Questions and Answers: Greek Drama

Questions and Answers: Greek Drama

 

Pity and Fear

1) We go to see movies and plays to entertain ourselves, to be able to appreciate or criticize art and the work of others, and somehow as our way of escaping the harshness of reality. Art functions for me as a way of expressing myself and exercising my freedom of expression. Yes, plays had a ritualistic function, for it is related to shamanism or animism, where shamans enter into a trance to be able to heal or exorcise spirits (‘ 2006).

2) Through tragedy, or the imitation of an action, which has serious implications, catharsis or purgation is being achieved, and this catharsis will be attained through a course of pity and fear (2006).

3) When one purges, then it means that he or she is trying to expel emotions from his or her emotional system ( 2006), and this can be option in relation to watching a tragic drama or play.

4) The play by entitled “The Death of a Salesman” causes us to face certain ideas in avoiding fear, for the play discusses the reality being encountered as a common person (2003). Despite the problems being experienced in the society, one can never regret the existence of hope, which enables us to disregard the feeling of fear. With hope, we can have the edge of fighting fear caused by the harshness of reality.

5) Pity or the ability to sympathize with others, in the context of Aristotle, can be applied in the play Hamlet by Shakespeare with the situation of Hamlet. Hamlet has no choice but to obey the plans of the people around him, so with this, he resorts to suicidal depression and obsessive anger ( 2006). We can extend our pity to him because we are also subjected to this kind of situation that sometimes, we have to do what others plan for us, even if we do not agree to it.

 

Greek Drama

1 & 2) It has been reported that between 600 and 200 BC, the ancient Athenians created a theatre culture whose form, technique and terminology have lasted two millennia, and created plays that are still considered among the greatest works of world drama (  2004). The drama or theatre in Ancient Greece developed from religious rites dating back to 1200 BC, wherein Greece was still inhabited by ‘primitive’ tribes. From this, a cult arose that venerated Dionysius, the god of fertility and procreation, and this cult, named the Cult of Dionysius, practices ritual celebrations, which may have included alcoholic intoxication, orgies, human and animal sacrifices, and hysterical rampages by women called maenads ( 2004). However, its most controversial practice involves uninhibited dancing and emotional displays that created an altered mental state known as ecstasis, which is related to the perception of theatre as a way of releasing powerful emotions through its ritual power (2004)

3) The term ‘orchestra’ means “dancing space” is a circular structure, where the chorus would dance, sing, and interact with other actors who were on the stage, and at its center is a thymele or altar for the worship of Dionysius. On the other hand, the term ‘theatron’ meaning “viewing place” is where the actor sat, and was usually part of hillside overlooking and wrapped around a large portion of the orchestra (2006).

4) The theatre attained its greatest height in the 5th century BC, for Pericles promoted and favored it with a series of practical and economic measures, and maintained the tradition according to which theater pieces served the moral and intellectual education of the people ( 2006). This represents the growth of democracy, for in the theater all audiences gather and unite for a single cause. Similarly, its process is the same with the concept of democracy, which aims to unite the people of Greece for a single cause.

5) The term chorus in ancient Greek drama originated from the singing of the dithyramb, or the hymn to the god Dionysius and became a true dramatic chorus when Thespis introduced the actor ( 2006), and was said to began as a part of a purely religious ceremony, lead off by the leader of a band of revelers, a group of dancers, dancing around an altar (2004). The chorus serves to accompany the actors with sounds, gestures, postures, costumes, and masks, to facilitate flowing actions and stage elements in bringing the play to life. It also serves to narrate, give opinions and keep the rhythm of the play ( 2006).

6) Since women were not allowed to participate in dramatic productions, male actors had to play their part, and for playing multiple roles, they had to use masks. Masks prevent the audience from identifying the face of any actor with one specific character in the play, and helped eliminate the physical absurdity of men mimicking women. The use of masks also enable the audience to identify the age, sex, and social ranks of the character they portray (2000).  

7) In the play Antigone, Creon is a bad leader because he only uses his judgments in making decisions for his kingdom, and fails to listen to other opinions. He settles for what he believes, even if it is wrong, and because he was unable to undo his wrong deeds, his actions led to disaster and tragedy ( 2006).

8) Antigone’s character is complex, as she seems to change directions all throughout the play and is unpredictable. Her unpredictability makes her seem very hypocritical because she will say something and then turn on a dime and say the complete opposite. Her character is also heroic about her reasoning for attempting to bury her brother, and also shows her stubbornness (2004). Antigone knows that Creon is not strong enough to stand in her way, which shows that she is in total competence of the unlawfulness of her decision, and feels the law does not apply to her by challenging the king ( 2006).   

