[36], The role of the audience in a Greek Tragedy is to become part of that theatrical illusion, to partake in the act as if they were part of it. These unities were considered key elements of the theatre until a few centuries ago, although they were not always observed (such as by authors like Shakespeare, Calderón de la Barca and Moliere). On l’oppose à la comédie au contraire de laquelle elle met en scène des personnages de rangs élevés et se dénoue souvent par la mort d’un ou de plusieurs personnages. [39] An article by Mario Frendo, looks at the latter as a phenomenon of performance, a separation in the meaning of the play from what it is actually being conveyed, and not an attempt to approach Greek tragedy through context (e.g., conventions of performance, historical facts, etc.). Ce sont Eschyle (525- 456 av.J.C) , Sophocle (496 - 406 av.J.C) et Euripide (485 - 406 av.J.C). Quel etait le role de la tragédie grecque ? Cet exemple montre la dimension réflexive de la tragédie antique. chorus.[11]. The three Aristotelian unities of drama are the unities of time, place and action. Hippolyte se justifie et se retire en exil, maudit par son père et voué à la vengeance de Poséidon. [39] Frendo furthers his argument by drawing on previous research into Greek Tragedy. well as the manoeuvres and dance figures performed by the Chorus as Phèdre décide alors de perdre Hippolyte et se pend. Aeschylus was to establish the basic rules of tragic drama. Tragic plots were most often based … be remembered that the skene, since at first it was only a wooden structure, (I) Agamemnon, (II) Les Choéphores et (III) Les EuménidesEschyle, (I) Les Myrmidons, (II) Les Néréides et (III) Les Phrygiens ou La Rançon d’HectorEschyle. The term τραγῳδία, derived from τράγος "goat" and ᾠδή "song", means "song of the goats," referring to the chorus of satyrs. Cette section est vide, insuffisamment détaillée ou incomplète. Tragédie antique exemple. Some scholars equate the two sources, assuming an error of Aristophanes, of 17 instead of 7. La tragédie grecque prend son origine dans les fêtes religieuses au cours desquelles chants, danse et récitations publiques se déroulent. [40] This is a technique in which an action is halted by the appearance of an unforeseen character or through the intervention of a god, that essentially brings about a conclusion to a play. The structure of Greek tragedy is characterized by a set of conventions. Tragédies - Au théâtre, la tragédie a longtemps été considérée comme le genre le plus noble. Katharsis, on this reading, will denote the overall ethical benefit that accrues from such an intense yet fulfillingly integrated experience. At this time, satyr plays were presented alongside tragedies. Chœur probablement composé de paysans lycéens, Chœur probablement composé de citoyens athéniens. The Greek chorus of up to 50 men and boys danced and sang in a circle, probably accompanied by an aulos, relating to some event in the life of Dionysus.[11]. His work is therefore invaluable for the study of ancient tragedy, even if his testimony is open to doubt on some points. The skene normally had three doors which served as additional entrances and exits In this category [can be placed] Aeschylus’ Persians and Oresteia."[29]. proskenion were two projecting wings, the so-called paraskenia. (trilogie) platform, in the fifth century B.C. "[30], Other tragedies avoid references or allusions to 5th century BC events, but "also draw the mythological past into the present. Et on comprend pourquoi lorsqu'on lit Shakespeare ou Racine. La catharsis est un terme lié à l’étude du théâtre et notamment de la tragédie.. Il s’agit de la purification des passions qui se produit lors d’une représentation théâtrale.. L’origine du terme catharsis. [42] In this play, Prometheus, the Titan god of forethought and the inventing fire, stole the inventing flame from Hephaestus and gave it to humanity. [note 2] Musically Aeschylus remains tied to the nomoi, rhythmic and melodic structures developed in the Archaic period. Cf. Thésée revient avec les corps des guerriers qui sont brûlés ensemble (afin d'épargner aux mères la vision des corps mutilés de leurs fils). The primary source of knowledge on the question is the Poetics of Aristotle. Le Président Rolland, du Parlement de Paris, critique