Ancient Greek Drama

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Date:

Instructions: Step back in time to explore the origins of theater in ancient Greece!

1.
Greek drama originated as part of festivals honoring which god?
A
Dionysus
B
Apollo
C
Zeus
D
Athena
2.
Which playwright is considered the 'Father of Tragedy'?
A
Aeschylus
B
Sophocles
C
Aristophanes
D
Euripides
3.
What role did the 'chorus' play in Greek drama?
A
They served as stagehands
B
They sang, danced, and commented on the action
C
They played musical instruments backstage
D
They sold refreshments to the audience
4.
In Sophocles' 'Oedipus Rex,' what terrible truth does Oedipus discover about himself?
A
He has unknowingly killed his father and married his mother
B
He is actually a god
C
He has been blind since birth
D
He is not the true king
5.
Aristophanes was the greatest writer of which type of Greek drama?
A
Epic drama
B
Satyr play
C
Tragedy
D
Comedy
6.
What were the large, open-air theaters where Greek dramas were performed called?
A
Agoras
B
Forums
C
Colosseums
D
Amphitheaters
7.
What is the Greek concept of 'catharsis' in drama, as described by Aristotle?
A
A comedic climax
B
The final scene of a play
C
The emotional cleansing the audience experiences through pity and fear
D
A religious ritual before the performance
8.
Why did Greek actors wear masks?
A
To protect against sun and weather
B
To amplify their voices and show emotions visible to distant spectators
C
Because masks were considered sacred
D
To hide their identities from the audience
9.
Euripides' 'Medea' tells the story of a woman who takes revenge on her husband for what reason?
A
He murdered her father
B
He stole her inheritance
C
He abandoned her for a younger princess
D
He sold her into slavery
10.
What was the 'deus ex machina' in Greek theater?
A
A stage trap door
B
A type of mask
C
A musical instrument
D
A god lowered by crane to resolve the plot
11.
The three great Greek tragedians were Aeschylus, Sophocles, and who?
A
Euripides
B
Thespis
C
Menander
D
Aristophanes
12.
The word 'thespian,' meaning actor, derives from which figure in Greek theater history?
A
Themistocles
B
Thespis
C
Theseus
D
Theodosius
13.
In Greek tragedy, what is 'hubris'?
A
A dramatic pause
B
A type of song
C
A dance performed by the chorus
D
Excessive pride that leads to a hero's downfall
14.
Aeschylus's 'Oresteia' trilogy deals with what family's tragic history?
A
The House of Troy
B
The House of Odysseus
C
The House of Atreus
D
The House of Thebes
15.
What prize did playwrights compete for at the City Dionysia festival?
A
Gold coins
B
A marble statue
C
A crown of ivy
D
A plot of land

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