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Index : A :
Ancient Greek Drama
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Interesting Questions, Facts and Information
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Frequently Asked Questions & Answers
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 Interesting Questions, Facts, and Information
 Ancient Greek Drama
| Women were not allowed to watch a comedy. True or False? | Ancient Greek Comedy (blackmaggot) |
| Who wrote The Persians? | Ancient Greek Tragedians (maria36) |
Aeschylus. "The Persians" is unique among surviving tragedies in that it dramatizes recent history rather than events from the distant age of mythical heroes. The play treats the decisive repulse of the Persians from Greece in 480, in particular their defeat at the Battle of Salamis.
| Who wrote the "Greek Way" (not technically ancient Greek literature)? | Various Greek Drama (Matt685) |
Edith Hamilton . Hamilton is one of the definitive sources on the ancient world. She also wrote "The Roman Way" and "Mythology".
| Who was known as the "Father of Tragedy"? | Ancient Greek Tragedians (maria36) |
Aeschylus. Aeschylus'plays are of lasting literary value in their lyrical language, in the intricate architecture of their plots, and in the universal themes which they explore so honestly. Aeschylus' language in both dialogue and choral lyric is marked by force, majesty, and emotional intensity.
| Who kills Agamemnon at the end of Aeschylus' play "Agamemnon"? | Various Greek Drama (Matt685) |
Clytemnestra. Clytemnestra is Agamemnon's wife. She kills him because he has been away for ten years, has killed their daughter, and brings back a slave concubine in the celebratory parade.
| Who is the precursor of the modern psychological drama? | Ancient Greek Tragedians (maria36) |
Euripides. Euripides is regarded as the forerunner of the modern psychological drama. In "Hippolytus", in fact, and in "The Bacchae", for example, he explores the psyche of men attempting to deny a natural life-force such as sexuality or emotional release. In another timeless classic, "Medea", he takes a penetrating look at the frenzied jealousy of a woman.
| Which god is determined to punish Odysseus in Homer's "Odyssey"? | Various Greek Drama (Matt685) |
Poseidon. After Odysseus had blinded Poseidon's son, he shouted out his name (the son's) and the Cyclops called upon his father to punish Odysseus, which Poseidon did for ten years.
| Where was the first of the classical great tragic dramatists born? | Ancient Greek Tragedians (maria36) |
Eleusis. Aeschylus, the first of classical Athens' tragic dramatists was born at Eleusis, close to Athens, while Sophocles was born at Colonus, near Athens as well. Euripides was born at Athens or maybe in the Island of Salamis.
| What were the shoes with elevated soles that were worn by the actors of the comedy called? | Ancient Greek Comedy (blackmaggot) |
Cotharnus. They were used to make the actors look taller and more impressive and they were made the same for both legs (no left or right shoe).
| What was the front seating privilege called? | Ancient Greek Comedy (blackmaggot) |
Prohedria. The term is referred as both the privilege and the location of the seat. This seating was reserved for state officials, public benefactors or foreign dignitaries.
| What was the festival at which the comic playwrights produced their works in January called? | Ancient Greek Comedy (blackmaggot) |
Lenaea. During the City Dionysia, in March, there were both tragedies and comedies performed. In the Lenea, there were only comedies.
| What is the name of Oedipus' wife in "Oedipus Rex"? | Various Greek Drama (Matt685) |
Jocasta. Jocasta is not only Oedipus' wife, she is also his mother. He was, of course, doomed to sleep with her.
| What is the color of Dionysus' toga in Aristophanes' "The Frogs"? | Various Greek Drama (Matt685) |
Yellow. Aristophanes, a satirist, was ridiculing contemporary Greek drama. Dionysus, who is the god of drama, was wearing yellow to imply that he was a homosexual and a fool. Aristophanes was mocking the lack of respect for the gods and the terrible and inferior drama that was being presented to the Greek public.
| What does the word 'hipokrites' mean in Greek drama? | Ancient Greek Comedy (blackmaggot) |
Actors. Derives by the greek verb 'ypokrinomai' that means to pretend.
| Was Aeschylus' influence on the development of tragedy fundamental? | Ancient Greek Tragedians (maria36) |
Yes. Previous to him, Greek drama was limited to one actor and a chorus engaged in a largely static recitation. By adding a second actor with whom the first could converse, Aeschylus vastly increased the drama's possibilities for dialogue and dramatic tension.
| The word comedy derives from the Greek 'komodia'. What does this Greek word mean? | Ancient Greek Comedy (blackmaggot) |
The song of the komos. A 'komos' is a communal ritual carouse, part of the festival of Dionysus, it recalls modern carnivals such as that of Mardi Gras.
| The long choral passage both recited and sung, that was a direct address to the audience was called what? | Ancient Greek Comedy (blackmaggot) |
Parabasis. It was representing the views of the poet during which the action of the play is suspended.
| The imitation penis that was often worn in comedies was called what? | Ancient Greek Comedy (blackmaggot) |
Phallos . It was often too large for one pesron to lift with ease that it was carried on a pole or cart.
| The Greek Comedy had three stages: Old, Middle and New Comedy. Who represents the New Comedy? | Ancient Greek Comedy (blackmaggot) |
Menander. Aristophanes, Cratinus and Eupolis represent the Old Comedy. We have no comedies survived from the two lasts, but 11 of approximately 40 comedies of Aristophanes are extant.
| Is there a story about Aeschylusdeath as well as about Euripidesdeath? | Ancient Greek Tragedians (maria36) |
Yes. After producing his masterpiece, the "Oresteia" trilogy,i.e. "Agamemnon", "The Libation Bearers","The Eumenides", in 458 Aeschylus went to Sicily again. The chronographers recorded Aeschylus' death at Gela (on Sicily's south coast) in 456/455, aged 69. A ludicrous story that he was killed when an eagle dropped a tortoise on his bald pate was presumably fabricated by a later comic writer.
