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Humanities CLEP > Drama - (10% of Exam) > Flashcards

Drama - (10% of Exam) Flashcards

1
Q

Aeschylus

A

Ancient Greek Tragedy – Known as the ‘Father of Tragedy,’ famous for The Oresteia.

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2
Q

Sophocles

A

Ancient Greek Tragedy – Known for Oedipus Rex and Antigone.

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3
Q

Euripides

A

Ancient Greek Tragedy – Wrote Medea, focused on strong female protagonists.

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4
Q

Aristophanes

A

Ancient Greek Comedy – Known for Lysistrata and The Clouds.

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5
Q

Seneca

A

Roman Tragedy – Influenced Renaissance drama with Phaedra.

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6
Q

Terence

A

Roman Comedy – Known for elegant Latin comedies like The Brothers.

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7
Q

Plautus

A

Roman Comedy – Known for The Menaechmi and Pseudolus.

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8
Q

Hrotsvitha

A

Medieval Drama – A nun who wrote Christian adaptations of Roman comedies.

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9
Q

Christopher Marlowe

A

Elizabethan Drama – Known for Doctor Faustus and Tamburlaine.

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10
Q

William Shakespeare

A

Elizabethan/Jacobean Drama – Playwright of Hamlet, Macbeth, Othello, King Lear.

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11
Q

Ben Jonson

A

Elizabethan Drama – Known for satirical comedies like Volpone and The Alchemist.

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12
Q

Molière

A

French Neoclassicism – Famous for comedies such as Tartuffe and The Misanthrope.

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13
Q

Jean Racine

A

French Neoclassicism – Tragedian known for Phèdre.

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14
Q

Pierre Corneille

A

French Neoclassicism – Playwright of Le Cid, helped shape French tragedy.

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15
Q

Lope de Vega

A

Spanish Golden Age – Playwright of Fuenteovejuna.

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16
Q

Pedro Calderón de la Barca

A

Spanish Golden Age – Known for Life is a Dream.

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17
Q

Aphra Behn

A

Restoration Comedy – One of the first professional female playwrights, wrote The Rover.

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18
Q

John Dryden

A

Restoration Drama – Known for heroic tragedy and All for Love.

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19
Q

Richard Brinsley Sheridan

A

18th Century Comedy – Irish playwright known for The School for Scandal.

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20
Q

Henrik Ibsen

A

19th Century Realism – Playwright of A Doll’s House and Hedda Gabler.

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21
Q

Anton Chekhov

A

19th Century Russian Realism – Known for The Cherry Orchard and The Seagull.

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22
Q

August Strindberg

A

19th Century Naturalism/Expressionism – Playwright of Miss Julie.

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23
Q

George Bernard Shaw

A

19th-20th Century Realism – Known for Pygmalion and Saint Joan.

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24
Q

Oscar Wilde

A

19th Century Comedy of Manners – Playwright of The Importance of Being Earnest.

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25
Q

Eugene O’Neill

A

20th Century American Drama – Known for Long Day’s Journey into Night.

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26
Q

Tennessee Williams

A

20th Century American Drama – Playwright of A Streetcar Named Desire.

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27
Q

Arthur Miller

A

20th Century American Drama – Playwright of The Crucible and Death of a Salesman.

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28
Q

Samuel Beckett

A

Theatre of the Absurd – Known for Waiting for Godot.

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29
Q

Harold Pinter

A

20th Century British Drama – Known for The Birthday Party.

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30
Q

Jean-Paul Sartre

A

Existentialist Drama – Playwright of No Exit.

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31
Q

Jean Genet

A

Theatre of the Absurd – Known for The Balcony and The Maids.

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32
Q

Bertolt Brecht

A

Epic Theatre – Known for The Threepenny Opera.

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33
Q

Luigi Pirandello

A

Modernist Drama – Playwright of Six Characters in Search of an Author.

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34
Q

Eugène Ionesco

A

Theatre of the Absurd – Known for The Bald Soprano and Rhinoceros.

