Agamemnon Reconstructed

Agamemnon Reconstructed

Agamemnon Reconstructed

1

Aeschylus • playwright, librettist, composer, choreographer, producer, and chief actor • born 525/4 BCE, member of Athenian nobility • fought Persians under Darius at Marathon, Salamis, and Platea • author of about 70 plays • first victory 484 • 13 wins (52 plays in 13 trilogies with satyr plays) Agamemnon Reconstructed

2

Aeschylus's Subjects • like Phrynichus used historical subjects, closely related to public issues • particularly etiological subjects which explain origins of social, political, religious customs patriliny foundation of a system of justice under law

Agamemnon Reconstructed

3

Other Features • early user of prologue • added new features: female characters, 2nd actor, trilogy? • Made use of 3rd actor, added first by Sophocles • simple plots little intrigue little concealed identity thus few recognition scenes

Agamemnon Reconstructed

4

Emphasizes theatrical effects • • • • • • • •

processions magnificent costumes men-at-arms chariots, cars trumpets gods, demons, ghosts graves, altars later plays: machines, stage devices

Agamemnon Reconstructed

5

Agamemnon • first play of Orestia, trilogy about Orestes • written, performed 458 BCE at Athens • only surviving Greek trilogy • tragedies of Libation Bearers, Eumenidies followed • day ended with Proteus, a satyr play Menelaus consults the old man of the sea • focus is (initial) consequences of Agamemnon's error Agamemnon Reconstructed

6

Agamemnon a typical tragedy • Plot of exceptional suffering and calamity • Characters ones-likeourselves • Thought nature of human nature conditions of human life consequences of wrongdoing or sin

Agamemnon Reconstructed

7

Plot • serious threat to life or well-being of protagonist • carried out • usually death of tragic protagonist

Agamemnon Reconstructed

8

Characters • one like ourselves, basically good, but prone to error • own error contributes to his disaster • internal conflict • often a fatal tendency to pride or one-sidedness--blind on other sides

• highly placed fate bound up with that of polis so consequences extend beyond protagonist and/or family

Agamemnon Reconstructed

9

(Almost) Typical in form: • • • •

Prologue Parados Episodes divided by choral odes No Exodos

Agamemnon Reconstructed

10

Performance Circumstances • festival situation of City Dionysia (others Lenea, Rural Dionysias)

• state support • also support of wealthy patrons (choregoi)

Agamemnon Reconstructed

11

State support • • • •

theatre prizes poets' honoraria actors fees, costumes

Agamemnon Reconstructed

12

Choregos • civic, religious duty and privilege • chorus fee, training, costumes • flute player • extras, as for the procession

Agamemnon Reconstructed

13

Production Process • festival controlled by chief civil magistrate • choregoi chosen by lot in July • poet

cast actors (until 449) trained chorus, including choreography and singing conducted rehearsals played lead Agamemnon Reconstructed

14

City Dionysia of 458 BCE • March or early April • procession of cult statue from temple to Academy • sacrifices, rituals • two days of dithyrambs, ending with processions and revels • five comedies • three days of tragedies with satyr plays Agamemnon Reconstructed

15

Audience • 15-17 thousand, mostly males, citizens in citizens’ meeting place, aware of civic responsibilty to evaluate conduct of others of population 155,000

• • • • • •

privileged had honored seats, with backs, others merely stone benches admission free participants in a religious rite spectators at an entertainment citizens at a civic festival, excitable, voluble, volatile, and knowledgeable Agamemnon Reconstructed

16

Agamemnon Reconstructed

17

Chorus • • • •

predates actors citizens, acting citizens same entrance as citizens primary locus orchestra, formerly agora, a meeting place for citizens • shared light • shared in evaluation of officials and audience • so actor/chorus/audience are in essence same, with different and temporary practical tasks Agamemnon Reconstructed

18

Actors and Acting • amateurs, citizens, but increasingly dominant performance element • highly trained, especially vocally emphasis enunciation, resonance, flexibility

• doubling, even tripling • males played all roles • praised for naturalness, not to be confused with naturalism Agamemnon Reconstructed

19

Likely only 3 actors • Clytemnestra • Herald and Cassandra, perhaps Aegisthus • Agamemnon and Watchman, perhaps Aegisthus

Agamemnon Reconstructed

20

Style likely formal, rather than realistic • • • • •

masks huge space doubling speech, recitative, and song actors admired for vocal beauty, virtuosity; skillful handling of poetry; appropriate gestures skillful movement • situations far from domestic, present Agamemnon Reconstructed

21

Prologue: monologue prologue of watchman (protatic) • antecedent events, particularly since departure of Agamemnon • characterization of the king • hints of secrets, tales stones could tell, fear, decline of royal house • ends with beacon: end of war

