I. Origin of Greek Theatre
A. Religious Festivals – held in honor of Dionysus
1. Dionysus = god of wine, fertility, ritual madness, ecstasy, and theatre
2. Dionysus is also known by his Roman name, Bacchus.
3. City of Dionysia – religious festival held every spring in Athens
4. Dithyramb – a hymn sung in honor of Dionysus
5. Theatre began as songs sung by the Chorus – a group of about 50 men who sang and danced
B. Types of Drama
1. Comedy = light-hearted and funny stories
2. Tragedy = stories about suffering
3. Satyr Play = tragicomedy, similar in spirit to the bawdy satire of burlesque
a. In Greek mythology a satyr was a lustful, drunken woodland god, represented as a man with a horse's ears and tail.
A. Religious Festivals – held in honor of Dionysus
1. Dionysus = god of wine, fertility, ritual madness, ecstasy, and theatre
2. Dionysus is also known by his Roman name, Bacchus.
3. City of Dionysia – religious festival held every spring in Athens
4. Dithyramb – a hymn sung in honor of Dionysus
5. Theatre began as songs sung by the Chorus – a group of about 50 men who sang and danced
B. Types of Drama
1. Comedy = light-hearted and funny stories
2. Tragedy = stories about suffering
3. Satyr Play = tragicomedy, similar in spirit to the bawdy satire of burlesque
a. In Greek mythology a satyr was a lustful, drunken woodland god, represented as a man with a horse's ears and tail.