par exemple dans son Plan d’éducation publique (1768) le fait que les adolescents « connoissent les belles actions de Thémistocles, d’Alcibiade, de Decius, d’Annibal, de Scipion ; [mais ne sachent pas] celles de Duguesclin, de Bayard, du Cardinal d’Amboise, de Turenne, de Montmorency et de Sully, etc., en un mot des grands hommes qui ont … Elle révèle la vérité à Thésée et promet à Hippolyte de le venger sur un des favoris d’Aphrodite. Directly beyond the circular orchestra lies the skene or scene building. Niobé restait immobile et muette pendant plusieurs scènes. Les chœurs sont présents dans la comédie ou dans la tragédie grecque antique. The winning author, actor and choir were thus selected not purely by lot, but chance did play a part. This procedure might have been based on a provisional script, each of which had to submit a tetralogy consisting of three tragedies and a satyr play. "Tragedy ... provides us with the appropriate objects towards which to feel pity or fear.". Chœur de satyres (enfants de Sylène et bergers de Polyphème). These included Dactylo-epitrites and various Aeolic metres, sometimes interspersed with iambics. Tragédie antique Tragédie classique Tragique moderne Epoque Lieu Auteurs Description du lieu théâtrale Sujets et personnages Caractéristiques formelles et de jeu Définition du tragique. For the character of Euripidean Tragedy, see: Easterling (1989) 64-86. 66). The events that overwhelm the lives of the heroes are in no way explained or justified, and in this we see the beginning of a painful reflection on the human condition, still current in the contemporary world. In the case of Aeschylus' tragedy The Persians, it was performed in 472 BC in Athens, eight years after the battle of Salamis, when the war with Persia was still in progress. Ruth Scodel notes that, due to lack of evidence and doubtful reliability of sources, we know nearly nothing about tragedy's origin. For the metre, the spoken parts mainly use the iambic (iambic trimeter), described as the most natural by Aristotle,[8] while the choral parts rely on a variety of meters. La pièce se déroule probablement dans le palais d’, Clytemnestre (veuve d'Agamemnon, amante d'Égisthe), Des enfants, orphelins des guerriers Argiens. Of the many tragedies known to have been written, just 32 full-length texts by only three authors, Aeschylus, Sophocles and Euripides, survive. Pour ARISTOTE, la tragédie est la représentation (mimesis) d’une action sérieuse et complète en elle-même, dans une forme dramatique (= théâtrale), et non pas narrative comme dans l’épopée (exemple : L’Iliade d’HOMERE); cette action dramatique, donc jouée sur scène par des acteurs, se termine par une situation malheureuse, qui suscite chez le public la pitié et la peur. [citation needed], Aeschylus was at least partially receptive to Sophocles' innovations, but remained faithful to a very strict morality and a very intense religiosity. The origin of Greek tragedy is one of the unsolved problems of classical scholarship. [7] The stories that tragedy deals with stem from epic and lyric poetry, its meter — the iambic trimeter — owed much to the political rhetoric of Solon, and the choral songs' dialect, meter and vocabulary seem to originate in choral lyric. [40], Character identification can be seen in many of Aeschylus' plays, such as Prometheus Bound. Dans le récit de l’Iliade, Hector ayant tué l'amant d'Achille Patrocle et Achille ayant tué le frère d'Hector Polydore, les deux hommes s'affrontent dans un duel à mort dont Achille sort vainqueur. It must Scholars have made a number of suggestions about the way the dithyramb changed into tragedy. The tragedy ends with the exodus (ἔξοδος), concluding the story. Origine de la tragédie classique Au début du 17ème siècle, et plus précisément vers l’année 1620, la tragédie est sur le déclin. Inversement, les imprécisions théoriques autour de la tragédie ont pu favoriser la La tragédie s’oppose à la comédie par son sujet noble, grave et par son dénouement malheureux. The hero described in his tragedies is no longer the resolute character as he appears in the works of Aeschylus and Sophocles, but often an insecure person, troubled by internal conflict. In the Athenian democracy wealthy citizens were required to fund public services, a practice known as liturgy. On y retrouve aussi la règle des trois unités : - L’unité de temps : Action ne devant pas dépasser 24 heures Gradually, the language became more serious and the meter changed from trochaic tetrameter to the more prosaic iambic trimeter. [3] D'Amico, on the other hand, suggests that tragoidía does not mean simply "song of the goats", but the characters that made up the satyr chorus of the first Dionysian rites. 