Greek tragedy: characteristics, origin and authors

What is the Greek tragedy?

Greek tragedy is a dramatic genre created in Ancient Greece, whose storylines revolve around the doom of fate signed by the gods. In this sense, it was born from the hand of classical mythology.

According to Aristotle's Poetics , the Greek tragedy is based on two principles of dramatic art: mimesis and catharsis. Mimesis refers to imitation of nature, in this case, the imitation of a noble action. Catharsis refers to a personal purification.

characteristics

Ancient masks for the representation of the Greek tragedy.

Among the main characteristics of the Greek tragedy we can consider those that refer to its function, structure, characters and themes.

Dramatic function

The Greek tragedy tries to move fear and compassion, fundamental elements to achieve catharsis. Hence, the outcome always involves the fall of the hero.

Themes

The central theme of the Greek tragedy is the fate of fate, whose announcement awakens the conflict in the characters.

Characters

• Individual personages: usually they are personages who enjoy social recognition and, therefore, they are elevated like models: heroes, nobles or demigods. Choir: luck of collective character that acts as conductor and sanctioner of the story by means of songs. It usually expresses the poet's point of view.

External structure

When we speak of external structure, we are referring to the way in which the discourse is organized and presented to the reader or spectator, that is, it is the visible scaffolding. In general, the Greek tragedy has the following structure:

• Prologue: Explains the background to the argument. Parodos: it is the entrance to the choir that begins the development of the action. Episodes: each of the dramatic passages where the dialogues take place. We are: it refers properly to the songs of the choir, intended to guide the reflection of the audience, either by sanctioning the actions, or by explaining the author's moral, political, philosophical or religious principles. Exodus: refers to the conclusion of the conflict, where the fulfillment of the sentence or punishment takes place. In this the choir intervenes with a final song.

Internal structure

The internal structure refers to the order in which the story is conceived within the story, and which gives it dramatic tension. As is typical of the classic concept of narration, tragedy has a beginning, a knot and an end.

• Start: presentation of the situation. Knot: climatic events. Outcome, divided into two parts: vicissitude, which is the hero's fall from grace, and anagnorisis, the moment when the character becomes aware of his fate through reflection.

Social function

Greek tragedy played an important role in antiquity: on the one hand, representing the main concerns of the time; on the other, educate the people in the values ​​that guided society. In other words, promote order and the fulfillment of duty.

Mode of representation

In ancient Greek times, the features of representation were different from those of today. Let's see.

• The works were performed on a anfiteatro.Para the set design mechanical devices were used as the periaktoi or rotating prism; the eccyclema , a kind of rolling platform and the mechane , a pulley mechanism to give entrance to the gods. All the actors were men. The costumes were made of chiton or long tunic; short coat of bright colors; soled shoes called coturno and oncos , a headdress for the protagonist to wear.The characters were assigned colorful, large and expressive masks, allowing an actor to represent several characters.

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• Catharsis Tragedy.

Origin

The tragedy is believed to have originated in the 6th century BC. It may have been related to slaughter rituals for agriculture and hunting, in which an animal, usually a goat, was slaughtered.

Indeed, the etymological origin of the word tragedy, borrowed from the Latin tragoedia , seems to result from two Greek terms: trags , which means 'goat', and ádein , which means 'to sing'. From there would come its use as a song or heroic drama.

It is also thought that the tragedy may have had to do with the dithyrambo, a type of poetic composition that was performed at parties in honor of the god Dionysus.

Authors and works

The main known representatives of the Greek tragedy were Aeschylus, Sophocles and Euripides.

Aeschylus (ca. 525 - ca. 455 B.C.)

Aeschylus is considered the first great Greek playwright. He was a participant in the victory of the Greeks against the Persians, for which his work The Persians , quickly earned him fame. He wrote nearly a hundred tragedies, but only a few have survived. Among them we can count:

• The Persians The supplicants The seven against Thebes The Orestíada trilogy: Agamemnon ; The coephora and the euménides Prometheus chained

Sophocles (496 - 406 BC)

Sophocles gained fame after winning as a playwright against his predecessor, Aeschylus. He was a prolific author, deserving of numerous awards and recognitions, a close friend of Pericles. Today, only seven titles remain from his work. Namely:

• Antigone Oedipus Rex Electra Oedipus in Colono Áyax Las traquinias Filoctetes

Euripides (ca. 484 - 406 BC)

Euripides completes the triad of the great playwrights of Classical Greece. Unlike his predecessors, he did not always focus on mythical figures, but instead gave rise to properly human dramas. Among his works we can refer to the following:

• Medea Las Troyanas Andrómaca Orestes Las Bacantes

See also:

• Greek literature Greek mythology