Notes

Abstract

Abstract A few formal terms: The basic divisions of a Greek tragedy, according to the tradition, is into prologue, parodos, episodes, and stasima. A Greek tragedy contains a variety of levels of speech, in the most general terms the meter of spoken verse (iambitrimeters) and lyric. The prologue and the episodes are usually in iambic trimeter. Characters may speak to each other or to the chorus. A lyric exchange between the chorus and one or more characters is a kommos. The parodos is the entry song of the chorus (in the Electra this takes the form of a kommos between Electra and the Chorus). A stasimon is a choral song that divides two episodes. The episodes, which are mostly in iambic trimeter, are what we would call scenes; the final episode, which ends the drama, can also be called the exodos. These choral songs are typically constructed of strophe, antistrophe, and epode. A strophe is a stanza, while an antistrophe is a stanza whose metrical form closely follows that of a strophe. An epode is a single stanza which follows a paired strophe and antistrophe, but whose metrical form is unique.