Medea Study Guide

1. Euripides was a citizen of

• Athens
• Sparta
• Mycenae
• Troy

2. Aeschylus' innovation, which led to the birth of Western drama, was the addition of

• the Chorus
• the second actor, making possible the staging of a dramatic story
• the third actor, making possible the staging of more complex dramatic situations
• the audience

3. What century was Euripides born in?

• fifth century, BCE
• third century, BCE
• second century CE
• fifteenth century, BCE

4. Greek drama could best be described as

• part of a religious celebration
• stylized, with masks and a Chorus
• very naturalistic, with efforts to make the representation as realistic as possible
• both stylized, with masks and a Chorus and part of a religious celebration

5. Greek actors wore

• nothing
• togas
• masks
• all black and red

6. Greek plays feature a group of performers who sing, dance, provide exposition and interact with the other characters. This group is called

• the Chorus
• the Maenads
• the nymphs of Artemis
• Sappho's "maidens"

7. During his own lifetime, Euripides was

• the least popular of the tragedians, but the most popular comic writer
• the most popular of the Greek tragedians
• the least popular of the three great tragedians
• the least popular of the tragedians, but the most popular composer of epics

8. What historic event solidified Athens' position as a superpower among the Greek city-states?

• the rise of iron weapons
• the defeat of the Persian Empire
• the defeat of the Roman Empire
• the invention of a more efficient process for making olive oil

9. What was the name of the festival in which the tragedies were watched and judged?

• the Apollonia
• the Athenia
• the Aphrodesia
• the Dionysia

10. Near the end of Euripides' life,

• he left Athens for Macedon, embittered and weary
• he went to Syracuse to study a new form of drama, which he helped to refine
• he became the most popular of all the playwrights, finally gaining the recognition he had always craved
• he left Mycenae for Athens, an angry but hopeful man