Format:

1. 25 matching - names of dramatic and historical characters. (section 1 should take you only 5-7 minutes; each question will be worth 1 pt)
2. 10 line ID (2 pts each; 7-8 minutes) - You will read one line spoken by an individual actor from each of the 8 Sophocles and Euripides plays we've studied, and based on the contents of the line supply the name of the play it comes from and the person who speaks that line in the play. 2 additional passages will appear spoken from a chorus from these 8 plays, and you must identify the play and that the chorus or a chorus member or leader speaks those lines.
3. 3 character ID short answer (5 pts each; 8-10 minutes) - I'll provide you a short description of a character from one of the plays. You will identify the character by name and the play in which he/she appears, then offer a short but complete description of that character's contribution to the plot and ideas of his/her respective play.
4. 8 Short Answer (5 pts each; about 25 minutes) - Assorted questions on tragedians' biographies, individual plays, comparing between plays, putting events in chronological order, etc. Some may require a few words to answer completely, others may need 1-3 sentences, but never more than that.

Material to Know:
Biographies - Aeschylus (525/4-456) from Eleusis, possibly well-to-do family; 70+ plays, veteran of Persian wars, visit to Hieron of Gela Sicily - 470s, performs Persians, commissioned to write Women of Aetna; especially noted for spectacle - costume, cothurnus/tragic boot, choreography; dies in Gela - eagle drops turtle? son Euphorion won Dionysia 431 BCE
Sophocles - (496/5-406/5) from Colonus (Athens) - probably well-to-do family, but suggestions father was an artisan; 123 plays - 20 victories (18 at Dionysia) never 3rd place; starts career 471, beats Aeschylus 468, chorus boy after battle of Salamis, gave up acting because of weak voice (but had some good roles), changes in cothurnus; offices held - treasurer 443/2, General 441/0 and one other year, proboulos (board of 10 elders to keep Athens assembly in check) after 413, priest in a hero-cult, worshipped as hero himself after death; likeable, but prone to drinking according to biography; 406 - dressed his chorus in mourning upon hearing of Euripides' death; died himself from choking(?), son Iophon won in 435, second in 428, grandson Sophocles produced father's Oedipus at Colonus in 401
Euripides- (480s - 407/6) born on Salamis? in year of naval victory there(?) - 480; claims of low-class family (mother sold vegetables) - trained by father as athlete, was also a good painter, torchbearer of Apollo; 92 plays - 4 Dionysia victories; starts tragedy competition - 455, first victory 441; lots of possibly false info about him in Aristophanes' comedies - moles, bad breath, beard, family troubles - wives sleeping with slaves, lived in a cave(?) - disgruntled hermit, hated social interaction, misogynist, plagiarist - most of these statements can be excused as claims of rivals; courted by Archelaus, king of Macedonia, left Athens and died in Macedonia (attacked by dogs?)
Biographies suggest that Aeschylus and Euripides both left Athens and died elsewhere because of disappointment with their careers in Athens (esp. losing to Sophocles); there is no reason to think that either man left with a grudge but at the request of someone willing to pay for their expertise

For each play know all characters with speaking parts (including those named by their position, e.g. tutor, Korinthian, butler, etc.), know the major things they say and do in the plot, and their significance to the drama of the play, know names of significant characters who do not appear onstage but are very important to the plot of the play (e.g.Eteokles & Polyneikes in Antigone, Laios in Oedipus Tyrannus), Be able to explain or put in order the events and most important ideas expressed in each episode between the choruses, be able to identify the makeup of the members of the chorus (e.g citizens of various cities in the 3 Theban plays, Cyclops = satyrs), consider scenes which need specific props or set pieces. Be able to identify differences in the process and methods of Sophocles and Euripides - e.g., Sophocles deep philosophical and psychological characters in dialogue with each other, Euripides significant roles for low-class characters, etc. Consider your own ideas on the differences between Sophocles' plays and Euripides'

Sophocles' plays

Antigone -  (set in Thebes; prob. written in 430s BC) opening scene Antig and Ismene (what is established by these 2?) parodos about war, Kreon's entrance and the scared sentry, Chorus - Ode to Man, function?, dispute between Antig and Kreon + introduction of Ismene to this scene, Haimon and Kreon, lament between chorus and Antigone on love and death, Antigone's final speeches, Teiresias' appearance to Kreon, the messenger speech, Eurydike's brief speech, Kreon's lament too late

Oedipus Tyrannos (set in Thebes; prob. written 429-427 BC after plague in Athens) - opening scene of response to plague, esp. speeches of Oed and priest of Apollo, Kreon's embassy from Delphi, chorus on the pain in Thebes, Oedipus' declaration - very ironic, struggle with Teiresias, chorus bewildered at Teiresias' prophecy, Oedipus accuses Kreon, Iokaste breaks them up, now the beginning of scenes that presume to relieve Oedipus' fears but wind up making them worse: Iokaste, Korinthian messenger, (Iokaste leaves), Shepherd, woeful chorus following this scene, messenger's speech of actions inside, chorus and Oedipus sing the kommos (lament), final scene between Oedipus and Kreon, appearance of daughters Antigone and Ismene

Oedipus at Kolonos (set in Kolonos, deme of Athens, sacred grove of Eumenides; written 406, presented after death 401 BC) - Oed and Antigone enter wandering, citizen who prompts Oed for background, chorus assumes Oedipus may be a desecration to grove, Antigone's song in support of Oed, Ismene brings info from Thebes, introduction of Theseus, Oedipus' revelation of the good he can provide, chorus in praise of Athens and Athena, Kreon comes and Thebans take away daughters, Theseus vs. Kreon, chorus on just war, return of Antigone and Theseus' declaration of a suppliant's request to see Oed, chorus on death as inevitable and sometimes preferable, Polyneikes' appearance looking for blessing and getting curse, Oed's final promise to Theseus, messenger speech on Oed's death, Antig and Ismene lament, Theseus returns again

