Greek tragedy is about bizarre events that

were of

tragedy productofin choral performance, from the group

was the

retelling ofa myth / mythsin songs through a dialogue between

Leader (choregos)
S
and chorus to the pointwhere the leader
became an
independentperformer
"invention"of
Thespis:creditedwith tragedy
535/3LE
the around

Language in
characters
Tragedy is embellished because the events
/
are
larger than life.

chief emotions stimulated by tragedy pity

and fear

Greektragedy is not meant to be realistic

itis more of the
plot than of character.

firstofall, itis clear that

one must not

portray admirable
undergoing a
change
men

from good bad fortune as itis not

pitiful
to or
fearful but
justdreadful. Not evil going from bad to good fortune as
&

men

this is the most

non-tragic
it should, itis neither
of all;ithas nothing. of what
patful nor fearful
sensibilities.
nor does it
satisfy
our human Nor should one
portray a thoroughly
bad person falling out ofgood fortune into bad as such a
f

situation mightsausfy
our human sensibilities butwould not
far-
-

wish feat oppity [...] i

what s outstanding in either virtue or
&>
&

into bad
fortune not through
↑

just behaviour, who falls

vice or
snickedness, but through some mistake [hamartia], one of
those who enjoys great reputation and
prosperity.
Aeschylus, sophodes, Euripides
Orchestra, Skene.

tragedies, generally, address the audience

do not
directly
as comedies. This convention can be noticed even snakes
in -

dramas.
pearean
chorus:
interacting with the actors and also
providing a

general metatheatrical commentary.

Thespis-speaking evolved from singing

Aeschylus introduction
of second actor.
a
-

chovies
contemporary of Aeschylus, introduction masks.
-

of
Phrynichos -
inventing the tetrameter verse form and also introducin
female characters within
his dramas.

480sBCE, firstcompeted atthe city

Euripides:
born around the

Dronysia in ISS BCE, died around 407/BLE.

&

won 4times in his entire It awarded

life. was
posthumously.
↓
Alcestis took place
satyr play, features of burlesque. One of his
sative
-

&

earliestworks available to criticused for being too

-

us.
sophistic
"Sophists"unorthodox, radical change. Too experimental.
more intellectual than contemporaries, predecessors and successors.

prevalentsocial problems, expectations

Medea was
performed 431BCE.
in Second the
of 11 works of suripides
available to
us today. (Philctetes, Dillys, Theistai)

Peloponnesian was between Athens and

Sparta. (paradigm
breaking war) play corrich
↑

is seti n who allies with Sparta against

Amen) therefore theremay
havebeen some political hunt
Fochus cycle cluster of
story around and the argonauts
-

Jason
was
Medea seeks shelter Athens.
in Her name,
already in the
my (s.

century
7th BCEearliestmentions in the work the ele-
of
gial poetminer
us

Pelias:had deposed Jason's father Arson, King of latches.

The golden fleece was in the custody ofKing Aletes who was Medea's
father. She helps him get the fleece by going behind her father's
back.
She falls in love with Jason and decides to follow him as her compat

nion.

References to the Argo can be found in Homer's Odyssey and Resiod's

Theogony. Both of them thought Medea to be immortal and divine.
she was also given physician aspectas Helios' grandd