WorksheetsTheatre across the Ages Review
Total questions: 33
Worksheet time: 17mins
Who was NOT one of the three most famous Greek tragedians?
Sophocles
Shakespeare
Euripides
Aeschylus
Which god was honored in Greek theatre festivals?
Apollo
Zeus
Dionysus
Hermes
What was the main purpose of the chorus in Greek theatre?
Provide comic relief
Narrate & comment
Act as the main characters
Build the sets
Who were two famous Roman comedic playwrights?
Plautus and Terence
Sophocles and Seneca
Euripides and Aeschylus
Marlowe and Jonson
Mystery plays in Medieval drama told stories from which source?
History of Rome
Greek mythology
The Bible
Fables
What is a morality play?
A comedy
A play teaching right & wrong
A Roman tragedy
An Elizabethan play
Who was the most famous playwright of the Elizabethan era?
Christopher Marlowe
William Shakespeare
Ben Jonson
Thomas Kyd
What theatre was built in London for Shakespeare’s plays?
The Rose
The Globe
The Colosseum
The Arena
Noh theatre is best known for which of the following features?
Elaborate dance
Masks & slow movement
Comedy
Realism
Kabuki theatre is characterized by:
Naturalism
Silent acting
Bold costumes & mie poses
Shadow puppets
What does Sanskrit theatre emphasize through the concept of rasa?
Dance styles
Audience emotion
Character masks
War themes
Which of the following best describes the purpose of Roman farce?
Teach religion
Entertain with humor
Educate children
Honor the emperor
Which of the following periods was influenced by religion in its theatre?
Greek
Medieval
Asian
All of the above
Compare the main purposes of the chorus in Greek theatre and the use of the chorus in modern musicals.
Both provide comic relief
Both narrate and comment on the action
Both act as main characters
Both build the sets
Explain how the themes of morality plays differ from those of Roman farce.
Morality plays focus on humor, Roman farce on teaching right & wrong
Morality plays teach right & wrong, Roman farce entertains with humor
Both focus on religious education
Both are tragedies
Identify which element is shared by both Noh and Kabuki theatre.
Use of masks
Emphasis on realism
Stylized movement
Shadow puppetry
Analyze why the Globe Theatre was significant in the development of English drama.
It was the first theatre in London
It was built specifically for Shakespeare’s plays, allowing for innovative staging and audience engagement
It was used for Roman plays only
It was the largest theatre in Europe
Given the influence of religion on early theatre, predict how removing religious themes might have changed the development of Greek or Medieval drama.
There would be more focus on comedy
Theatrical stories might have centered more on daily life or politics rather than myths or morality
There would be no use of chorus
Plays would be shorter
Evaluate the impact of audience emotion (rasa) in Sanskrit theatre compared to the use of audience engagement in Elizabethan drama.
Both focus on visual spectacle only
Sanskrit theatre emphasizes emotional response, while Elizabethan drama often seeks intellectual and emotional engagement through complex characters and plots
Only Elizabethan drama involves the audience
Both avoid audience interaction
Suppose you are directing a modern play inspired by Greek tragedy. Which elements from Greek theatre would you include to maintain authenticity, and why?
Elaborate sets and modern costumes
Use of a chorus to narrate and comment, and themes based on myths or moral questions
Only comic relief scenes
Shadow puppetry
Which Greek festival honored the god of theatre and wine?
Ludi Romani
Festival of Dionysus
Saturnalia
Feast of St. Nicholas
Roman theatres were different from Greek theatres because they were:
Built into hillsides
Performed only in temples
Freestanding structures
Reserved for royalty only
Which type of medieval drama told Bible stories from Creation to the Last Judgment?
Morality plays
Miracle plays
Mystery plays
Allegorical plays
Who is known as the most famous playwright of the Elizabethan era?
Christopher Marlowe
William Shakespeare
Ben Jonson
Aeschylus
In Kabuki theatre, actors are best known for:
Symbolic masks
Slow chanting and kata
Exaggerated poses and colorful costumes
Religious chants
Match the playwright/figure to their contribution: Roman comedian known for slapstick humor
Sophocles
Seneca
Plautus
Shakespeare
Zeami
Match the playwright/figure to their contribution: Greek tragedian, wrote Oedipus Rex
Sophocles
Seneca
Plautus
Shakespeare
Zeami
Match the playwright/figure to their contribution: Noh theatre founder in Japan
Sophocles
Seneca
Plautus
Shakespeare
Zeami
Match the playwright/figure to their contribution: Roman tragedian who influenced Renaissance drama
Sophocles
Seneca
Plautus
Shakespeare
Zeami
Match the playwright/figure to their contribution: Elizabethan playwright of Hamlet
Sophocles
Seneca
Plautus
Shakespeare
Zeami
What was the purpose of morality plays in medieval theatre?
To teach audiences moral lessons about virtues, vices, and how to live a good Christian life (e.g., Everyman).
To show how evil people could be by revealing their true desires.
The proscenium arch framed the stage like a picture, allowing for perspective scenery and greater realism.
Masks projected emotions to large audiences, allowed actors to play multiple roles, and symbolized character traits.
Name one innovation in Renaissance staging and explain its impact.
The proscenium arch framed the stage like a picture, allowing for perspective scenery and greater realism.
The printing press, invented by Johannes Gutenberg, enabled the mass production of books and other printed materials.
The telescope, invented during the Renaissance, allowed for the observation of celestial bodies and helped fuel advancements in astronomy.
Why were masks important in Greek theatre?
Masks projected emotions to large audiences, allowed actors to play multiple roles, and symbolized character traits
Masks were used to protect the identity of the actor.
Masks added color to the scene and made all the people laugh.
Masks showed who the actors were on the inside and allowed them to reveal true emotions.
