Euripides (c. 480–406 BCE)

Question 1

When was Euripides born?

Answer 1

Around 480 BCE

Question 2

Where was Euripides likely born?

Answer 2

On the island of Salamis

Question 3

How many plays did Euripides write?

Answer 3

Around 90 plays

Question 4

How many of Euripides’ plays have survived fully?

Answer 4

18 or 19 plays

Question 5

Name one famous play written by Euripides.

Answer 5

Medea (others include The Bacchae, Hippolytus, Electra, and The Trojan Women)

Question 6

What is Euripides known for in Greek tragedy?

Answer 6

Humanizing mythological characters and exploring their psychological depth

Question 7

What innovation did Euripides bring to Greek drama?

Answer 7

He focused on psychological realism and gave voice to marginalized characters.

Question 8

During which wars did Euripides live?

Answer 8

The Persian Wars and the Peloponnesian War

Question 9

How did the Peloponnesian War influence Euripides’ work?

Answer 9

It brought darker, more pessimistic themes into his plays.

Question 10

Who were Euripides’ contemporaries in Greek tragedy?

Answer 10

Aeschylus and Sophocles

Question 11

How did Euripides depict women in his plays?

Answer 11

As complex, multi-dimensional figures with powerful emotions and moral dilemmas

Question 12

How many children did Euripides have?

Answer 12

He had children, but the details of his family life are unclear.

Question 13

Where did Euripides spend his later years?

Answer 13

At the court of King Archelaus in Macedon

Question 14

When did Euripides die?

Answer 14

Around 406 BCE

Question 15

How was Euripides’ view of the gods different from his contemporaries?

Answer 15

He questioned divine justice and portrayed gods as capricious or indifferent.

Question 16

Why were some of Euripides’ plays controversial?

Answer 16

They challenged traditional values and questioned the role of gods.

Question 17

What is Euripides’ legacy in modern times?

Answer 17

His works are still performed and studied, influencing modern drama and literature.

Question 18

How did Euripides’ portrayal of characters influence later literature?

Answer 18

He paved the way for psychological realism and complex character development in drama.

Question 19

What was Euripides’ relationship with Athenian audiences during his lifetime?

Answer 19

He was less popular than Aeschylus and Sophocles, facing criticism for his unconventional ideas.

Question 20

Which comic playwright mocked Euripides in his works?

Answer 20

Aristophanes

Question 21

What was Aristophanes’ play that mocked Euripides?

Answer 21

The Frogs

Question 22

In which play does Aristophanes depict a competition between Euripides and Aeschylus?

Answer 22

The Frogs

Question 23

What kind of characters did Euripides often focus on?

Answer 23

Women, slaves, and marginalized characters

Question 24

How did Euripides’ work influence modern playwrights?

Answer 24

His focus on emotional complexity and realism influenced playwrights like Jean-Paul Sartre and Eugene O’Neill.

Question 25

What genre of Greek drama did Euripides write?

Answer 25

Tragedy

Question 26

Where did Euripides reportedly write many of his plays?

Answer 26

In a cave on the island of Salamis

Question 27

Which intellectuals or philosophers may have influenced Euripides?

Answer 27

Anaxagoras and Protagoras

Question 28

What challenges did Euripides face from Athenian society?

Answer 28

Accusations of impiety and criticism for his portrayal of women and the gods.

Question 29

Which famous female characters did Euripides create?

Answer 29

Medea and Phaedra

Question 30

What aspect of Athenian society did Euripides often critique in his plays?

Answer 30

Traditional values and the role of the gods

Question 31

What athletic event did Euripides supposedly compete in?

Answer 31

Boxing at the Isthmian Games

Question 32

What impact did the intellectual environment of Athens have on Euripides’ work?

Answer 32

It influenced his plays to address contemporary issues of justice, divinity, and human suffering.