2. Aristote lui assigne pour but d’inspirer « … Thésée revient et trouve dans les mains de Phèdre morte des tablettes qui accusent son fils de viol, raison de son suicide. b. Pratinas definitely competed with Aeschylus and worked from 499 BC. Learn how and when to remove this template message, "Prometheus Bound - Aeschylus - Ancient Greece - Classical Literature", ‘Slaves of Dionysos: satyrs, audience, and the ends of the Oresteia', Storia del teatro: lo spazio scenico dai greci alle avanguardie storiche, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Greek_tragedy&oldid=987091073, Articles with dead external links from March 2013, Articles needing additional references from March 2013, All articles needing additional references, Articles containing Ancient Greek (to 1453)-language text, Articles with unsourced statements from March 2013, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. [note 1], In the work of Aeschylus, comparing the first tragedies with those of subsequent years, there is an evolution and enrichment of the proper elements of tragic drama: dialogue, contrasts, and theatrical effects. Some discussion exists on the function of satyr plays, however. Friedrich Nietzsche at the end of the 19th century highlighted the contrast between the two main elements of tragedy: firstly, the Dionysian (the passion that overwhelms the character) and the Apollonian (the purely pictorial imagery of the theatrical spectacle).[25]. Tragédie antique exemple. The episodes are interspersed by stasima (στάσιμoν, stasimon), choral interludes explaining or commenting on the situation developing in the play. The origin of the word tragedy has been a matter of discussion from ancient times. [39] Approaching antiquity from a contemporary outlook, especially with regard to the construction and form of the plays, hinders any understanding of classical Greek society. It reached its most significant form in Athens in the 5th century BC, the works of which are sometimes called Attic tragedy. Devant le désir de mourir que manifeste sa maîtresse, la nourrice, qui s’était d’abord scandalisée, va révéler la passion de Phèdre à Hippolyte. Strains of fifth-century Athenian rhetoric, sketches of political types, and reflections of Athens’ institutions and society lend plays of this category a distinctly fifth-century Athenian flavor. Tragédies - Au théâtre, la tragédie a longtemps été considérée comme le genre le plus noble. "The possibility that a reflection of Athens is to be seen in Aeschylus’ Persian mirror could explain why the poet asks his audience to look at Salamis through Persian eyes and elicits great sympathy for the Persians, including Xerxes. [15] He is credited with inventing the trilogy, a series of three tragedies that tell one long story, and introduced the second actor, making the dramatization of a conflict possible. Speculating on the problem, Scodel writes that: "Three innovations must have taken place for tragedy as we know it to exist. Plutarch, in the Life of Cimon, recounts the first triumph of the young talented Sophocles against the famous and hitherto unchallenged Aeschylus. would find himself seated in the theatron, or koilon,a semi-circular, curved bank of seats, resembling in some respects the closed end of a horseshoe stadium. tragos, the form of spelt known as 'the goat'." He writes: "Tragedy is, therefore, an imitation (mimēsis) of a noble and complete action [...] which through compassion and fear produces purification of the passions. He elaborates on the musical, often sing-song nature of the plays, and looks at oral tradition as the backdrop to the construction of these plays (e.g., oral tradition may play a role in the processes that lead to the creation of Greek Tragedy). Dans la Grèce ancienne, les personnes composant le chœur avaient pour mission de chanter et de danser en cadence lors de fêtes religieuses. Le