Ekkyklema

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The ekkyklema (from the Greek ἐκκυκλεῖν - roll out, twist out) is an ancient theatrical device of which it is not known exactly how it was made. It was first mentioned in a play by the comedy poet Aristophanes , which dates back to the 5th century BC. Chr. Advances. However, this assumption is not really certain. It is believed to have been used in performances of the Greek tragedy .

construction

The structure and appearance of the Ekkyklema are controversial, as no contemporary drawings have survived.

  • Some researchers consider it to be a device that can be moved by means of rollers, although it is unclear what this “wagon” looked like: a rotating platform that was integrated into the Skene , a small stage with wheels or a rollable Kline
  • A second theory seeks to understand the ekkyklema as a static image that was hidden behind a curtain or the like in order to be revealed at a given point in time.

use

The back wall of the stage represented the facade of a building. A deeper view of its interior was difficult for the audience, even with the doors open, even when the skene and the place for the actors were already raised by steps; because the audience sat in high-rise rows in a semicircle around the stage . With the help of the ekkyklema, what happened inside a house could literally be “brought closer” to them. The actors most likely remained motionless and silent in their place on the Ekkyklema as long as they were visible to the audience, an early form of the tableau vivant . The images presented in this way contained a high level of information and were easy to decipher, so that the audience could understand for themselves what must have happened behind the stage.

Examples

In the Elektra by Sophocles tells Aegisthus to open the palace gates before a veiled body is pushed to the stage of Ekkyklemas (V. 1450).

literature

Web links