Ancient Greek Tragedy Exam 1: Ancient Greek Theater

Front 1

evidence

Back 1

archaelogy, vase paintings, plays, other text

Front 2

acropolis

Back 2

peak of the city, theater was on the side of it. Built it here because of incline being natural stadium.

Front 3

genres

Back 3

tragedy, satyr, comedy

Front 4

tragedy

Back 4

till mid to late century were in trilogies

Front 5

satyr

Back 5

forth play tragic playwrights wrote for comic relief; short.

Front 6

comedy

Back 6

single plays; funny, but very pointed toward famous figures

Front 7

playwright's

Back 7

aeschylus (525-456), 7 of 80 or 90 survive; sophocles (496-406), 7 of about 120 survive; euripides (485-406), 17 of about 90; aristophanes (445-388), 11 of 40; menander (342-290) comedy.

Front 8

content

Back 8

tragedy based on ancient mythology or on contemporary events (a lot based on trojan war). comedy almost always based on contemporary events.

Front 9

production costs

Back 9

mainly for chorus, underwritten by wealthy athenians. athenians who had money would give to the state. the actors were professionals. tickets for the poor were subsidized by teh state because the plays were the form of public education.

Front 10

stage

Back 10

three sections: theatron, orchestra, skene (originally a tent, then wooden, then stone)

Front 11

actors

Back 11

all male, mask and costume, only 3 speaking roles on stage at one time

Front 12

chorus

Back 12

in costume and mask virtually always speak and dance in unison. in tragedy you have 12-15 members, in comedy 24

Front 13

audience

Back 13

10-14 thousand people. population of athens is 200 thousand. they included slaves, citizens, women, prisoners on release, visitors, and metics (wealthy businessmen who were not citizens)

Front 14

divine justice

Back 14

divine command, natural law (furies)

Front 15

human justice

Back 15

universal philosophical; custom, culture precedent; decree by authority