I. The Origin of Greek Tragedy--

choral song hymns sung in honor of the wine god, Dionysus

tragedy in Greek= tragoidia
                           = tragos + oide
                             (goat) (song)

dithyramb = the choral hymn, with mime describing the adventure of Dionysus. It was introduced into Greek in the 7^th century. BC

Dionysus Zagreus--death + rebirth
Seasonal change
Apollo + Dionysus

Tetralogy = one satyr play + a trilogy (three tragedies)

II. The Structure of a Greek Tragedy

• 1. Prologue (開場白) = setting forth the subject
• 2. Parodos (歌隊進場) = the song accompanying the entrance of the chorus
• 3. Episode (場景) = scene in which one or more actors take part
• 4. Stasimon (歌隊評唱) = song of the chorus

Stasima are originally reflection or expression of the emotion evoked by the preceding episode.

• 5. Exodos (終場及歌隊退場)

III. Definition of tragedy according to Aristotle's Poetics

Tragedy is the imitation of an action
that is serious
and also having magnitude, complete in itself;
in language with pleasurable accessories, each kind
brought in separately in the parts of the work;
in a dramatic, not in a narrative form;
with incidents arousing pity and fear,
wherewith to accomplish its catharsis of such emotions.