Greek Drama Terms

Front 1

Tragedy

Back 1

sad, emotional story, usually a myth

Front 2

tragic hero

Back 2

the protagonist, a noble man with noble intentions, suffers from hamartia, has an epiphany, has an anagnorisis and is destroyed

Front 3

hamartia

Back 3

a fatal, tragic flaw

Front 4

epiphany

Back 4

sudden moment when you finally get something. the "ahha" moment

Front 5

anagnorisis

Back 5

moment when you recognize your error, usually it is already too late to fix it. the "oops!" moment

Front 6

peripetia

Back 6

turning point where fourtunes turn- usually from good to bad

Front 7

theatron

Back 7

where the spectators sit. the "sitting place"

Front 8

orchestra

Back 8

place where the chorus is. the "dancing place"

Front 9

parados

Back 9

enterence to the stage where the chorus parades in

Front 10

skene

Back 10

dressing rooms behind the stage. the back wall of the dressing rooms is the scenery for the stage

Front 11

proscenium

Back 11

the front section of the stage where if you were to bring in a curtain it would still be in front

Front 12

prologue

Back 12

exposition, where the background information is given to the spectators

Front 13

parados

Back 13

when the chorus enters. the parados are the transitions between episodes

Front 14

stasimon

Back 14

the choral ode that is chanted between episodes

Front 15

exodus

Back 15

when everybody leaves the stage; the end or conclusion of the play

Front 16

allusion

Back 16

making reference to something outside the play. often they made reference to the myths. everyone knew what they were talking about in the allusion. the myths were well known.

Front 17

catharsis

Back 17

perging of emotions by the end of the play. the people get caught up in the play and using their emotions it teaches a lesson

Front 18

chorus

Back 18

part of the play. started as 50 men and by Shakespere there was only 1 man as the chorus

Front 19

myth

Back 19

legend, a story involving gods, demigods, animals and man; was to explain the unexplainable at that time

Front 20

episodes

Back 20

the scenes in ancient Greek drama

Front 21

hubris

Back 21

excessive pride