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35
Q

Federico García Lorca

A

20th Century Spanish Drama – Known for Blood Wedding.

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36
Q

Harvey Fierstein

A

Contemporary LGBTQ+ Drama – Known for Torch Song Trilogy.

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37
Q

David Mamet

A

Contemporary American Drama – Playwright of Glengarry Glen Ross.

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38
Q

August Wilson

A

20th Century African American Drama – Known for Fences and The Piano Lesson.

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39
Q

Lorraine Hansberry

A

20th Century African American Drama – Playwright of A Raisin in the Sun.

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40
Q

Suzan-Lori Parks

A

Contemporary African American Drama – Known for Topdog/Underdog.

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41
Q

Tony Kushner

A

Contemporary American Drama – Playwright of Angels in America.

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42
Q

Tom Stoppard

A

Postmodern Drama – Known for Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead.

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43
Q

Sarah Kane

A

In-Yer-Face Theatre – Known for Blasted.

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44
Q

Caryl Churchill

A

Contemporary Feminist Drama – Known for Top Girls.

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45
Q

Lynn Nottage

A

Contemporary African American Drama – Playwright of Ruined and Sweat.

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46
Q

Quiara Alegría Hudes

A

Contemporary Latinx Drama – Known for Water by the Spoonful.

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47
Q

Katori Hall

A

Contemporary African American Drama – Known for The Mountaintop.

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48
Q

Branden Jacobs-Jenkins

A

Contemporary African American Drama – Known for An Octoroon.

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49
Q

Dominique Morisseau

A

Contemporary African American Drama – Known for Detroit ‘67.

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50
Q

Jeremy O. Harris

A

Contemporary American Drama – Known for Slave Play.

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51
Q

Title

A

Details

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52
Q

The Oresteia

A

Author: Aeschylus
Time Period: Ancient Greek Tragedy
Synopsis: A trilogy (Agamemnon, The Libation Bearers, The Eumenides) exploring themes of justice, revenge, and divine will.

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53
Q

Oedipus Rex

A

Author: Sophocles
Time Period: Ancient Greek Tragedy
Synopsis: A king unknowingly fulfills a prophecy that he will kill his father and marry his mother, leading to tragedy.

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54
Q

Antigone

A

Author: Sophocles
Time Period: Ancient Greek Tragedy
Synopsis: A young woman defies the king’s order to bury her brother, leading to a conflict between divine law and state law.

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55
Q

Medea

A

Author: Euripides
Time Period: Ancient Greek Tragedy
Synopsis: A woman takes revenge on her unfaithful husband by murdering their children.

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56
Q

Lysistrata

A

Author: Aristophanes
Time Period: Ancient Greek Comedy
Synopsis: A comedic play in which women withhold sex from men to end a war.

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57
Q

Phaedra

A

Author: Seneca
Time Period: Roman Tragedy
Synopsis: A retelling of the Greek myth where Phaedra falls in love with her stepson, leading to disaster.

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58
Q

Doctor Faustus

A

Author: Christopher Marlowe
Time Period: Elizabethan Drama
Synopsis: A scholar sells his soul to the devil in exchange for knowledge and power.

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59
Q

Hamlet

A

Author: William Shakespeare
Time Period: Elizabethan Drama
Synopsis: A prince seeks revenge for his father’s murder while grappling with existential doubt.

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60
Q

Macbeth

A

Author: William Shakespeare
Time Period: Elizabethan Drama
Synopsis: A Scottish nobleman’s ambition leads to murder, madness, and downfall.

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61
Q

King Lear

A

Author: William Shakespeare
Time Period: Elizabethan Drama
Synopsis: A king divides his kingdom among his daughters, leading to betrayal and tragedy.

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62
Q

Volpone

A

Author: Ben Jonson
Time Period: Elizabethan Drama
Synopsis: A satire about greed and deception in Renaissance Venice.

