theatre of Dionysus, proskenion, paradoi, orchestra, eccyclema

Prologue

Parados

Episodes

Stasimon

Exodus

The Chorus and Actors.

Fate

Laius  King of Thebes

Jocasta

Oedipus  "Swollen Footed"

Mt. Cithaeron

Polybus   King of Corinth

Merope 

Delphi

Oracle at Delphi

Sphinx: women's head, eagle's wing, lion's body, serpant's tail

Polyneices/ Eteocles

Antigone/Ismene

Plague

Sphinx

Tiresias

Tragic Hero

Aristotle: The Poetics

Pity and Fear

Oedipus at Colonus

Argos: King Adrastus

Sacred Grove of the Furies

Theseus, King of Athens

Creon

Haemon

Greek Burial Rites