Ancient Greece Declassified 06 What Is Greek Tragedy? w/ Rush Rehm (Aeschylus, Sophocles, Euripides)
Jan 29, 2017
Rush Rehm, Stanford professor of classics and theater with experience directing ancient plays, guides a lively tour of Greek tragedy. He traces theater’s Athenian origins and its ties to emerging democracy. He explains masks, chorus, civic festivals, tragic structure, and why suffering and mythic settings matter. He also considers how plays shaped public judgment and communal life.
AI Snips
Chapters
Books
Transcript
Episode notes
Large Outdoor Audiences Shaped Theatrical Style
- Ancient Greek theater gathered roughly 7,000–8,000 people in an outdoor Theater of Dionysus, creating a visible civic spectacle under the sky.
- Rehm emphasizes masks, vocal projection, and posture since facial subtleties were lost at that scale.
Chorus As Civic Ensemble Not Professionals
- The chorus consisted of citizen males who sang and danced, while the actors were likely paid professionals playing multiple roles in masks.
- Rehm notes chorus members were recruited volunteers, forming a civic ensemble rather than a professional troupe.
Tragedy Is Defined By Change Not Just Misfortune
- Aristotle defined tragedy by change and reversal (mutability) rather than simple descent from good to bad.
- Rehm highlights that tragic impact depends on reversals and timing, not only moral flaw or pessimism.