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63
Q

Tartuffe

A

Author: Molière
Time Period: French Neoclassicism
Synopsis: A religious hypocrite deceives a nobleman’s family until exposed.

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64
Q

Phèdre

A

Author: Jean Racine
Time Period: French Neoclassicism
Synopsis: A queen falls in love with her stepson, leading to tragedy.

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65
Q

Le Cid

A

Author: Pierre Corneille
Time Period: French Neoclassicism
Synopsis: A Spanish knight must choose between honor and love.

66
Q

Fuenteovejuna

A

Author: Lope de Vega
Time Period: Spanish Golden Age
Synopsis: A village unites to kill a cruel commander and refuses to betray the killer.

67
Q

Life is a Dream

A

Author: Pedro Calderón de la Barca
Time Period: Spanish Golden Age
Synopsis: A prince is imprisoned at birth due to a prophecy, raising questions of fate and free will.

68
Q

The Rover

A

Author: Aphra Behn
Time Period: Restoration Comedy
Synopsis: A comedy of mistaken identities and romance during a carnival in Naples.

69
Q

The School for Scandal

A

Author: Richard Brinsley Sheridan
Time Period: 18th Century Comedy
Synopsis: A satire on gossip and hypocrisy in upper-class society.

70
Q

A Doll’s House

A

Author: Henrik Ibsen
Time Period: 19th Century Realism
Synopsis: A woman realizes her marriage is stifling and leaves her family to find independence.

71
Q

Hedda Gabler

A

Author: Henrik Ibsen
Time Period: 19th Century Realism
Synopsis: A woman trapped in a dull marriage manipulates those around her, leading to tragedy.

72
Q

The Cherry Orchard

A

Author: Anton Chekhov
Time Period: 19th Century Russian Realism
Synopsis: A declining aristocratic family struggles to adapt to social change in Russia.

73
Q

Miss Julie

A

Author: August Strindberg
Time Period: 19th Century Naturalism
Synopsis: An aristocratic woman has a doomed affair with her servant, highlighting class struggles.

74
Q

Pygmalion

A

Author: George Bernard Shaw
Time Period: 19th-20th Century Realism
Synopsis: A phonetics professor transforms a flower girl into a lady, raising class and gender issues.

75
Q

The Importance of Being Earnest

A

Author: Oscar Wilde
Time Period: 19th Century Comedy of Manners
Synopsis: A farcical comedy of mistaken identities and social satire.

76
Q

Long Day’s Journey into Night

A

Author: Eugene O’Neill
Time Period: 20th Century American Drama
Synopsis: A semi-autobiographical play about a dysfunctional family’s struggles with addiction.

77
Q

A Streetcar Named Desire

A

Author: Tennessee Williams
Time Period: 20th Century American Drama
Synopsis: A fragile woman’s illusions are shattered by the brutal reality of her brother-in-law.

78
Q

Death of a Salesman

A

Author: Arthur Miller
Time Period: 20th Century American Drama
Synopsis: A failed salesman struggles with his dreams and self-worth in post-war America.

79
Q

Waiting for Godot

A

Author: Samuel Beckett
Time Period: Theatre of the Absurd
Synopsis: Two men wait endlessly for someone named Godot, engaging in existential musings.

80
Q

The Birthday Party

A

Author: Harold Pinter
Time Period: 20th Century British Drama
Synopsis: A seemingly ordinary birthday party turns menacing as past secrets surface.

81
Q

No Exit

A

Author: Jean-Paul Sartre
Time Period: Existentialist Drama
Synopsis: Three damned souls are trapped in a room, realizing that ‘Hell is other people’.

82
Q

Mother Courage and Her Children

A

Author: Bertolt Brecht
Time Period: Epic Theatre
Synopsis: A woman profits from war but loses her children in the process.

83
Q

Six Characters in Search of an Author

A

Author: Luigi Pirandello
Time Period: Modernist Drama
Synopsis: Unfinished characters interrupt a rehearsal, demanding their story be completed.

