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CASD 1717 – Fall 2024

Where performing stories “starts”

How do we define what a story is? What characteristics does it have? Where does a Western understanding of performing stories come from?

This page covers some of the material that we will be looking at in our second class. If you missed class or you want to learn more or review, you can work through the following material. If you would rather move on, scroll to the bottom of the page to continue the module.

Telling Stories the Ancient Greek Way

In the following videos, you will learn about shifts in how stories get performed with the birth of the Greek theatre.


Storytelling and acting are not necessarily the same, but there are similarities. The plays we have from the classical Greek theatre are another source of the traditional stories that we have. Here myths become literary – they become the interpretation of one particular writer.

In the second video, you will meet Aristotle (or re-meet him, you may know him from his philosophical works on ethics and rhetoric – logos, ethos, and pathos – that’s him!). Aristotle defines a lot of what we know about stories: what makes them work, what elements are needed for stories, and what the purpose of a story (at least tragedy) is. We don’t know what he had to say about comedy, but there were probably similarities.

Depiction on pottery of a woman, surrounded by two snakes, to her left is a naked man, to her right a small naked male child on a plinth and a woman with a knife holding him by the head
Medea in Corinth, Apulian red figured volute krater, attributed to The Underworld Painter, circa 330 – 310 BC Late Classical / Early Hellenistic; Deiadameian, CC BY-SA 4.0 , via Wikimedia Commons

In our Zoom discussion, we’ll talk about how this relates back to fairy tales and their structure.

Videos #1 and #2 are a part of the Crash Course Theatre History project.
Video #3 Goes into deeper ideas about Aristotle and story and is optional, but highly recommended.

Do you agree with Aristotle about what makes for a good story?

What about non-Western performance of stories?

There’s a lot to say on this subject, but you might find the use of myth in the Sanskrit drama of ancient India interesting to explore.

Do you agree with Aristotle about what makes for a good story?

Go Back
Go on for more about Myths

Comments

23 responses to “Where Do Stories Come From”

  1. Naurah Romulus Avatar
    Naurah Romulus

    I agree with Aristotle on the structure of a good story, especially since we still use it today. When we were discussing in class how the use of songs was one of them, at first I dismissed that because he focused on theatre, but then I realized that the music in a TV show or a movie is so important! It sets the tone of what’s happening and can make or break a scene, so Aristotle really knew what he was talking about.

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  2. Victoria Lucenti Avatar
    Victoria Lucenti

    I agree with Aristotle on what makes for a good story because his focus towards the baseline of the main plot and how it is being structured for the viewers to follow along to shows the importance of storytelling. Although characters are significant to the overall story, creating a plot with substantial acts that stand out to the viewers and initially grab their attention and interest towards the story is generally what is truly intended to make a good story. Overall, I believe his theory is truly significant towards what makes a good story as he keeps the viewers own thoughts in mind as to how they will react to the scenes and baseline of the plot, and what acts could specifically remain the viewers interest attentively while watching.

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    1. Ariana Loyfman Avatar
      Ariana Loyfman

      I agree with your statement about the fact that plots and acts that stand out to viewers are very important because if a story can not grab the attention of a viewer, they automatically will lose interest in the rest of the story. If the viewers attention is grabbed from the first second of the plot, they will be invested throughout the entire story.

      Reply
  3. Amy Khait Avatar
    Amy Khait

    I agree with the statement that the plot and acts are important. If the plot within the story can’t grab the viewer’s attention, then the viewer will potentially lose interest in the rest of that story and will not be engaged. However, if the viewer’s attention can be grabbed from the beginning of the plot, then they will surely be engaged and invested throughout the rest of the story. Characters are also significant but it is truly the plot and the acts that will determine if a viewer will stay interested in the story.

    Reply
  4. Nitzan Naim Avatar
    Nitzan Naim

    I agree with Aristotle’s idea of what makes a good story. These elements seem like the framework around a good story. One thing I found interesting is diction, which I think is very important. Language is constantly changing—the language of the Bible, the early 1900s, and today’s literature is different. It makes me question what makes diction successful. What are the elements of diction that make a story “good?”

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  5. Alexa Mendez Avatar
    Alexa Mendez

    I agree with Aristotle on his idea of what makes a good story because a plot and the use of music is important. The music is what makes it all come together while the plot, you can’t necessarily have a story at all without a plot. The plot can be benefited through music and it represents tone, it helps the story come together.

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  6. Anifat Abumislimova Avatar
    Anifat Abumislimova

    Aristotle believed that a good story needs a beginning, middle, and end that they all should be connected. He thought that the plot of the story was an important part in telling stories. According to his view, main characters in the story should have struggles so the audience could feel emotions like fear. So, I agree with him about what makes for a good story.

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  7. Sofia Buttaro Avatar
    Sofia Buttaro

    In my opinion, given how much Aristotle’s theories (mostly contained in his work Poetics) have affected storytelling for centuries, I 100% agree with him about what makes for a good story. In his opinion, a story’s plot is its most crucial component. I agreed since a strong story should have a distinct beginning, middle, and end, as well as chronologically ordered events that provoke strong feelings in the reader. In addition, for Aristotle, characteristics are essential. The protagonist needs to have a weakness that will bring them to catastrophe, to make them feel more human to readers. Because I myself want to see consistency in the characters I read about, I really believe this.