Agamemnon Reconstructed

22

Parados • Chorus of old men, elders, sages, visionaries • somber, dirge-like poetic rhythm • danced in same vein • sets mood, ethical, social, historical framework for events wrongs and vengeance horrors of war anger of gods transcience of human life Agamemnon Reconstructed

23

Very brief transition • Chorus addresses Clytemnestra • who doesn't answer

Agamemnon Reconstructed

24

First Ode • antecedent events • introduces thought "bitterness in the blood" "secret anger" transcience of greatness "wisdom comes alone through suffering

Agamemnon Reconstructed

25

Episode 1 • Clytemnestra announces fall of Troy • characterizing • fear of violations by conquering army • "Let there be no fresh wrong done!"

Agamemnon Reconstructed

26

Ode 2 • prayer to Zeus, thanks for victory • awful conditions of war • sin of Paris, "mortals who trample down the delicacy of things inviolate" • sin of Helen, "daring beyond all daring” • extends thought

Agamemnon Reconstructed

27

Thought on Multiple Levels • domestic level: Menelaus's grief • social level: "now in place of the young men / urns and ashes are carried home" • political level: "slow anger creeps below their grief" • ethical level: curse on daring, injustice, "the man fortunate beyond all right"

Agamemnon Reconstructed

28

Episode 2 • actor speaks (sings?) to actor • messenger, a soldier context of Agamemnon's earlier mistakes fresh wrongs: "twice over the sons of Priam have atoned their sin" terrible voyage home end to unhappiness

• Clytemnestra claims wifely virtue "May he find a wife within his house as true as on the day he left her." Agamemnon Reconstructed

29

Ode 3 • Causes of evil and wrongdoing: pride, ruthlessness

Agamemnon Reconstructed

30

Episode 3 • halfway into play, title character appears • train of returning soldiers, Cassandra • chorus welcomes, but recalls cost of war • Agamemnon straightforward, contrast Clytemnestra's appeal to pride • "treading down lovely things" • request to treat Cassandra well Agamemnon Reconstructed

31

Ode 4 • Chorus's fear • excess, limitation, nets and snares

Agamemnon Reconstructed

32

Episode 4 • Cassandra's silence drives Clytemnestra to fury • Cassandra's vision of sin within the house • Her own sin, word broken with Apollo • Agamemnon's death cries

Agamemnon Reconstructed

33

Ode 5 • Chorus hesitates to respond

Agamemnon Reconstructed

34

Episode 5 • • • •

bodies disclosed Clytemnestra threatens Chorus Chorus recollects history of doomed house Aegisthus justifies self, to control by power and money • Clytemnestra hopes that all will be well, house brought into order

Agamemnon Reconstructed

35

The Citadel of Mycenae

Agamemnon Reconstructed

36

No Exodos, but a brief forward link

Agamemnon Reconstructed

37

Thought • Any highly placed person must err • Sin leads inevitably to retribution

Agamemnon Reconstructed

38

None who undertakes a duty for the god can do so without error • antecedent: ancient blood wrongs within family • position, pride require return of straying Helen • sacrifice of Iphigenia • decade of inattention to marriage and family • failure to take Clytemnestra sufficiently into account • conquering Troy overmuch Agamemnon Reconstructed

39

Sin leads inevitably to retribution

• Agamemnon's sins already committed, his character irrelevant • fear dominant emotion

Agamemnon Reconstructed

40

Theatre Buildings • • • •

evidence important theatres general features Theatre of Dionysus at Athens

Agamemnon Reconstructed

41

Evidence • few records of theatre buildings • architectural remains • theatres frequently remodeled and reconstructed during and after the fifth century

Agamemnon Reconstructed

42

Important Theatres • Theatre at Thorikos (oldest, 6th c.) • Theatre of Dionysus in Athens most frequent performance site (stone theatre late 5th-4th c.) • Theatre of Epidauros (late 4th c.) especially wellpreserved

Agamemnon Reconstructed

43

General Characteristics • sacred shrines • located all over the Greek world including Greek colonies in Asia Minor

• built in natural bowls

Agamemnon Reconstructed

44

three elements • Orchestra (dancing place) circle? • skene or scene house • theatron (hearing place)

Agamemnon Reconstructed

45

Theatre at Epidauros

Agamemnon Reconstructed

46

Theatre of Dionysus in Athens • first performances of tragedy in 534 BCE • earliest, audience seated on hillside • flat dancing place supported by retaining wall, backfill • perhaps altar South side, opposite audience • small temple of Dionysus Eleuthereus

