2. How did Greek drama first develop?

3. The first dramas were songs and dances honoring Dionysis, the god of wine and the harvest.

4. The priests
carried a statue
of Dionysus into
the theater so he
could watch the
play. Then a goat
was sacrificed in
his honor.

5. Citizens were not only expected to attend the performances presented throughout the week, but also required to interact. Even if they were not part of the chorus, they were expected to be “knowledgeable participants,” able to respond to questions posed by the major characters.

6. Plays were considered religious experiences where everyone was expected to attend – even women!

7. What did Greek theaters look like?

8. Amphitheater at Ephesus, Turkey

9. Because the theater needed to house
the entire population of the city, it
needed to accommodate 15,000.

10. The first row of seats were thrones for the rich.

11. Playwrights were considered the prophets of the time.

12. The modern western play writing
traditions began with the first Greek
plays. Originally the “chorus” spoke
all the lines, but in 534 BC Thespis,
the first actor, stepped from among
ranks of the chorus to speak lines as
A god rather than about a god.

13. Sophocles wrote many of the finest Greek dramas, including Oedipus Rex.

14. What English word is derived from Thespis?

15. Thespian,
Meaning actor.

16. What did the costumes look like?

17. The three male actors wore masks so they could play many characters.

18. If an actor was portraying a god, he would wear a padded costume and lifts on his shoes to make him appear larger than life.

19. Limits of the time.
Because of the platform shoes and padded costume, the actors had a very limited range of movement.
To compensate the actors used their voices and gestures to create the dramatic mood.
Most of the scenes, the appearances of the characters, and movement had to be written into the words of the plays.

20. What was the purpose of the chorus?

21. The chorus, played by 15 teenage boys, (1) expressed the views of the townspeople. (2) warned the tragic hero.

22. What were Greek plays about?

23. The plays were based on Greek myths that the people knew well.

24. Who was the Oracle at Delphi?

25. The Oracle was a young woman who lived in Apollo’s holy city, Delphi
The Oracle was a young woman who lived in Apollo’s holy city, Delphi. It was believed that Apollo whispered to her from a crack in the earth.

26. Who is the Sphinx?

27. The Greek Sphinx was a monster with the head of a woman, the body of a lion, the wings of an eagle, and a serpent for a tail.