dernier épisode met en scène la confrontation d’Hécube avec Ménélas, qui affirme son intention de tuer sa femme Hélène, cause de tous ses malheurs, et cette dernière. [39], The origins of Greek tragedy were mostly based on song or speech rather than written script. [2], J. Winkler proposed that "tragedy" could be derived from the rare word tragizein (τραγίζειν), which refers to "adolescent voice-change" referring to the original singers as "representative of those undergoing social puberty". [1], Alexandrian grammarians understood the term τραγῳδία as a "song for the sacrifice of the goat" or "song for the goat", believing the animal was a prize in a race, as attested by Horace's Ars Poetica: .mw-parser-output .templatequote{overflow:hidden;margin:1em 0;padding:0 40px}.mw-parser-output .templatequote .templatequotecite{line-height:1.5em;text-align:left;padding-left:1.6em;margin-top:0}. [38] However, a much clearer distinction is made with adult males, such as "jury-service-loving old men (Wasps)" (p. 66), which indicates that the chorus is composed entirely of older men who are part of a jury service, further indicating their role within the citizenry. ... Below him, in the best location in the theatre, is the throne of the priest of Dionysus who presides in a sense over the whole performance. [42] Thereby, bestowing upon humanity knowledge of the arts, angering the gods. [16] This is due to the competition in which the older Aeschylus was with other playwrights, especially the young Sophocles, who introduced a third actor, increased plot complexity and developed more human characters, with which the audience could identify. [41] The play demonstrates how divine intervention sets in motion the main theme of the play, revenge, and how that leads to the downfall of a royal family. [4], Other hypotheses have included an etymology that would define the tragedy as an ode to beer. [39] Therefore, the author concludes that this not only demonstrates the performative nature of Greek tragedy but also brings forth the possibility that dialogic based strategies may have been employed. [28] In such plays, "the poet alludes directly to fifth-century events or developments, but moves them back into the mythological past. Et on comprend pourquoi lorsqu'on lit Shakespeare ou Racine Pour lui, par exemple, Phèdre n'est pas le monstre des versions antiques, mais un personnage ni tout à fait coupable, ni tout à fait innocent) la diction : Aristote entend par là l'expression en général. La tragédie marque un tournant : elle Innove, dans le domaine des Institutions sociales, des formes d’art, de l’expérience humaine. The Oxford English Dictionary adds to the standard reference to "goat song", that: As to the reason of the name, many theories have been offered, some even disputing the connection with ‘goat’. L’exemple le plus frappant d’ironie tragique est celui d’Œdipe dans la tragédie de Sophocle, Œdipe Roi : pour sauver son peuple de la malédiction qui s’est abattue sur le royaume, il lui promet de châtier le meurtrier inconnu de Laïos, tout en ignorant qu’il est lui-même … Another playwright was Phrynichus. In the centre of the orchestra stands an He uses the concepts of mimesis (μίμησις, "imitation"), and catharsis or katharsis (κάθαρσις, "cleansing") to explain the function of tragedy. Seven of these have survived, including the only complete trilogy which has come down from antiquity, the Oresteia, and some papyrus fragments:[33]. A katharsis of this kind is not reducible to either ‘‘purgation’’ or ‘‘purification.’’ Harvey, A. E. (1955) "The Classification of Greek Lyric Poetry" in: Lear, J. Le jeune homme éclate en invectives. A part of the dramatic action will take place in the orchestra, as [38] The citizen chorus was not only distinguished by status but was also seen as a subset of the demos. [39] Further stating that it is essential to look at tragedy as pre-drama, that it does not fit with a more contemporary envisioning of "drama" as we would've seen under the renaissance. [17] This competition ended in an unusual manner, without the usual draw for the referees, and caused the voluntary exile of Aeschylus to Sicily. Jane Ellen Harrison pointed out that Dionysus, god of wine (a drink of the wealthy classes) was actually preceded by Dionysus, god of beer (a