II. Four Main Playwrights & Their Contributions
A. Thespis – known as the “father of drama”
1. won a prize for tragedy in 535 BC
2. said to have introduced first actor and dialogue
B. Aeschylus
1. added a second actor
2. wrote trilogies on unified themes (trilogy=collection of 3 stories)
C. Sophocles
1. added a third actor
2. fixed the chorus number to 15
3. introduced painted scenery
4. made each play separate in nature
5. wrote "The Oedipus Trilogy"
a. Oedipus the King
b. Oedipus at Colonus
c. Antigone
D. Euripides
1. reduced the participation of the chorus
2. relied on heavy prologues
A. Thespis – known as the “father of drama”
1. won a prize for tragedy in 535 BC
2. said to have introduced first actor and dialogue
B. Aeschylus
1. added a second actor
2. wrote trilogies on unified themes (trilogy=collection of 3 stories)
C. Sophocles
1. added a third actor
2. fixed the chorus number to 15
3. introduced painted scenery
4. made each play separate in nature
5. wrote "The Oedipus Trilogy"
a. Oedipus the King
b. Oedipus at Colonus
c. Antigone
D. Euripides
1. reduced the participation of the chorus
2. relied on heavy prologues