Euripides' plays
The satyr play - purpose? how does it honor Dionysus? differences and similarities with tragedy, Aeschylus said to be master of this form, probably because he was earlier and satyr play represented an early dramatic form - dithyramb serious, satyr play mockery: Note several specific things we learn about satyr plays from the "Pronomos Vase"  context pp. 69-70  + plate 8 - chorus rehearsal, main characters, interaction between actors, musician's prominence (Pronomos is the name of the musician featured prominently seated playing his flute)

Cyclops (undated, but probably 420-410 BC)- only surviving satyr play from ancient world, esp. notice the important role of Silenus and the satyr chorus - constant joking and attempts to drink, Odysseus vs. Cyclops - culture vs. lack of culture, brains vs. brawn; how are Cyclops' anti-social behavior and denseness mocked in the course of the play, notice serious issues on pp. 528-31, Nobody joke goes on and on, Silenus trying to get a drink extended scene, satyrs agree to help get Cyclops then wimp out, Cyclops comically drunk then blind

Alcestis (438 BC, 2nd place) - prosatyric - performed in traditional satyr play spot, how does it satisfy the mocking comedy of this type of play? look for the comic and tragic in each major episode, opening scene with Apollo and Death - opposite sides, Apollo as prologue-deliverer, Admetus' role in asking someone to die for him, how does that affect Alcestis, family, Pheres? how does Alcestis get the better of Admetus? Heracles' meetings with Admetus, butler, Admetus again at end of play, serious issues of father vs. son on dying and manly courage, how does the play end happily but incompletely, ambiguous, Admetus and his various obligations to family and guests

Electra (416-413 BC) - peasant gives prologue, why? what's he have to contribute to this new version of this old dramatic theme? Electra's entrance and complaints, setting at the peasant's cottage gives new force and intrigue to the murder plot, lots of discussion of social class distinctions between poor and rich and Aegisthus and Clytemnestra's efforts to strip Electra of any chance at raising legitimate threatening heirs to take power from them, Orestes and Pylades appear and decide to hide to overhear Electra, Electra's song with chorus - purpose?, Orestes appears to meet Electra and get news to bring back to "Orestes" - see esp Electra speech 176-77, Orestes 178-179, peasant's brief reappearance around these speeches, Tutor enters with "signs" of Orestes' arrival, most of which Electra considers ridiculous - note that they are Aeschylus' very signs from Libation Bearers, Orestes has to be prodded to action by tutor and Electra who says she'll kill Clyt with her own trap. Know Orestes' trap of Aegisthus and the way Electra got Clyt to come out to her house. Messenger's gory speech about Aegisthus' sacrificial death, Electra's speech to dead Aegisthus pp. 197-198, Clytemnestra's serious attempt to debate Electra on motivations, Electra comes back at her on all points p. 203, notice how the lyric dialogue and Castor's appearance and comments at end make Orestes' murder of his mother seem like something he didn't want to do and which Castor suggests he should not have, Electra and Orestes continue a family curse and Helen's not to blame for everything

Ion - romance - not because of love, but emotional, happy outcome- mixture of comedy (Ion's sweeping song) and overdone tragedy; triangle of
relationships - Ion, Creusa, Xuthus + Apollo who's there but never appears on stage though it is set in Delphi, note Ion's similar reaction to Xuthus and
Creusa, the almost sinister nature of the Old Man, coincidental discovery of his mother in end of play, role of Hermes, Pythian priestess and Athena as mouthpieces for Apollo;
Athens' trouble with foreigners and rule by them, very native bound, many comments about Athens being settled by people who came FROM the land
itself -i.e., Athenians were never foreigners; one-sided kind of nasty chorus; lots of talking past each other in this play, giving the effect of a sitcom,
where only the audience knows the truth

Orestes -  (performed 408 BCE - acted and received poorly at first, but would become his most popular play after his death. WHY?) - Helen
and Electra opening - why these two? Orestes' madness by furies, Menelaus' first meeting with Orestes, Tyndareus changes Menelaus' perspective,
Tyndareus' feelings about his daughters, significant role of Pylades and trio of kidnapper/murderers, votes in council of Argos, Hermione and Helen as
objects of vengeance, the Phrygian eunuch's role, Menelaus and Orestes squabble until Apollo's deus ex machina; picture of stage madness, significant
departure from usual accounts

Chorus diminishing in importance in late 5th c BCE, note Orestes, but it's not gone, note Bacchae. See Context, p. 351 for main reason; tragic chorus of
12 later 15, comic chorus of 24, note the line arrangements of the best and worst dancers in rows., choreut = chorus member (singer/dancer),
chorodidaskolos = choreographer
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

PLEASE IGNORE THIS, I JUST WANT TO LEAVE THIS INFO IN THIS FILE, BUT YOU WILL NOT BE TESTED ON THIS PLAY
Hippolytus (428 BC, 1st place) - Aphrodite at beginning vs. Artemis at end, problems of Hippolytus and Phaedra, critical role of nurse and her multiple stage appearances, tragedy for all members of family including Theseus, chorus role very important in maintaining presence of Aphrodite in idea of play, incriminating letter, clash between Theseus and Hippolytus - various things said on both sides, bow Hippolytus shows that his chastity was real and his honor of his father complete, role of closing scene with excessively gross appearance of Hippolytus, Artemis' sort of deus ex machina
Consider the hypothesis to the play listed at Context pp. 25-26 and what may have been objectionable in the earlier production of Hippolytus