9) Hamartia, a concept used by Aristotle to describe tragedy, a tragic flaw, or the fall of a noble man caused by some excess or mistake in behavior, not because of a willful violation of the god’s laws (2006).

10) Tragedies were designed to show the right and wrong paths in life, as were not simply plays with bad endings, but viewed as a form of ritual purification, Aristotle’s catharsis, which gives rise to pathos, or instructive suffering. They depict the life voyages of people who guided themselves or were guided by fate on their challenges in relation to society, life’s rules or simply fate (2004).

11) Medea was angered by Jason, for Jason left Medea, with the persuasion of King Creon to marry her daughter Glauce. Jason was said to have married Glauce, which caused Medea to kill her own two children by Jason. Fueled by a need for revenge, she sends Glauce a poisoned dress and crown that burn her to death, then Medea kills her two sons, namely Mermeros and Pheres, knowing it is the best way to hurt Jason ( 2006).

12) The purpose or essence of satire is aggression or criticism, and this is done because some things fall short of some standard, which the critic desires that it should reach. Its corrective purpose is expressed through a critical mode, which mocks or attacks those conditions needing information in the opinion of the satirist (1990). The play Lysistrata addresses the contribution that women could make to society and to policy making, but cannot do so because men are ignoring their views. Moreover, it shows the hurdling of public funds building and withholding sex from their husbands to secure peace and end the Peloponnesian War (2006). This shows and addresses the inequality of men and women in the Athenian society during the period.

 

Tragedy

1) The tragedy of Athens challenged its society, as it was able to expose and criticize or make use of satirical plays in order to demand change from the society. One of the forms of these plays include Lysistrata, which addresses the contribution that women could make to society and to policy making, but cannot do so because of their social status (2006). With the use of tragedies, the flaws of society are being criticized and given emphasis to be able to effect change.

2) The contribution of Athenian tragedy to empathy for outsiders is that it was able to give new perspectives to the outsiders regarding the situation of Athens in terms of its politics, society and economics. From these new perspectives, outsiders will be able to criticize and even make some actions to make the citizens of Athens aware of their situation and able to make some changes.

3) Recognition is this context is the acknowledgement of reality, and this occurs when Oedipus’ blind hope meets fate and is destroyed, and until the climactic moment of recognition that precipitates the death of hope, Oedipus wholeheartedly believes that he will succeed. Blind hope submits to fate at the moment of recognition when Oedipus learns that he has been working against himself and that his ambition and faith have become his undoing ( 2005). This happens when Oedipus learned that he is destined to murder his father and sleep with his mother, so he fled Corinth in his blind hope to outsmart fate with his cleverness and foresight. However, he travels unintentionally back to his birthplace in Thebes, where he murders his birth father and marries his birth mother (2005).

4) Reversal in this context is making actions, which contradicts the events that are supposed to happen. In the story of Oedipus Rex, this occurs when Oedipus tries to escape his fate by running away from his adopted parents in Corinth, and using his foresight and intelligence, he will be able to get away from his fate of sleeping with his mother and killing his father.

5) Yes, recognition is present in Death of a Salesman, for recognition or personal discovery is a crucial element of tragedy. In the requiem of the play, Biff had a hint of personal recognition, although Willy, Linda, and Hap never discovered the truth about themselves, and Biff realizes Willy had the wrong dreams. In accommodating the truth about his father, Biff is able to make a decision about his own future based on a realistic view of his potentials ( 1995).

6) The tragic flaw of Willy is in failing to question whether his dream is valid, for he believes and puts emphasis on the fact that being well liked will bring him to perfect success. This is not a dangerous dream; however, Willy adheres to this idea as if it is a lifesaver, refusing to give it up (2006).

7) It has been reported that Willy does not come to a full self-realization, and thus does not meet the definition of the tragic hero, for he is not of the noble stature, which is traditionally prerequisite of tragic heroes (2006). In essence, this play is not a pure tragedy in the classical sense, and Willy could be described as an anti-hero, for he lacks the nobility and high-mindedness expected of the traditionally distinguished tragic hero (2006).

8) Yes, catharsis is present in the play, such as the enactment of Willy’s suffering, fall, and partial enlightenment, which provokes a mixed response, and this mixed response is that anger and delight, indignation and sympathy, pity and fear, which is being described by Aristotle as catharsis (2003). Moreover, the tragic feeling is being evoked when we are in presence of a character who is ready to lay down his life, if needed, to secure one thing, which is his sense of personal dignity (2003).

 

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