drink of the working classes). Greek tragedy is a form of theatre from Ancient Greece and Anatolia. Many innovations were introduced by Sophocles, and earned him at least twenty triumphs. Selon Aristote, la tragédie serait née d’improvisations ; elle serait issue de formes lyriques comme le dithyrambe (qui était un chant de choral en l’honneur de Dionysos) ; elle serait donc, de même que la comédie, l’élargissement d’un rite. Polynice arrive avec une armée argienne pour reprendre le trône à son frère. [38] Those not considered citizens were not representative of the demos. [note 4] At the end of these three days a jury of ten people chosen by lot from the body of citizens chose the best choir, best actor and best author. Another novelty of Euripidean drama is represented by the realism with which the playwright portrays his characters' psychological dynamics. Besides introducing dialogues in iambic trimeter and including female characters for the first time, Phrynichus also introduced historical content to the genre of tragedy (e.g. v La vraisemblance : Le rapport entre l’écrivain et le public à Donner l’’illusion complète du vrai. I/ La tragédie antique et classique (du XVIIème siècle) s’inspirent directement de sujets mythologiques et historiques : A) La tragédie antique La tragédie grecque est une manifestation caractéristique d'Athènes du Ve siècle avant J-C. C'est vers 534 que le premier concours tragique des Dionysies à lieu. [40] Without divine intervention, the events that transpired would not have been as effective in revealing certain truths to the audience if they were to have come from a fellow human. Définition de la tragédie moderne, exemple d'Antigone de Jean Anouilh. The performances of the tragedies took place in Athens on the occasion of the Great Dionysia, feasts in honor of Dionysus celebrated in the month of Elaphebolion, towards the end of March. In Oedipus at Colonus, the chorus repeats "not to be born is best." Greek tragedy is a form of theatre from Ancient Greece and Anatolia. "Somebody, presumably Thespis, decided to combine spoken verse with choral song. [34][note 6] Of all Sophocles's tragedies, only seven remain intact: Apart from the plays that have survived in their entirety, we also possess a large part of the satyr play Ἰχνευταί or Trackers, which was found at the beginning of the 20th century on a papyrus containing three-quarters of this work. [38], Through further exploration into the role of the chorus, the author looks at what impact that may have had from the perspective of the demos. La fatalité est omniprésente: personne n'échappe à son destin, malgré une lutte acharnée qui fait la grandeur du protagoniste. Greek tragedy is widely believed to be an extension of the ancient rites carried out in honor of Dionysus, and it heavily influenced the theatre of Ancient Rome and the Renaissance. La tragédie La tragédie antique : un rituel sacré mettant en scène le problème de la responsabilité humaine La tragédie naît à Athènes au Ve siècle av. A l’origine, le mot « chœur » signifie Choros en grec et Chorus en Latin. Moreover, Themistius, a writer of the 4th century AD, reports that Thespis invented the prologue as well as the spoken part (ῥῆσις). There are other suggested etymologies for the word tragedy. Les orphelins des guerriers amènent les cendres de leurs pères à leurs grand-mères avec des promesses de vengeances. [6]" Scodell notes that: The Greek word for “actor” is hypocrites, which means “answerer” or “interpreter,” but the word cannot tell us anything about tragedy’s origins, since we do not know when it came into use. It tells the story of the Persian fleet's defeat at Salamis and how the ghost of former Persian King Darius accuses his son Xerxes of hubris against the Greeks for waging war on them. Although many scholars have attempted to define this element vital to the understanding of Aristotle's Poetics, they remain divided on the subject.