CLASSIC 30 Lecture Notes - Lecture 9: Aeschylus, Euripides, Sophocles
Document Summary
Written and performed in front of audience. Had more in common with modern opera (every line we read is sung with music) Very elaborate costumes and masks (obscure the identity of the actor) Deus ex machina: god from the machine -- always save the tragedy. War and violence is a constant and tangibly present part of life in greece. Audience (male) are all war veterans who has experienced the war. Depicts a current topic in a mythological traditional for the audience. Tragedy is a competitive endeavor where it is judged. Winner of the competition gain incredible fame) Each playwright must write 4 plays for the event. Tragedies that survived until today were used for scholastic purposes. Athenasantric: judgement is based by athena, athenian heroes, or in athens. Most tragedies don"t involve a single hero who causes his own downfall (aristotle"s version) Major authors with surviving ancient greek playwrights.