84
Q

The Bald Soprano

A

Author: Eugène Ionesco
Time Period: Theatre of the Absurd
Synopsis: A nonsensical play that satirizes meaningless conversations and social rituals.

85
Q

Blood Wedding

A

Author: Federico García Lorca
Time Period: 20th Century Spanish Drama
Synopsis: A tragic tale of forbidden love and vengeance in rural Spain.

86
Q

Glengarry Glen Ross

A

Author: David Mamet
Time Period: Contemporary American Drama
Synopsis: A darkly comedic look at cutthroat real estate salesmen.

87
Q

Fences

A

Author: August Wilson
Time Period: 20th Century African American Drama
Synopsis: A former baseball player’s bitterness affects his family’s future.

88
Q

A Raisin in the Sun

A

Author: Lorraine Hansberry
Time Period: 20th Century African American Drama
Synopsis: An African American family in Chicago fights for a better life despite racism.

89
Q

Angels in America

A

Author: Tony Kushner
Time Period: Contemporary American Drama
Synopsis: A complex, magical realist drama about AIDS, politics, and identity in the 1980s.

90
Q

Blasted

A

Author: Sarah Kane
Time Period: In-Yer-Face Theatre
Synopsis: A brutal and shocking play that explores war, trauma, and human cruelty.

91
Q

Top Girls

A

Author: Caryl Churchill
Time Period: Contemporary Feminist Drama
Synopsis: A critique of feminism and capitalism through a surreal dinner party of historical women.

92
Q

Ruined

A

Author: Lynn Nottage
Time Period: Contemporary African American Drama
Synopsis: A harrowing story about women in war-torn Congo.

93
Q

Water by the Spoonful

A

Author: Quiara Alegría Hudes
Time Period: Contemporary Latinx Drama
Synopsis: A story about addiction, family, and redemption across multiple storylines.

94
Q

The Mountaintop

A

Author: Katori Hall
Time Period: Contemporary African American Drama
Synopsis: A fictionalized account of Martin Luther King Jr.’s last night.

95
Q

An Octoroon

A

Author: Branden Jacobs-Jenkins
Time Period: Contemporary African American Drama
Synopsis: A postmodern deconstruction of racial stereotypes in American theatre.

96
Q

Detroit ‘67

A

Author: Dominique Morisseau
Time Period: Contemporary African American Drama
Synopsis: A family’s nightclub dreams are disrupted during the Detroit race riots.

97
Q

Slave Play

A

Author: Jeremy O. Harris
Time Period: Contemporary American Drama
Synopsis: A controversial drama exploring race, power, and sexuality through provocative role-playing.

98
Q

Movement

A

Details (Definition, Key Works, Figures)

99
Q

Ancient Greek Tragedy

A

Definition: A dramatic genre that explores human suffering and fate, often featuring a tragic hero and intervention of the gods.
Key Works: Oedipus Rex (Sophocles), Medea (Euripides), The Oresteia (Aeschylus)
Key Figures: Aeschylus, Sophocles, Euripides

100
Q

Ancient Greek Comedy

A

Definition: A genre that used satire and humor to critique society and politics, often employing stock characters and exaggerated scenarios.
Key Works: Lysistrata (Aristophanes), The Clouds (Aristophanes)
Key Figures: Aristophanes

101
Q

Roman Tragedy

A

Definition: Inspired by Greek tragedy but often darker and more violent, with themes of fate and revenge.
Key Works: Phaedra (Seneca)
Key Figures: Seneca

102
Q

Roman Comedy

A

Definition: Lighthearted plays focused on mistaken identities, misunderstandings, and exaggerated characters.
Key Works: The Menaechmi (Plautus), The Brothers (Terence)
Key Figures: Plautus, Terence

103
Q

Medieval Drama

A

Definition: Religious and moral plays performed in churches and public squares, often based on biblical stories or allegorical themes.
Key Works: The Second Shepherds’ Play (Anonymous)
Key Figures: Hrotsvitha

