Greek Theatre Transformation and Oedipus Theme

Classical Greek theatres didn’t look much different from what you might expect today in their layout. The main parts included the skene, what we might call backstage today, the orchestra, what we call the stage, the theatron (audience), and the parados, what we consider the entrance (Wilson and Goldfarb, 44. One of the notable differences from what we might expect in a theatre is that in classical Greece, the orchestra (stage) was round. Nearly every angle of the performance was visible to the audience.

The theatron was surrounding the majority of the orchestra, with the skene around the remaining perimeter. The Greeks were very clever. They usually would build a theatre on a hillside so that there was a natural slope in the seats, with the orchestra at the bottom, visible to all seats (Wilson, 44). Since their performances and ceremonies were always held outside, the sun would act as a natural lighting. All of these aspects of the theatre made it possible for them to have 15-17 thousand spectators (Wilson, 44).

There is a lack of consensus as to when specific changes were made to the theatre between the Classical and Hellenistic time periods in Greece, but there are many notable differences. One of the first noticeable differences was the transition from wooden seats to stone seats, which is part of the reason Hellenistic theatres survived longer (Wilson, 50).

Another change was to the stage itself. They began building the stage higher and at some point they were 8-13 feet high, whereas they were ground level before (Wilson, 50).

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I attended North Central High School. We were known for having a fabulous performing arts department. Our theatre was huge, seating 1,450. We had what is called a proscenium theatre, in which one rectangular stage lay below and in front of the audience. The seating was similar to those of Classical and Hellenistic theatres, but the audience could only see the stage from one angle, making the use of flat props possible, but limiting the mobility of the actors a bit.

Social Position of Actors

The Hellenistic period marks a transition in the focus of theatre. In the Classical period, theatre was as much religious worship as it was entertainment (Wilson, 28). In the Hellenistic period, we move away from performance as a religious act and it becomes more focused on the performers (Wilson, 51). With a higher demand in professional actors, good ones began to have job security (Wilson, 52). They were not expected to serve in the military and could travel freely.

Often they were considered for ambassadors and messengers (Wilson, 52). Though they were more professional and theatre was more actor-focused, the profession was still seen as “less than socially acceptable,” (Wilson, 52. They were viewed as deceptive and dangerous to society. Plato believed that they would “use their chameleon-like personalities to harm society” (Wilson, 52). Most of society at that time viewed them as morally corrupt. We can see this same view being pushed in media today. When we look at magazines and tabloids, there is always a new scandal. Our news outlets are flooded with the questionable actions of celebrities. There are articles listing celebrity crimes and mishaps: sex, drugs, violence.

America (and much of the world today) is obsessed with morally questionable acts of celebrities. Though we are bombarded with such information, most of this is sensational and in no way reflective of the morality of the celebrities in question. David J. Krajicek, former crime reporter for the New York Daily News and author of Scooped: Media Miss Real Story on Crime While Chasing Sex, Sleaze, and Celebrities, claims that “coverage of the real crime should, but at present does not, offer the public a framework for understanding isolated crimes through an interpretation of crime statistics and crime trends… The real crime story, therefore, goes largely unreported” (Iorio, 185). He asserts that sensational “scoops” hide the real stories. This leaves the general population thinking that celebrities are liars, cheaters, and criminals when there is no real evidence that they are any more rebellious than the average American.

One Prominent Theme in Oedipus the King

One of the main themes I noticed in the Greek play Oedipus the King, by Sophocles was the unwillingness of the main characters to face the truth. It seemed as though they were making excuses and ignoring extraordinary coincidences. Jocasta told of Laius’s fate told by an oracle, and Oedipus told of his own fate told by an oracle (Harvard Classics, 736-751). Jocasta told of the binding of her and Laius’s son’s feet and Oedipus did not consider his own swollen feet (Harvard Classics, 746). There were so many opportunities for them to realize the truth.

Even after they realized the major coincidences between both tales, they waited for irrefutable evidence before believing it true. Today, we can relate to this story because we see Oedipus as a victim in it all. He was given away as a baby and grew up believing that Polybus and Merope were his parents. Instead of seeing it as naive, we see it as them being in denial and hopeful for an easier truth. We see victimhood, while the characters see shame, but we sympathize with them because people can often blame themselves for things that they have no control over.

Bibliography

1. “Harvard Classics, Vol. 8, Part 5 Oedipus the King.” Bartleby.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 Sept.2016. URL: http://www.bartleby.com/8/5/
2. lorio, Sharon Hartin. “When Scandal Is The Story.” Journal Of Mass Media Ethics 14.3(1999): 183.
3. Academic Search Premier. Web. 11 Sept. 2016. URL:http://web.a.ebscohost.com.proxy.ulib.uits.iu.edw/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?sid=6327bb5-a0d3-4210-8c4b-464a9c5c0f0e%40sessionmgr4008&vid=8&chid=4214
4. Wilson, Edwin, and Alvin Goldfarb. Living Theatre: History of the Theatre. New
   York:McGraw-Hill, 2012. Print.