Agon

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

In Ancient Greek drama, particularly old comedy (5th century BC), the agon refers to the formal convention according to which the struggle between the characters should be scripted in order to supply the basis of the action. The meaning of the term has escaped the circumscriptions of its classical origins to signify, more generally, the conflict on which a literary work turns.

Agon (Classical Greek ἀγών) is the ancient Greek word meaning contest or challenge. It is a formal debate which takes place between two characters, usually with the chorus acting as the judge. The character who speaks second always wins the agon, since the last word is always his.

Agon (1957), a composition for a 12-dancer ballet, was a collaborative effort between composer Igor Stravinsky and choreographer George Balanchine. Together they discussed the score and choreography as specifically as possible: negotiating lengths of movements, pas de deux requirements, character of the combined piece, and the tempi of sections.