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Chapter 10: Later Greek Comedy Chapter 10: Later Greek Comedy The Hellenistic Age • general chaos and confusion after Sparta’s victory in the Peloponnesian War • led to a civil war of sorts inside Greece • the rise of Thebes • the Battle of Leuctra (371 BCE): “the graveyard of the Spartan aristocracy” Chapter 10: Later Greek Comedy The Hellenistic Age • the rise of Macedon • especially, Philip II • defeated the combined forces of the southern Greeks at Chaeronea (338 BCE) • but Philip was assassinated (336 BCE) • and Alexander assumed Philip’s throne, saddled up and rode east Chapter 10: Later Greek Comedy The Hellenistic Age • Alexander’s conquests opened up the East to Greek cultural colonization • the Greek language began to evolve into a vernacular dialect called koine • the Greeks were, in general, richer than ever before – but depressed – and disoriented (get it?) Chapter 10: Later Greek Comedy Philosophy in the Hellenistic Age • rise of many new philosophies • Stoicism: be unemotional and trust that the universe has a plan • Epicureanism: retreat behind garden walls and avoid pain Chapter 10: Later Greek Comedy Art in the Hellenistic Age • all this led to drastic changes in art • e.g. statuary focuses on violence/pain • technically brilliant but hollow Chapter 10: Later Greek Comedy Post-Classical Drama • tragedy faltered, collapsed and died – though revivals of “old” tragedies from the Classical Age still had a huge following • comedy survived by inventing the sit-com • also, mime thrived but did not peak — yet! – still too bawdy and low-brow for most viewers – drama would not sink as low as mime— at least, for a while Chapter 10: Later Greek Comedy Post-Classical Drama • according to Platonius, funding for drama was undercut, leading to cost-cutting measures – e.g. fewer choruses (or new odes) – also, the end of the parabasis – and the end of the phallus • also, less direct assault on those in power • instead, comedies ridiculed figures in myth Chapter 10: Later Greek Comedy Post-Classical Drama • no play extant from 388 to 316 BCE • this period is called “Middle Comedy” • but we can judge from the outcome what must have happened – especially, the development of stock character types – e.g. braggart soldier, greedy prostitute, young lover, stingy old man, etc. Chapter 10: Later Greek Comedy Post-Classical Drama • cf. Theophrastus’ Characters http://www.usu.edu/markdamen/ClasDram/chapters/101lat ergkcomedy.htm#theophrastus • n.b. “character” = “image on a coin” • but who invented “characters”: comic poets or philosophers? – comedy seems the more likely source! Chapter 10: Later Greek Comedy Post-Classical Drama • Euripides: the “father of New Comedy” • later comic poets used his melodramatic style, particularly in crafting complex plots • but no choruses (i.e. written by dramatists) – only four “choral interludes” (> five acts) – Aristotle called these songs embolima (“throw-ins”) – but were they unrelated to the plot? Chapter 10: Later Greek Comedy Post-Classical Drama • greatest author of Middle Comedy was Alexis of Thurii • no play of his survives entire – but many fragments – and the Greek original of Plautus’ Poenulus? • invented the character of the parasite – parasitos (“priest’s assistant”) Chapter 10: Later Greek Comedy New Comedy • by late 300’s BCE, New Comedy appears – many playwrights from outside Greece • based on common domestic concerns – e.g. family, wealth, being a good neighbor • but built around extraordinary coincidences, like Euripides’ rescue plays – e.g. recovery of long-lost children Chapter 10: Later Greek Comedy New Comedy • New Comedy was seen to reflect life in the day realistically • thus, it also shaped life in Hellenistic Greece – e.g. offered a more optimistic and hopeful view of life than that of Stoics/Epicureans • but still another “garden wall” for Greeks desperate to flee from the world at large Chapter 10: Later Greek Comedy New Comedy • three great exponents of New Comedy – cf. the triad of classical tragedians • Philemon (ca. 368-267 BCE) – won most often at the Dionysia – much reflection on philosophy • Diphilus (ca. 360-290 BCE) – from Sinope (on the shore of the Black Sea) – famous for farce and physical comedy Chapter 10: Later Greek Comedy New Comedy an ancient bust of Diphilus Chapter 10: Later Greek Comedy Menander • but the “star of New Comedy” was Menander (ca. 344-291 BCE) – however, only considered best after his lifetime, cf. Euripides • his plays, however, were not carried down through a manuscript tradition – his Greek is later (not classical) so his drama was not used in training medieval schoolboys Chapter 10: Later Greek Comedy Ancient Depictions of Menander Chapter 10: Later Greek Comedy Menander • yet much of his work has been found among the papyri unearthed in Egypt – very popular reading even long after his death • one complete play (Dyscolus, “The Grouch”) and many sizeable fragments – more than half of Samia, Epitrepontes, Aspis – less than half of Sicyonius, Misoumenos, Perikeiromene Chapter 10: Later Greek Comedy Menander • from the remains of Menander’s work, it’s clear the three-actor rule remained in effect – even though New Comedy requires much more action than tragedy or Old Comedy ever had – i.e. entrances/exits, more characters to play, and thus frequent/faster costume changes – sometimes only five lines on stage to effect a change of role offstage (and move to a new point of entry): see handout on Dyscolus Chapter 10: Later Greek Comedy a Roman mosaic depicting the opening scene of Menander’s Synaristosai (“The Ladies Who Lunch”) Chapter 10: Later Greek Comedy Menander Chapter 10: Later Greek Comedy Menander • took stock characters of Middle Comedy and made them more humane/subtle, e.g. – Polemon the “braggart soldier” in love (Perikeiromene) – Thais the kindly madam (Eunuch) – Davus the inept “managing slave” (Andria) • thus, characters resist “characterization” – this sort of metatheatre promoted realism Chapter 10: Later Greek Comedy Menander • characters who recur in Menander: – Moschion (“Bull-Calf”): young lover/rapist – Demeas (“People”): gruff old man – Smikrines (“Small”): stingy old man – Syros (“Syrian”): clever doorman/butler • principal theme in Menander is love – especially, the freedom to marry as one chooses Chapter 10: Later Greek Comedy Menander’s Samia • an excellent example of Menander’s subtle use of “characters” – all of them want and try to do what’s right – in the end, coincidence, character and a friendly universe save them • from this, they — and we! — learn lessons • in particular, all our lives have the makings of a “happy ending” if we’ll just let it happen Chapter 10: Later Greek Comedy Menander’s Epitrepontes (“The Litigants”) http://www.usu.edu/markdamen/ClasDram/cha pters/103reading5epitrepontes.htm.
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