Ancient Greek Theatre

Question 0

What is Dionysus?

Answer 0

Dionysus is the god of wine and fertility.

Question 1

What is the origin of Greek Theatre?

Answer 1

It is generally accepted that Greek theatre arose from the choral singing of hymns known as the dithyrambs in honour of Dionysus. IT WAS STRONGLY LINKED WITH RITUALS AND RELIGION.

Question 2

What is dramatic irony?

Answer 2

When the audience knows what’s going on but the characters don’t.

Question 3

What is foreshadowing?

Answer 3

Hinting at something that will happen in the future.

Question 4

Greek theatre is the origin of

Answer 4

All western theatre.

Question 5

How did the Greeks honor their gods?

Answer 5

Through rituals which eventually led to three main festivals; Rural and City Dionysia and the Lenea.

Question 6

When was the first record of formal drama in Greece?

Answer 6

534BCE

Question 7

Which became the biggest festival?

Answer 7

The City Dionysia became the major festival for the presentation of drama.
It was a six or seven day event and was attended by the whole city of Athens. Even slaves were allowed to attend.

Question 8

What where the prizes given for?

Answer 8

A prize was awarded for best comedy, best tragedy and best production and later a prize for best tragic actor was introduced.

Question 9

ACTORS: where the actors in Greek plays professional?

Answer 9

Initially the actors were ordinary citizens, not professionals, but in later centuries acting became a profession and companies were formed.

Question 10

What was the orchestras purpose in the layout of the Greek theatre?

Answer 10

It was the acting space.

Question 11

What was the skenes purpose?

Answer 11

It became the background for the plays.

Question 12

What was the extension of the skene called?

Answer 12

The epskenion.

Question 13

Why were all the Greek theaters outside and isolated from the gods? What was the purpose of this?

Answer 13

To be closer to the gods through nature.

Question 14

What was the acting style during Greek theater?

Answer 14

For one, the posture of the actor had to be upright to facilitate effective communication. The actor would also have to project voice, gesture and emotion powerfully through space.

Question 15

Why were the movements of Greek actors so over the topz.

Answer 15

The auditoriums were to large for. The movements to be small, otherwise they would go unseen.

Question 16

Why would the deaths in Greek plays always happen offstage?

Answer 16

Because the auditorium was a religios area.

Question 17

How where these deaths shown?

Answer 17

Often an important messenger and the deceased was shown on a platform. This platform was called the ecyclema or exaustra, depending on its shape.

Question 18

What did the masks the Greek actors wear look like?

Answer 18

They were heavily stylized.

Question 19

What did the mask aid the actors in becoming?

Answer 19

It aided them on becoming big characters, such as gods. And characters in general.

Question 20

What was the headdress that the actors wore called?

Answer 20

It was called an onkos. It was worn to balance out the very high boots the actors wore and helped in conveying the actors gender, status and age.

Question 21

What were the high soled shoes the actors wore called?

Answer 21

They were called korthurni and aided in making the actors larger so that people could see them as well as conveying importance.

Question 22

What were the long and short cloaks worn by the actors called.

Answer 22

The short cape is called the chlamys and the long cloak is called the himation.

Question 23

What is the full body outfit called?

Answer 23

It was called a chiton.

Question 24

What was the purpose of the costumes within comedic plays?

Answer 24

They were to be grotesque and short and plump and funny.

Question 25

How did tragic plays begin?

Answer 25

We a prologus.

Question 26

What followed the prologus?

Answer 26

The parados, continuing the entrance of the chorus.