104
Q

Elizabethan Drama

A

Definition: Flourished during the late 16th and early 17th centuries, known for complex characters, poetic language, and themes of power and fate.
Key Works: Hamlet (Shakespeare), Doctor Faustus (Marlowe), Volpone (Jonson)
Key Figures: Christopher Marlowe, William Shakespeare, Ben Jonson

105
Q

French Neoclassicism

A

Definition: A highly structured form of drama following Aristotle’s unities of time, place, and action, emphasizing decorum and moral instruction.
Key Works: Tartuffe (Molière), Phèdre (Racine), Le Cid (Corneille)
Key Figures: Molière, Jean Racine, Pierre Corneille

106
Q

Spanish Golden Age

A

Definition: A flourishing of Spanish theatre featuring complex plots, poetic dialogue, and themes of honor and destiny.
Key Works: Fuenteovejuna (Lope de Vega), Life is a Dream (Calderón de la Barca)
Key Figures: Lope de Vega, Pedro Calderón de la Barca

107
Q

Restoration Comedy

A

Definition: A witty and satirical form of comedy popular after the English monarchy was restored, often focusing on sexual politics and social manners.
Key Works: The Rover (Aphra Behn), The Country Wife (William Wycherley)
Key Figures: Aphra Behn, John Dryden

108
Q

19th Century Realism

A

Definition: A movement focusing on everyday life, psychological depth, and social issues, rejecting melodrama and idealism.
Key Works: A Doll’s House (Ibsen), The Cherry Orchard (Chekhov)
Key Figures: Henrik Ibsen, Anton Chekhov

109
Q

Theatre of the Absurd

A

Definition: A post-WWII movement that highlighted the meaningless of human existence through surreal, illogical dialogue and situations.
Key Works: Waiting for Godot (Beckett), The Bald Soprano (Ionesco)
Key Figures: Samuel Beckett, Eugène Ionesco, Jean Genet

110
Q

Epic Theatre

A

Definition: Developed by Brecht, it aimed to engage the audience intellectually rather than emotionally, often using alienation techniques.
Key Works: Mother Courage and Her Children (Brecht)
Key Figures: Bertolt Brecht

111
Q

Postmodern Drama

A

Definition: A movement rejecting traditional structures and embracing self-referential, fragmented, and experimental narratives.
Key Works: Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead (Stoppard)
Key Figures: Tom Stoppard

112
Q

Term

A

Definition

113
Q

Tragedy

A

Definition: A dramatic genre that depicts the downfall of a protagonist due to fate, character flaws, or societal pressures.

114
Q

Comedy

A

Definition: A genre of drama intended to amuse and often featuring misunderstandings, exaggerated characters, and happy endings.

115
Q

Melodrama

A

Definition: A dramatic work that emphasizes exaggerated emotions, sensational action, and clear moral distinctions.

116
Q

Farce

A

Definition: A comedy characterized by absurd situations, exaggerated physical humor, and improbable events.

117
Q

Satire

A

Definition: A form of comedy that critiques individuals, institutions, or societal norms through irony and exaggeration.

118
Q

Catharsis

A

Definition: The emotional release experienced by the audience through witnessing tragedy.

119
Q

Dramatic Irony

A

Definition: A situation where the audience knows something the characters do not, creating tension or humor.

120
Q

Monologue

A

Definition: A speech delivered by a single character, often revealing their thoughts and emotions.

121
Q

Soliloquy

A

Definition: A type of monologue where a character speaks their inner thoughts aloud while alone on stage.

122
Q

Aside

A

Definition: A brief remark by a character intended for the audience but unheard by the other characters on stage.

123
Q

Exposition

A

Definition: The introduction of background information, such as setting, characters, and past events, at the beginning of a play.

124
Q

Rising Action

A

Definition: The series of conflicts and complications that lead up to the climax of a drama.

125
Q

Climax

A

Definition: The moment of highest tension or turning point in a play’s narrative.

126
Q

Falling Action

A

Definition: The events following the climax that lead to the resolution of the story.

