The Theatre Experience Ch 8
True or false: The category of heroic drama may also include a play which doesn't have an overall tragic effect even though the play ends with the death of the hero or heroine.
True **Many plays in the modern period use the death of the hero or heroine as a form of triumph over the obstacles faced.
What is the genre of a play that deals with lower or middle class people in a serious domestic crisis?
Bourgeois drama
This type of comedy includes excessive plot complications, stereotyped characters, pratfalls and horseplay.
Farce
Which of the following are characteristics of American burlesque? []stock characters []attractive women []low comedy skits []variety show
- attractive women - low comedy skits - variety show
When a tragic character does this, they teach us about life through their abundant capacity for suffering.
Accept responsibility
The characters in absurdist theatre are often called ____________ in their point of view.
existential
A type of comedy that derived from burlesque but includes higher comedy, wit, irony, poking fun of serious subjects, and often political content is called:
satire
The two main genres of drama are tragedy and __________.
tragedy and comedy
Which of the following are examples of the suspension of natural law in comedy? []A bank president slipping on a banana peel. []A cartoon character getting hit on the head with a sledgehammer. []A heroine who sustains a serious injury.
- A bank president slipping on a banana peel. - A cartoon character getting hit on the head with a sledgehammer.
Which of the following are examples of comedy of character? []A character pretending to be a surgeon. []A character who believes she is the most witty but is really not very smart. []A stock or stereotypical character []A tragic hero who accepts his fate.
- A character pretending to be a surgeon. - A character who believes she is the most witty but is really not very smart. - A stock or stereotypical character
Which would be considered a tragic circumstance for traditional tragedy? []A queen falls hopelessly in love with her stepson []A king unknowingly murders his father and marries his mother []A shop owner must decide between two young men that his daughter must marry []A noblewoman must decide between her own death and dishonoring her dead brother
- A queen falls hopelessly in love with her stepson - A king unknowingly murders his father and marries his mother - A noblewoman must decide between her own death and dishonoring her dead brother
Which of the following are characteristics of tragicomedy? []A sense that all will end well but characters actions often take on very serious repercussions. []Physical harm is not serious and the audience does not fear for the well being of the characters. []The comic often underscores the serious nature of the circumstances
- A sense that all will end well but characters actions often take on very serious repercussions. - The comic often underscores the serious nature of the circumstances
Which of the following are examples of an absurdist plot? []A woman is buried deeper in a pile of sand as the play progresses. []Two men wait for another who never shows up. []A family struggles to decide what to do with an inheritance left by their father.
- A woman is buried deeper in a pile of sand as the play progresses. - Two men wait for another who never shows up.
Which of the following are examples of a tragic character accepting responsibility? []Antigone's acceptance of her own death []King Lear's suffering on the heath []Oedipus putting out his own eyes []Macbeth's escalating killing
- Antigone's acceptance of her own death - King Lear's suffering on the heath - Oedipus putting out his own eyes
Which of the following are characteristics of Modern tragedy? []Characters are everyday people []Written in prose []Characters are kings and queens []Written in verse []Written after the late 1800's.
- Characters are everyday people - Written in prose - Written after the late 1800's.
How does the photo reflect the characteristics of modern tragedy? https://imgur.com/a/0AgxaiX
- Costumes will be simpler for simpler characters. - The subject matter will be serious in nature. - The subject matter includes everyday concerns with everyday people.
Which of the following are true of domestic comedy? []Usually makes fun of the upper classes. []Deals with domestic or family situations. []The equivalent of domestic drama but in comic form. []Similar to a situation comedy on TV.
- Deals with domestic or family situations. - The equivalent of domestic drama but in comic form. - Similar to a situation comedy on TV.
The techniques of comedy come from a premise of which of the following? []Exaggeration []Incongruity []Order out of chaos []Contradiction
- Exaggeration - Incongruity - Contradiction
Which of the following are true of absurdist language? []Heavy use of nonsense []Non sequiturs []Illogical language []Words are the most important element
- Heavy use of nonsense - Non sequiturs - Illogical language
Which of the following describes heroic drama? []It is serious but optimistic []It includes characters of high rank []It ends without hope []It is written in verse
- It is serious but optimistic - It includes characters of high rank - It is written in verse
Which of the following is true of absurdist characters? []They are victorious in the end []No personal history []No real purpose []An element of the ridiculous
- No personal history - No real purpose - An element of the ridiculous
Which of the following are characteristics of Theatre of the Absurd? []Sense of alienation []Illogical world []Characters are lost []Loneliness and futility []Ending is always happy
- Sense of alienation - Illogical world - Characters are lost - Loneliness and futility
How does the photo reflect the characteristics of farce? https://imgur.com/a/C9vo2YO []The characters seem to be moving quickly and with exaggeration. []The purpose of this play seems to be to entertain the audience and make them laugh. []The situation appears to be ridiculous. []The violence is real and the audience should be shocked by it.