[23]. Elle permet de divertir les spectateurs lors des fêtes organisées en l'honneur du dieu Dionysos, mais aussi de réfléchir à différents problèmes liés à la Cité. En effet, des genre dits “intermédiaires” comme la tragi-comédie ou la pastorale lui font progressivement de l’ombre. "[22] Whereas mimēsis implies an imitation of human affairs, catharsis means a certain emotional cleansing of the spectator. His first victory in a contest was in 510 BC. The dithyramb was originally improvised, but later written down before performance. Mais Phèdre finit par lui avouer son amour. La tragédie est une œuvre théâtrale dont l’origine remonte au théâtre grec antique. ... As tragedy developed, the actors began to interact more with each other, and the role of the chorus became smaller. Dochmiacs often appear in passages of extreme emotion. For Sophoclean theatrical inventions, see: Easterling (1989) 43-63; Sinisi & Innamorati (2003) 3. Other playwrights of the time were Choerilus, author of probably one hundred and sixty tragedies (with thirteen victories), and Pratinas of Phlius, author of fifty works, of which thirty-two are satyr plays. Thus, it is likely that the term was originally meant to be "odes to spelt," and later on, it was extended to other meanings of the same name. Priam, roi de Troie et père d'Hectore y négocie avec Achille le rachat du corps de son fils. This was called the proskenion or logeion where much of the dramatic action of the plays takes place. [6] Still, R.P. Il existe différents types de tragédies : la tragédie classique, moderne, humaniste ou encore grecque. These tragedians often explored many themes around human nature, mainly as a way of connecting with the audience but also as way of bringing the audience into the play. The passion of the Greeks for the tragedy was overwhelming: Athens, said the critics, spent more on theatre than on the fleet. La tragédie doit émouvoir et instruire. It is theoretically possible that all these were simultaneous, but it is not likely. A spectator of a Greek dramatic performance in the latter half of the fifth century B.C. Rossi & Nicolai 2006, p 93. Others suggest that the term came into being when the legendary Thespis (the root for the English word thespian) competed in the first tragic competition for the prize of a goat (hence tragedy). Immediately in front of the scene-building was a level The poet, who first tried his skill in tragic verse for the paltry prize of a goat, soon after exposed to view wild satyrs naked, and attempted raillery with severity, still preserving the gravity of tragedy. La tragédie raconte la guerre des sept chefs, qui trouve son origine dans la lutte qui oppose Étéocle et Polynice, les frères d'Antigone, après la mort de leur père, Œdipe, pour la possession du royaume de Thèbes. [42] Through this the author notes how Aeschylus' play relates to this notion of character identification, as it depicts a being who is not necessarily acting out of selfish intention but in many ways was willing to be punished for the betterment of Humanity. La tragédie utilise des registres différents : • Le pathétique suscitant émotion et compassion chez le spectateur. [41], Without this kind of divine intervention, Theseus would not have realized his mistakes and Hippolytus would not have been cursed. Trilogies were performed in sequence over a full day, sunrise to sunset. in all probability only a single step [citation needed], The peculiarities that distinguish the Euripidean tragedies from those of the other two playwrights are the search for technical experimentation, and increased attention for feelings, as a mechanism to elaborate the unfolding of tragic events.[19]. Exempt from the stresses that accompany pity and fear in social life, the audience of tragedy can allow these emotions an uninhibited flow that ... is satisfyingly attuned to its contemplation of the rich human significance of a well-plotted play. • L’épique intervient souvent dans le récit de la mort des héros (par exemple, le récit de la mort d’Hippolyte dans Phèdre de Racine). The spectator sees before him a level circular area called the orchestra, Each tetralogy was recited in one day, so that the recitation of tragedies lasted three days. Étymologiquement, le terme «tragédie» signifie littéralement «chant du bouc» (du grec tragos, le bouc, et oïdè, le chant), mais le sens n’est pas clair (animal sacrifié ? Originaire de la Grèce Antique, la tragédie est un genre théâtral qui n'a cessé d'évoluer au fil des siècles. à défendre l’idée, par exemple, que le roi compare les Danaïdes et leurs tribu- ... dans cette tragédie tout au moins, elles fassent figure de révoltées, rebelles.