Ancient Greek Theater Speak Trivia Quiz

Answer: Skene

The skene in ancient Greek theater was the structure directly behind the stage. Meaning "tent" or "hut", in the beginning, it was probably just a piece of cloth that hung from a rope or some kind of a light wooden temporary structure. Actors would take the stage from the skene, and change costumes there. Sometimes the action of the play would take place inside; the audience would have to determine what was taking place based on what they could hear.

In addition, the characters typically didn't die on stage; it was the usual custom for the actor to withdraw to the skene to do that out of sight. Eventually it became a permanent structure, and its balconies and stairs were used as part of the stage.

Answer: Orchestra

One of the three elements of the ancient Greek theater complex, the orchestra area had an average diameter of approximately 78 feet, although sources vary on this number. It was a large, flat, circular area where the chorus danced, performed, and interacted with the actors on the stage. Today, of course, the orchestra pit is found in theaters where musicians perform.

Answer: Exodus

The exodus in a Greek tragedy is the final scene. Its purpose is to bring the story to a conclusion; some sort of moral lesson is typically taught for all to learn. For example, in the "Oresteia" by Aeschylus, the three plays raise the problem of the ancient Greek custom of blood feuding.

In the first play, "Agamemnon", the Greek hero returns from the Trojan War and is murdered by his wife, Clytemnestra and her lover, Aegisthus. According to the Greek code of justice, murder cried for revenge. Orestes, the couple's son, must seek vengeance or suffer a terrible punishment.

He kills his mother in the second play, "The Libation Bearers". Even though he did what the gods expected, he is pursued by the Furies, terrible creatures from the underworld.

In third play, "Eumenides", the problem is solved, and the exodus is achieved. Saved by Athena, who arranges a trial rather than torture by the Furies, Orestes is acquitted. Athena ruled that henceforth all trials would be settled in court, thus establishing the first law court in history.

Answer: Paean

The events that took place at the theater were a very integral part of worship for the ancient Greeks. A paean, originally addressed to the god Apollo, was a song of thanksgiving, originally associated with the god's healing ability. Translated literally, the term means "song of triumph, any solemn song or chant". Paean was the physician of the gods in Greek mythology, and chants were used to invoke healing. Later the chants were made to other gods in an attempt to ask for safekeeping from disease and misfortune, as well as thankfulness for the service. Later, armies would also sing paeans when going into battle.

Answer: Episode

Derived from the ancient Greek, "epeisodion", the term literally means "the material contained between two songs or odes in a Greek tragedy". Many times in Greek plays, the episode is one action or one part of the plot; consequently, one play can have many episodes. Typically each episode in a play was separated by songs or chants. Today's equivalent to an episode might be a chapter in a book, or an act in a play.

Answer: Chorus

The Greek chorus typically would speak their part together, along with singing, acting, and dancing. Sometimes wearing masks, the purpose of the chorus was to help the viewers understand the events, and even know what the characters might be thinking or feeling. Each individual playwright would have the license to decide how large - or small - the chorus in his play should be.

Answer: Deus ex machina

Meaning "god from the machine", the ancient Greeks used the "deus ex machina" to bring characters who were playing the gods on stage, either from above the stage or below from a trap door. Usually found in tragedies, this device is believed to have been used first by Aeschylus. One of the most famous examples of its use is in the play, "Medea", where her grandfather, the sun god, sends his chariot to rescue Medea from Jason after she kills their children. Today the term is used to refer to a plot device whereby a new situation, person, etc. is introduced to resolve what appears to be an unsolvable conflict.

Answer: Dithyramb

Dionysus, the Greek god of wine and merrymaking, was also the god of the theater. In fact, theatrical performances probably originated from harvest rituals and festivities that were performed to honor the god. During the famous Festival of Dionysus, there was competition between groups that sang dithyrambs, which had to meet a set criteria, in praise of wine, fertility, or some event in the god's life.

This was such a big deal that the ancient Athenians recorded the names of the winning teams, and a statue might even be erected to honor the victory.

Answer: Prologos

As in plays today, the prologos, or prologue, gives details to the background of the story and establishes the situation. In ancient Greek plays, however, the prologos, was more developed and longer in length; an entire act of the play might be needed to set the stage for what is to come.

The point was to give the audience all of the information they needed to know to understand the plot of the play. Credit is given to the ancient playwright Euripedes for the creation and use of this type of prologos.

In his "Hippolytus", for example, the prologue of the play begins with the goddess Aphrodite explaining how she punishes those who do not worship her correctly; because Hippolytus has chosen a chaste life and worships Artemis, he has offended The goddess.

She tells how she has arranged his punishment, causing Phaedra, his father's wife to fall desperately in love with her stepson, Hippolytus, to seek her revenge. Then the story begins!

Answer: Theatron

The theatron in a Greek theater was the area where the audience sat. Derived from the Greek "theáomai", which means "I view", the original use of the word was to describe the slope where people would sit, that could accommodate 14,000+ viewers. As time passed, seats of marble or other stones were dug into the hillside. Later on, however, the theatron was the entire complex, including the orchestra and skene. Built on a mathematical scale to achieve the best possible acoustics, the theatron was typically uniformly constructed throughout Greece, and was considered an important area of every polis.