Three Great Classic Tragic Playwrights...and Aristophanes

Question 1

What was Aeschylus known for?

Answer 1

he brought tragedy to its maturity, he has sevan extant plays, he introduced the second actor, reduced the size of the chorus and created a statutory tetralogy

Question 2

What are some of Aeschylus’s sevan extant plays?

Answer 2

The Suppliants 490 BC, The Persians 472 BC, Seven Against Thebes 467 BC, Prometheus Bound 458-456 BC, Oresteria 458 BC (Agamemmnon, Libation Bearers, Eumenides), Proteus (satyr play for the Oresteria, lost)

Question 3

What/How did Aescylus introduce the second actor?

Answer 3

the histrionic part became as important as the lyrcial, it enabled him to further develop the plot

Question 4

What is the main theme in an Aeschylan Trilogy?

Answer 4

“sin provokes sin until justice asserts itself”

Question 5

What was Euripides known for?

Answer 5

he was called “enfant terrible” (terrible child), he was the opposite of Aeschylus and Sophocles, was a realist who inlfuenced successive ages more than his predecessors

Question 6

What are the characteristics of Euripides’s plays?

Answer 6

1. less emphasis on chorus 2. introduction of the prologue 3. epilogue or deus ex machina 4. complicated plots 5. introduced realism into his plays 6. characterization

Question 7

What are some of Euripides’s plays extant?

Answer 7

Alcestis 438 BC; Medea;Children of Heracles; Hippolytus (Phedre); Andromache; Hecuba; Heracles; Suppliants; Cyclops;Electra;Iphigenia in Tauris; Helen; Pheonician Women; Orestes; Bacchae: iphigenia in Aules; THe trojan Woman; Io

Question 8

What are the different periods of comedy/evolution of comedy?

Answer 8

Old Comedy - Aristophanic Comedy - Middle COmedy - NEw Comedy

Question 9

What is the structure of Aristophanic comedy?

Answer 9

1. prologue 2. parados 3. agon 4. parabasis* 5. series of episodes

Question 10

Prologue (arist. comedy)

Answer 10

characters present a fantastic idea

Question 11

parados (arist. comedy)

Answer 11

first entrance of the chorus

Question 12

agon (arist. comedy)

Answer 12

a conflict where ideas are debated back and forth

Question 13

parabasis (arist. comedy)

Answer 13

unique to aristophanic comedy. a choral ode, direct address to the audience usually on a subject unrelated to the plays events

Question 14

episodes

Answer 14

dramatic moments/scenes

Question 15

What are some of the plays of Aristophanes?

Answer 15

the Acharnians 425bc, the knights 424 bc, the clouds 423bc, the wasps 422 bc, peace 421bc, lysistrata411bc, thesmophouzuzae 411BC, the frogs 405bc, ecclesiazuze 392 bc, plutus 388 bc

Question 16

What were the plays included in Aeschylus’s “Oresteia”?

Answer 16

Agammemnon, Libation Bearers, Euminides

Question 17

What was the “Oresteia” about?

Answer 17

“electra complex”, ELectra (daughter of Agamemmnon) plots to kill her mother and avenge her father, goads on her brother Orestes who she has do her evil bidding

Question 18

What are some characteristics of anAeschylan trilogy?

Answer 18

each play is a complete unity, and a coherent part of a larger unity