Literary+Structure+of+Classical+Greek+Tragedies

Aeschylus and Sophocles are some names that come to mind when classical Greek Tragedies are thought of. The greek tragedies written by these two authors both follow the same written structure that later influenced other Greek authors. Classical Greek Tragedies are cathartic. A catharsis is a release of emotional tension that renews or refreshes the spirit through fear and pity.This is why classical greek tragedies were so popular. Greek tragedies are set up with scenes of dialogue, alternating with responses from the "chorus" - songs of reactions and comments to the previous scene(s) of dialogue. Most begin with an explanatory scene.
 * __ Structure of Classical Greek Tragedies __**

__The components of Greek Tragedies are as follows:__ (some tragedies have a few more or less episodes and/or stasimons.) >
 * 1) Prologue (A monologue or dialouge introducing the play usually addressed to the audience that introduces the play, normally performed by a single actor/actress. This gives a "back story" to the plot.)
 * 1) Parodos (The chorus enters in anapestic marching rythym. They remain on the stage for the rest of the play. The parodes usually involve the: ** S// tropê // ** // - // Stanza in which the chorus moves toward the altar, ** // Antistrophê // **// - // Following stanza in which the chorus moves in the opposite direction//, and the // **// Epode //** // - // Chanted by the chorus while standing still. The epode is often omitted// . //)
 * 2) First Episode (The first episode in which one or more characters interact with the chorus. There are usually about 3-5 episodes. Each ending in a stasimon )
 * 3) First Stasimon (Choral ode in which the chorus may react to the preceeding episode.)
 * 4) Second Episode
 * 5) Second Stasimon
 * 6) Third Episode
 * 7) Third Stasimon
 * 8) Fourth Episode
 * 9) Fourth Stasimon
 * 10) Exodus (This is the conclusion of the play. The chorus performs the Exodus in the form of prose - as opposed to other parts of the play, which are expressed in lyric.)

**__The Nature of the Literature__**

The Prologue, Episodes and the Exodus were written in attic dialect (the language of ancient Athens) and in verses. The Parados and Statisma were written in lyrics - in song. Music was also composed to go along with the songs. Orchestras included flute, phorminx (a lyre instrument with a crescent-shaped sound box, two to seven strings, and an ornately decorated arms), drums, and sometimes kithara (a lyre instrument with a wooden sound box, seven strings, and a crossbar with two sidepieces). Odes (long poems or songs on a particularly more serious subject) were sometimes included in the Classical Greek Tragedies.

__**The Nature of the Story**__

The story of a typical Greek Tragedy centers around a main character, called a "tragic protagonist" or "hero". The hero is generally intended to be very relatable to the reader. This is why the hero, for the most part, had a tragic flaw, also know as the character's harmartia. This flaw gave the hero a more humanly quality. The hero suffers great misfortune, connected in some way to deliberate actions/decisions on their part. Although the misfortune is connected to the hero's actions, it is usually extremely harsh; the "punishment" is a bit overestimated.The hero doesn't necessarily have to die, but they experience a change in fortune. The hero might also come to some sort of realization/revelation resulting from their experience. The concept of "fate" is usually used in some part of the hero's experience. The gods of Greek culture also have to do with the things that occur.

__**Deus ex machina**__ In some cases the punishment of a character is avoided through interference by the gods,called "//Deus ex machina//".Usually a large piece of equipment or machinery is used to act this out on stage. This is always an unexpected solution to tragedies, to suprise and spark interest in the audience. Authors use this when the protagonist is faced with an insoluble situation to provide relief. Examples of this include:


 * The Aeorema:** a crane by which the gods were appearing on the scene . It is written that in ancient greek the machine was called "geranos". Geranos is the translation in modern greek of the word "crane".
 * The Periactoi:**Two pillars, put on the left and right side of the scene, turning around their axon, changing the background of the scene.
 * The Ekeclema:** a wheeled-plattform on which bodies of dead persons were presented (because a murder or a suicide never took place in front of the spectators).

The Ekeclema the Periactoi

The Aeorema


 * Sources **

- "Greek Mythology." //World Book Encyclopedia.// 2006 ed. - Dunkle, Roger. "Introduction to Greek Tragedy." //AbleMedia LLC - A Knowledge Company//. Web. 03 Oct. 2011. . -"The Play in Ancient Greek Theatre." //Ancient Greek Theatre//. Web. 03 Oct. 2011. . - "Attic Dialect (dialect) -- Britannica Online Encyclopedia." //Encyclopedia - Britannica Online Encyclopedia//. Web. 03 Oct. 2011. . -"Phorminx - Encyclopedia." //Online English Encyclopedia UK (encyclo.co.uk)//. Web. 03 Oct. 2011. . - "The Kithara in Ancient Greece | Thematic Essay | Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History | The Metropolitan Museum of Art." //The Metropolitan Museum of Art - Home//. Web. 03 Oct. 2011. . - "About Gabriel Hunt." //The Adventures of Gabriel Hunt//. Web. 03 Oct. 2011. . - "Site Builder." //Home Page//. Web. 03 Oct. 2011. . - http://faculty.gvsu.edu/websterm/Tragedy.htm - "Mucha,Alfons. Affiche Pour Sarah Bernhardt Dans Le Role De." //Lessing Photo Archive//. Web. 03 Oct. 2011. . - "Lynch, Literary Terms  Deus Ex Machina." //Rutgers-Newark: The State University of New Jersey//. Web. 03 Oct. 2011. . - " The Athenian Period." //Encyclopedia Americana//. 2003 ed. - "Harmartia ("Error" or "Flaw")." //The UVic Writers Guide.// The Department of English, University of Victoria, 1995. Web 3 Oct. 2011. <[]> - "Catharsis" //The Free Dictionary.// The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition. Web. 3 Oct. 2011. <[]>