    Reply
  8. Michelle Cortes Rodriguez Avatar
    Michelle Cortes Rodriguez

    I agree with Aristotle about what makes a good story. He mentions how plot, character, diction, thought, song, and spectacle all make a goos story but the way you portray them is what really makes a story. One thing that I agree was the plot is important because to me I like when there’s a plot in a story, it grabs my attention. It makes people think and the urge to find out what happens next. Plus, once you get to the answer of the plot you have multiple emotions about it.

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  9. Brittany Giler Avatar
    Brittany Giler

    Aristotle prioritizes the core elements of storytelling, emphasizing plot, character, and theme. His focus on creating relatable characters and a satisfying plot ensures that the audience remains invested.

    Reply
  10. Briana Claxton Avatar
    Briana Claxton

    I do agree with Aristotle idea of what makes a good story because it is not only how you tell a story but how you portray the characters along with how it grabs the audience attention. This grabs them to keep being interested in the story and how the language/ facial expressions change in order to keep them captured. Also it tells about how the people think about the state of the region.

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  11. Amna Syeda Avatar
    Amna Syeda

    I agree with Aristotle’s idea of a good story, especially the need for tragedy. Tragedy adds depth and emotion, helping the audience feel connected and making the story more powerful.

    Reply
  12. Mahnoor Avatar
    Mahnoor

    I do agree with Aristotle on the factors that make a good story. The use of different characters to add depth to a story, having music to add to what is going on in the scene, and additionally having a good plot for storytelling make a story good for those who may be reading, listening, or watching a play. All these factors make it easy for people to follow along and to actually remember what happened and also help with the emotions that one feels. 

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  13. Selina Chen Avatar
    Selina Chen

    I agree with Aristotle’s idea of what makes a good story and I also agree with his statement of how the plot, the tragic actions that’s most important in the story. Aristotle also thought that having a tragedy plot needs to have three main elements which is reversal, recognition, and a scene of suffering. I never though about these elements but when you think about all the interesting tragedy plots in good books, those elements are usually present.

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  14. Tory Sen Avatar
    Tory Sen

    I agree with Aristotle’s concept which emphasizes the significance of storytelling in crafting a compelling narrative. He emphasizes the foundation of the primary narrative and its organization for audience comprehension. Although people have significance, it is vital to construct a storyline with meaningful actions that captivate attention and intrigue. The way the plot is portrayed is what truly makes a good story. The plot grabs attention, makes people think, and leaves multiple emotions when the story ends.

    Reply
  15. Kateryna Senkovych Avatar
    Kateryna Senkovych

    I agree with Aristotle’s concept that a good plot makes a good story. When there is a good and interesting plot, it keeps the audience entertained and if there is something that happens to make the story change to a different direction and then has a good ending, it’s even more interesting. I also, agree with the concept that if people experience different emotions through reading or watching a play it keeps their everyday lives more peaceful.

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  16. Camille Connor Avatar
    Camille Connor

    I agree with Aristotle story line. During that time it was very hard to communicate how you feel. Aristotle thought it was a good idea to start to write plays and story lines to get his point across to people. That was a good idea why? because story lines and plays is still being used today in the new age.

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  17. Anthea longville Avatar
    Anthea longville

    I agree with Aristotle’s storyline because he emphasized the three important key elements of a good story which are the plot, character, and theme. Many of his intuitions continue to be fundamental to telling stories, particularly in terms of the development of the character and structure. Also, Aristotle’s principles are widely embraced since most storylines in theater, cinema, and literature adhere to the same rules.

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  18. emma Avatar
    emma

    I agree with Aristotle about what makes a good story because each key point that was listed is what really makes the audience engaged. Plot, character, and theme are the three key points that make up a story and without them, it is hard to create a story that 1)flows nicely 2)keeps the audience engaged and 3) makes the words you are reading feel so real and not just works on a page.

    Reply
  19. Jennifer Delaguila Avatar
    Jennifer Delaguila

    I do agree with Aristotle about what makes a good story because he introduced a new way of storytelling. By this new way of storytelling it helped create a connection between the audience and the characters. The plot is a crucial element because with the help of the plot, we are able to see character development which helps the audience stay engaged and have them think about what they are watching.

    Reply
  20. Kaylee Pontone Avatar
    Kaylee Pontone

    I agree with Aristotle, especially about the importance of character in a story. I think that without interesting characters, stories wouldn’t matter to us. One reason we connect to books or movies can be because we see ourselves in the main character/one of the characters driving the plot forward. If characters are one-dimensional, no connection is possible.

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  21. Vanessa Lara Avatar
    Vanessa Lara

    I agree with Aristotle’s idea of what makes a good story. A good plot, character, story will keep us entertained. Not only will enjoy what we are watching or reading but we can also find some relation in what we consume. Aristotle knew about good story telling and learned what the people liked and the importance of making stories relatable

    Reply
  22. Jaylyn Calles Avatar
    Jaylyn Calles

    I agree with Aristotle’s idea of what makes a good story because we use these strategies till this day. We use costumes and masks to change into different characters. A good story timeline will help the audience stay engaged and entertained the entire time plot, characters, story with some feelings.

    Reply

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