Understanding Classical Greek Tragic Playwrights
The Argument of Tragedy
The argument of tragedy is the downfall of an important person. The motive of Greek tragedy is the same as that of the epic, namely the myth, but from the standpoint of communication, tragedy develops an entirely new meaning: the mythos (μῦθος) merges with the action, i.e., with direct representation (δρᾶμα, drama). The public sees with their own eyes characters appearing as separate entities operating independently, the scene (σκηνή), provided each from their own psychological dimension.
Most Important Authors of Tragedy
The most important and renowned authors of tragedy were Aeschylus, Sophocles, and Euripides. In various historical moments, they faced the most sensitive issues of their time.
Aeschylus
Aeschylus is said to have set the basic rules of tragic drama. He is credited with the introduction of masks and boots. Moreover, with him, the tragedy begins to be a trilogy. By introducing a second actor, he makes the dramatization of a conflict possible. The representation of tragedy takes on a definite period (from dawn to sunset, both in reality and in fiction), and on the same day, the trilogy is shown, in which the three parts are related to the same story.
In his work, if the early tragedies are confronted with those of successive years, there is an evolution and enrichment of the proper elements of tragic drama: dialogues, contrasts, and theatrical effects. There is also the old rivalry that Aeschylus had to endure in dramatic contests: a younger rival, Sophocles, who was increasing in popularity, introduced a third actor, complicated storylines, and developed more human characters with whom the audience could identify.
Sophocles
Sophocles introduced a third actor, which allowed the tragedy to multiply the number of possible characters. He increased the number of choristers to fifteen, interrupted the hitherto compulsory trilogy, making possible the representation of independent dramas, and introduced the use of scenery. Compared to Aeschylus, Sophocles’ tragic choruses increasingly participated in the action, and the chorus started to act as spectators and commentators on the events.
Sophocles is credited with the introduction of the monologue (e.g., Ajax or Oedipus), the duration of which allowed the actor to demonstrate his ability, fully express the character’s thoughts, and deepen the psychology of the character through an analysis of truth and humanity. Sophocles tried to remove the emphasis on the bombastic, ornate, and spectacular style (ónkos /ὄγκος) of the characters and the action itself, to fully restore them to their dramatic function. In Oedipus at Colonus, the chorus repeats, “The greatest luck is not to be born.”
Euripides
The vicissitudes experienced by heroes are not the result of a fault, and in this, we see the beginning of a meditation on suffering as central to the human condition. The absolute innovation of Euripides’ drama, however, lies in the realism with which the playwright traces the psychological dynamics of the characters.
The heroes described in his works are no longer the resolute protagonists of the tragedies of Aeschylus and Sophocles, but are often problematic and insecure people, far removed from the model of the classic hero. In fact, they continue to come from the world of myth, but their behavior is that of humans, often beset by madness, perversity, or a desire for revenge that may seem monstrous.