127
Q

Denouement

A

Definition: The final resolution of the play’s conflicts and loose ends.

128
Q

Prologue

A

Definition: An introductory speech or section that provides context for the story.

129
Q

Epilogue

A

Definition: A concluding speech or section that reflects on the events of the play.

130
Q

Fourth Wall

A

Definition: The imaginary wall separating the audience from the action on stage, which is sometimes ‘broken’ by actors.

131
Q

Blocking

A

Definition: The precise movement and positioning of actors on stage as directed by the playwright or director.

132
Q

Stage Directions

A

Definition: Instructions in a script that guide actors on movement, tone, and interactions.

133
Q

Subtext

A

Definition: The underlying meaning or intention behind a character’s dialogue and actions.

134
Q

Suspension of Disbelief

A

Definition: The audience’s willingness to accept fictional elements as real within the context of a play.

135
Q

Stock Characters

A

Definition: Stereotypical characters that appear frequently in drama, such as the clever servant or the foolish old man.

136
Q

Ensemble

A

Definition: A cast of actors who work together as a unified group rather than focusing on individual leads.

137
Q

Hamartia

A

Definition: The tragic flaw or mistake that leads to a protagonist’s downfall in a tragedy.

138
Q

Hubris

A

Definition: Excessive pride or arrogance that leads to a character’s downfall.

139
Q

Anagnorisis

A

Definition: The moment when a character makes a critical discovery about their situation or identity.

140
Q

Peripeteia

A

Definition: A sudden reversal of fortune, often leading from success to downfall in tragedy.

141
Q

Chorus

A

Definition: A group of performers in Greek drama who comment on the action, often in song or verse.

142
Q

Deus Ex Machina

A

Definition: A plot device where an unexpected power or event resolves a seemingly unsolvable problem.

143
Q

Foil

A

Definition: A character who contrasts with another to highlight key qualities.

144
Q

Motif

A

Definition: A recurring element, symbol, or theme within a play.

145
Q

Metatheatre

A

Definition: A play that self-consciously comments on its nature as theatre or includes a play within a play.

146
Q

Protagonist

A

Definition: The main character in a drama, often facing central conflicts.

147
Q

Antagonist

A

Definition: The character or force opposing the protagonist.

148
Q

Tragic Hero

A

Definition: A noble character whose downfall is caused by a tragic flaw or fate.

149
Q

One-Act Play

A

Definition: A short play consisting of a single act without intermission.

150
Q

Five-Act Structure

A

Definition: A traditional structure in classical and Shakespearean drama that follows exposition, rising action, climax, falling action, and denouement.

151
Q

Realism

A

Definition: A dramatic style focused on lifelike representation of everyday events and characters.

152
Q

Naturalism

A

Definition: A heightened form of realism that emphasizes environmental and social forces shaping characters.

153
Q

Expressionism

A

Definition: A style that distorts reality to represent emotional and psychological states.

154
Q

Absurdism

A

Definition: A genre that highlights the meaningless or irrational nature of human existence.

155
Q

Epic Theatre

A

Definition: A form of drama, associated with Bertolt Brecht, that encourages critical reflection rather than emotional involvement.

156
Q

Theatre of Cruelty

A

Definition: A movement led by Antonin Artaud that seeks to shock and provoke audiences through intense, sensory experiences.

157
Q

Improvisation

A

Definition: Unscripted performance in which actors spontaneously create dialogue and action.

158
Q

Commedia dell’Arte

A

Definition: A form of Italian masked theatre featuring improvised performances based on stock characters.

159
Q

Stagecraft

A

Definition: The technical aspects of theatre production, including lighting, set design, and costumes.

160
Q

Black Box Theatre

A

Definition: A flexible performance space with a simple, unadorned stage and seating arrangement.

161
Q

Thrust Stage

A

Definition: A stage extending into the audience on three sides, allowing for greater intimacy with the actors.

Humanities CLEP (31 decks)

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