when was comedy incorporated into the city Dionysia?
486 BC
1 of 26
how did comedy feature at the City Dionysia?
five playwrights entered a separate competition tough the number is though to have reduced to three during Peloponesian war.
2 of 26
where does the word comedy come from?
was derived by the ancients (Aristotle, Poetics) from either kome (village) or komos (revel)
3 of 26
what was the main comedy competition?
Lenaia
4 of 26
discuss Lenaia
winter festival
held in January
mainly attended by Athenians
genre was abuse poetry
participants traded insults with onlookers
5 of 26
what was a key element of a komos?
the leather phallus
during their song and dance revelers held a leather phallus as a way of giving thanks to Dionysus
6 of 26
who are the two playwrights that most surviving comedy belongs to ?
Aristophanes and Menander
7 of 26
what was the time period of old comedy ?
c 486-386 (including period of Aristophanes)
8 of 26
what was the time period of middle comedy ?
c386-321 (period between Aristophanes and Menander)
9 of 26
what was the time period of new comedy
c321- 263 BC (the period of Meander and after)
10 of 26
how many times did Aristophanes win?
3 times at dionysia
4 times at lenaia
11 of 26
how many plays did Aristophanes write and how many have survived?
wrote 40
11 survived
12 of 26
what is difference between the setting of tragedy and comedy
Unlike tragedy which is commonly set in Mythical Thebes.
Comedy was often set in Athens and dealt with contemporary issues.
13 of 26
what is needed to be noted about what we know about Aristophanes ?
contemporary evidence is hard to find
ancient biographies treated the comments made by characters as Aristophanes' own
14 of 26
when was Aristophanes born?
440s BC
15 of 26
what was Aristophanes' first play and when was it produced
Banqueters (a satyr on education)
produced in 427
16 of 26
who did Babylonians Satirise
Cleon
17 of 26
what was special about lenaia?
the absence of foreigners allowed for negative views of Athens to be shown
18 of 26
what war happened whilst Aristophanes' was writing
Peloponnesian war
19 of 26
what was the structure of comedies
often ended in a mood of celebration or triumph - banquet of wedding
not familiar with story-line before watching
often around conflict
20 of 26
what is Parabasis
This was a speech by the chorus or chorus leader in which the playwright would share his own views to the audience
21 of 26
language of Aristophanes
incredibly crude
invented new words
22 of 26
actors in comedy
a fourth leading actor - sometimes 'extras' could have minor speaking roles
chorus had 24 members
costumes and masks made to look ridiculous
acknowledge the presence of audience
chorus frequently played animals (e.g. birds, frogs)
23 of 26
costume and masks
short tunic
thick tights
short and rounder than in real life
actors playing women would have accentuated female features
Comments
No comments have yet been made