As for Euripides,his death, which took place in 406, at the court of Archelaus, king of Macedonia, who was a noted patron of the arts, was, like that of Aeschylus, in its nature extraordinary. Either from chance or malice, the aged dramatist was exposed to the attack of ferocious hounds, and by them so dreadfully mangled as to expire soon afterward, in his seventy-fifth year.
| Is Sophocles credited with several dramatic innovations? | Ancient Greek Tragedians (maria36) |
Yes. He increased the number of members in the chorus and added a third actor.
The chorus was a group of actors who responded to and commented on the main action of a play with song, dance, and recitation.
The actor could assume different roles by changing masks and costumes, but in the beginning he was limited to engaging in dialogue only with the chorus.
| In which comedy does the hero become a bird and later founds a city in the sky, the 'Cloudcuckooland'? | Ancient Greek Comedy (blackmaggot) |
Ornithes. 'Ornithes' is the greek word for birds.
| In order to create a female appearance, the actors wore paddings. What was the one over the chest called? | Ancient Greek Comedy (blackmaggot) |
Prosternida. Progastrida was the one over the belly.
| In Homer's "Iliad", which hero inherits Achilles' armor? | Various Greek Drama (Matt685) |
Odysseus. Odysseus is of course the main character of "The Odyssey". He inherits the armor in a case of brains versus brawn against Aegis. In a rare scenario, brains win.
| How many plays by Aeschylus have survived, according to the traditional attribution? | Ancient Greek Tragedians (maria36) |
seven. Aeschylus wrote approximately 90 plays, including satyr plays as well as tragedies; of these, about 80 titles are known. Only seven tragedies have survived entire: "The Suppliants", "The Persians", "Seven against Thebes", "Prometheus Bound", "Agamemnon", "The Libation Bearers", "The Eumenides".
Please note that I do not agree with modern theory that attributes "Prometheus Bound"("Prometheus desmotes", in Greek) to another tragedian, maybe Euphorion, one of Aeschylus' sons. In fact such a theory is not proved right now.
On the contrary I agree with classical scholars Albin Lesky (A History of Greek Literature) and Gilbert Murray (Aeschyli Septem quae supersunt tragoediae, Oxford University Press) who attribute Prometheus Bound to Aeschylus, though it's difficult to date this play.
| How many members did the chorus have in a comedy play? | Ancient Greek Comedy (blackmaggot) |
24. The chorus frequently breaks into two opposed camps, one of which supports the hero while the other opposes him.
| How does Medea kill Jason's bride-to-be in Euripides' "Medea"? | Various Greek Drama (Matt685) |
Medea gives her poison garments. Medea is a very very very scary lady. She utilizes the power of Greek fire in the garments to kill Jason's fiancee. The ensuing fire also kills Jason's father-in-law to be.
| During which period was the Old Comedy performed? | Ancient Greek Comedy (blackmaggot) |
 Frequently Asked Questions about Ancient Greek Drama
- What is a "ghost scene" in reference to Greek drama? ( goto )
- Who was ancient Greek's first 'doubter?' ( goto )
- Who are the Ancient Greek and Roman gods of knowledge? ( goto )
- What was the ancient Greek method of shock therapy? ( goto )
- The ancient Greek playwright Aeschylus was killed by a tortoise. How? ( goto )
- One ancient Greek philosopher held that the only thing constant is change? ( goto )
- What time period did Homer, the ancient Greek epic writer, live in? ( goto )
- In the ancient Greek Olympics, a basic practice did not occur that always occurs today. What is this practice? ( goto )
- Did ancient Greek and Roman males have naturally curly hair or did they use rollers? ( goto )
- Which single word in Latin or Ancient Greek has had the most English words derive from it? ( goto )
- I'd like to know about the ancient Greek rituals of sacrifice to the gods. Did certain gods have certain animals that were special to them? Was there a certain garment that the priest wore? ( goto )
- A black basalt slab was found by a soldier in 1799 that contained fragments of passages written in three different scripts: Greek, Egyptian hieroglyphics, and Egyptian demotic. Two decades later, French Egyptologist Jean Franýois Champollion was able to decipher the hieroglyphics using his knowledge of Greek as a guide, and the language and culture of ancient Egypt was suddenly open to scientists as never before. What was the name of this artifact?
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- In drama,What was Norman Dewars'occupation? ( goto )
- In drama,who was 'hell's black intelligencer'? ( goto )
- What is the Greek Alphabet? ( goto )
- Scientists at a major research institution are using modern technology to investigate something associated with an ancient scientist, an anecdote about whom gave us a word for a surprised and triumphant conclusion. However, this research involves something called by another name, derived from a couple of Greek roots. What is this project, who was the scientist and the famous word associated with him, and what is that second term? ( goto )
- What was the first hour-long television drama? ( goto )
- Who wrote the BBC drama "Shine On Harvey Moon"? ( goto )
- Who is the longest serving actor in a TV drama in the world? ( goto )
- Who is the Greek god of medicine? ( goto )
- Who was the Greek goddess of the hearth? ( goto )
- Is there a Greek island called Argos? ( goto )
- Dionysis was the Greek god of what? ( goto )
- What 1947 drama pictures life in England if Hitler had conquered it? ( goto )
- Which TV drama was filmed in the same location as 'The Vicar of Dibley'? ( goto )
- Whose novels were used as the basis for the drama series "Rebus"? ( goto )
- What TV drama series debuted with 'The Case of the Restless Redhead' in 1957?
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- In the 1970's what TV program won three Emmy awards for best drama? ( goto )
- What is the ancient name for China ?
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- What is the second letter in the Greek alphabet? ( goto )
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