Agamemnon Reconstructed

47

Conjectural reconstruction

Agamemnon Reconstructed

48

Auditorium of mid-fifth century • • • •

wooden benches (early century) separated from skene by paradoi curves around orchestra audience, chorus entered through paradoi

Agamemnon Reconstructed

49

Stone auditorium (330 BCE) • Divided into 13 blocks by 12 stairways

Agamemnon Reconstructed

50

Orchestra or dancing place • perhaps rectangular in earliest theatre • likely circular by time of Agamemnon • 66' diameter

Agamemnon Reconstructed

51

Skene or scene building. • earliest, hut or tent for changing • no building required prior to 458 BCE, Orestia • probably temporary wooden structure at one side of orchestra • different from festival to festival? • set in stone after 430

Agamemnon Reconstructed

52

Temporary skene for Orestia • possibly paraskenia • unknown number of doors, perhaps 3-5 • roof for watchman • later stone theatre (about 330 B.C.) had paraskenia and 5 doors. • perhaps 2 stories, permanent or temporary

Agamemnon Reconstructed

53

Acting place or "stage" • possibly none other than the orchestra • possibly broad steps in front of skene • no evidence of raised stage prior to late 4th century BCE • no evidence of high raised stage prior to mid2nd century

Agamemnon Reconstructed

54

Scenery • no attempt to conceal the skene • no evidence of changing scenery 3 other plays produced following Agamemnon

• perhaps pinakes, but not periaktoi • ekkyklema necessary for bodies • mechane available, not needed here

Agamemnon Reconstructed

55

Properties • Altar always present? needed to suggest tomb of Agamemnon in Choephoroi

• chariot for Agamemnon, Cassandra • no attempt to use all the furnishings of daily life.

Agamemnon Reconstructed

56

Costumes • essential to identify characters and their status huge theatre, doubling

• chorus all alike • long robe or short tunic, with or without sleeves • cloak short or long • soft boots • appropriate accessories: armor, staffs, crowns, sceptres Agamemnon Reconstructed

57

Costume: Evidence • late 5th c. evidence only • Oinochoe from the Agora • Pronomos and Andromeda vases • Texts choruses differentiated by ethnicity, occupation Actors distinguished by ethnicity, poverty in rags, mourning

Agamemnon Reconstructed

58

Masks worn by all, actors and chorus • use in rituals • text references differentiation of coloring by ethnicity various hair colors shorn hair for mourning

• covered entire head appropriate hairstyle, beard, ornaments

Agamemnon Reconstructed

59

Masks: Evidence • experiments of Thespis • little contemporary evidence • Fragment of about 470 no onkos, no gaping mouth, eyes painted in

• Andromeda vase

Agamemnon Reconstructed

60

Lighting • daylight • torches indicate night, possible in Prologue

Agamemnon Reconstructed

61

Bibliography • Allen, James T. Stage Antiquities of the Greeks and Romans. New York: Cooper, 1963. • Arnott, Peter D. Greek Scenic Conventions in the Fifth Century, B.C. Oxford: Clarendon, 1962. • Ashby, Clifford. Classical Greek Theatre: New Views of an Old Subject. Iowa City: U Iowa P, 1999. • Bieber, Margarete. History of the Greek and Roman Theatre. 2 ed. Princeton UP: 1961. • Butler, James H. Theatre and Drama of Greece and Rome. San Francisco: Chandler, 1972. • Flickinger, Roy C. Greek Theatre and Its Drama. 4 ed. Chicago UP, 1936. Agamemnon Reconstructed

62

Bibliography, continued • Harsh, Philip Whaley. Handbook of Classical Drama. Stanford UP, 1944. • Pickard-Cambridge, Arthur W. Dramatic Festivals of Athens. Oxford: Clarendon, 1953. • ----------. Theatre of Dionysus in Athens. Oxford: Clarendon, 1946. • Winkler, John J. and Froma I. Zeitlin, eds. Nothing to Do with Dionysos? Athenian Drama in Its Social Context. Princeton: Princeton UP, 1990. Agamemnon Reconstructed

63

Web Sites

Agamemnon Reconstructed

64

Web Sites “Classics and Mediterranean Archaeology.” http://rome.classics.lsa.umich.edu/welcome.html “Didaskalia: Ancient Theatre Today.” http://didaskalia.berkeley.edu/ “Dr. J/s Illustrated Mycenae.” http://nimbus.temple.edu/%7Ejsiegel/sites/mycenae/ mycenae.htm “Greek Art and Architecture.” http://www.officenet.co.jp/~yoji/ Skenotheke: Images of the Ancient Stage.” http://www.usask.ca/antharch/cnea/skenotheke.html

Agamemnon Reconstructed

65