Greek Terms Flashcards
Anagnorisis
the recognition: gaining of the essential knowledge that was previously lacking
Antistrophe
Departure from normal word order for the sake of emphasis. the inversion of the usual order of words or clauses.
Catharsis
The end of the tragedy is a catharsis (purgation, cleansing) of the tragic emotions of pity and fear. the process of releasing, and thereby providing relief from, strong or repressed emotions.
Deus ex machina
a god introduced by means of a crane. “god from the machine” refers to the intervention of a supernatural being to resolve a dramatic dilemma
Episode
these were the scenes in which the actors took the main roles. They consisted primarily of spoken dialogue
Exodos
the song sung by the chorus as they left the orchestra, concluding the play.
Hamartia
“tragic flaw” (hubris = excessive pride)
The protagonist will mistakenly bring about his own downfall—not because he is sinful or morally weak but because he does not know enough.
a fatal flaw leading to the downfall of a tragic hero or heroine.
Hubris
excessive pride or self-confidence.
Parodos
the entrance song of the chorus sung as they entered the orchestra; the poetic meter is often anapestic (a foot=two short syllables followed by a long syllable) with a “marching” effect.
Peripeteia
the reversal: one or more self-destructive actions taken in blindness, leading to results diametrically opposed to those that were intended (tragic irony)
a sudden reversal of fortune or change in circumstances, especially in reference to fictional narrative.
Prologue
a speech or scene that preceded the entrance of the chorus
Stasimon
the subsequent choral odes, sung and danced by the chorus, which usually alternated with the episodes.
in Greek tragedy is a stationary song, composed of strophes and antistrophes and performed by the chorus in the orchestra.
Stichomythia
The dialogue is called stichomythia when it consists of a rapid exchange between two actors each speaking “one liners.”
Strophe
the first section of an ancient Greek choral ode or of one division of it.
Oedipus
A tragic king of Thebes who unknowingly killed his father Laius and married his mother Jacosta
