What does satyr mean in drama?

By The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica | View Edit History. Satyr play, genre of ancient Greek drama that preserves the structure and characters of tragedy while adopting a happy atmosphere and a rural background.

What was the purpose of satyr plays?

The satyr play aimed both at remembering Dionysus and at offering the audience a pleasant entertainment; or – in other words – at entertaining the audience by remembering Dionysus and his divine power to free people from care and anxiety.

What is the reason why satyr was often performed after three tragedies?

It is claimed that satyr plays were perhaps formally instituted in the Athenian dramatic festivals to preserve that which was being lost from the main tragic dramas as their themes and plots turned away from Dionysiac ones.

What did satyr plays make fun of?

Satyr Plays: These short plays were performed between the acts of tragedies and made fun of the plight of the tragedy’s characters. The satyrs were mythical half-human, half-goat figures and actors in these plays wore large phalluses for comic effect.

What is satyr plays in ancient Greek Theatre?

What is a theatron in Greek Theatre?

From amphi, meaning “on both sides” or “around” and theatron, meaning “place for viewing.” An oval or circular, open-air performance space with tiered seating on all sides.

What do satyrs symbolize?

In classical mythology, satyrs were companions to Pan, a fertility god, and Dionysus, the god of wine and ecstasy. In both cases, the satyr’s animal aspect symbolized his immoderate appetites. This noun can also be used metaphorically for a man whose sexual desire is stronger than his sense of decency.

What is satyr the god of?

THE SATYROI (Satyrs) were rustic fertility spirits of the countryside and wilds. They consorted with the Nymphai (Nymphs) and were companions of the gods Dionysos, Hermes, Hephaistos, Pan, Rhea-Kybele and Gaia.