- The characters seem to be moving quickly and with exaggeration. - The purpose of this play seems to be to entertain the audience and make them laugh. - The situation appears to be ridiculous.
Which of the following are traits that many Asian plays share with heroic drama? []The plays features a great deal of dance and music []The hero or heroine undergoes a series of dangerous adventures []The ultimate effect of the play is not considered tragic []The plays ultimately end happily
- The hero or heroine undergoes a series of dangerous adventures - The ultimate effect of the play is not considered tragic - The plays ultimately end happily
How does this photo reflect the characteristics of domestic drama? https://imgur.com/a/ByM10EU []The characters are mostly upper or of the royal class. []The people are recognizable and cause the audience to feel empathy for them. []The settings are places the audience can fully imagine themselves inhabiting. []The subject matter is recognizable and often heartbreaking.
- The people are recognizable and cause the audience to feel empathy for them. - The settings are places the audience can fully imagine themselves inhabiting. - The subject matter is recognizable and often heartbreaking.
Which of the following is true of satire? []Uses wit and irony []Can focus on specific figures or instances []Often found in modern tragedy []Exposes evil and foolishness
- Uses wit and irony - Can focus on specific figures or instances - Exposes evil and foolishness
Which of the following are techniques of comedy? []humor from realistic acting []humor from larger than life characters []humor from ridiculous situations []humor from wordplay
- humor from larger than life characters - humor from ridiculous situations - humor from wordplay
Which of the following are considered plot complications? []character obstacles []mistaken identity []coincidence
- mistaken identity - coincidence
Which of the following are characteristic of Theatre of the Absurd?
- nonsense language - characters without logical purpose - plots without logic
Which of the following are examples of verbal humor? []puns []epigrams []malapropisms []haiku
- puns - epigrams - malapropisms
Which of the following are usually included in a melodrama? []Action and spectacle []Musical underscoring []Written in verse []Villains and heroes
Action and spectacle Musical underscoring Villains and heroes
This kind of comedy relies on physical comedy, gross exaggeration sometimes including vulgarity, and extreme amounts of imitation of other forms of drama or plays.
Burlesque
This type of comedy is similar to a drama of the same name. It usually revolves around a family or neighborhood caught up in complicated and amusing situations.
Domestic comedy
Melodramas primarily strive for what emotional response from their audiences?
Fear
Which of the following are examples of modern film melodramas? []Superhero films []Science fiction []Westerns []Docudrama films
Superhero films Science fiction Westerns *Among the kinds of popular melodramas we are familiar with are westerns, science fiction films, horror films, superhero films, and detective/spy films
What is it called when actions, logic, and cause and effect are ignored in a play to make people laugh?
Suspension of natural law
Which of the following types of theatre highlights the futility, the injustice and the ridiculousness of life through its dramatic techniques?
Theatre of the absurd
True or false: Traditional tragedy is written in verse or poetry because the content cannot be expressed in everyday language or prose and the tragic character's language needs to reflect their higher stature.
True *The lyrical quality of poetry allows for the extraordinary depths of emotion found in tragedy that is not as easily expressed in everyday language.
The main character in a traditional tragedy should be classified as
a person of stature, in a position of leadership, high-born
When characters see themselves far differently than we view them and when their misguided belief about themselves results in outrageous situations this is called:
comedy of character
In comedy, when what you expect or know to be true is "turned upside down," this is called:
comic premise
In a traditional tragedy the characters are caught up in a web of tragic ___________ in which they are trapped.
events
Which of the following is a common subject in tragedy?
human suffering
Tragedy that was written between the 1800's and the present day is called:
modern tragedy
When contradiction, ludicrous coincidences, and mistaken identity combine in comedy this is called:
plot complication
Which questions might a tragedy explore?
- What are the limits of human suffering and endurance? - Why is the world unjust? - To what heights of courage, strength, generosity, and integrity can human beings rise?
Which of the following are characteristics of farce?
- accelerated pace - mock violence - broad physical humor
Which main genre of drama has a light tone, mocks human folly and has a happy ending?
Comedy
True or false: Plots in an absurdist play mirror traditional plays with orderly sequences and lots of cause and effect.
False *Absurdist plots are illogical have little to no cause and effect.
What is the name of the genre when the characters are nobles and heroes, it is written using verse and it has a happy or hopeful ending?
Heroic drama
What is verbal humor?
Humor deriving from the words of the play themselves.
Which of the following are true of domestic or bourgeois drama? []The characters' status inspired fear in the audience. []This type of drama came about because of the rise of the middle class. []Audience members could identify with characters. []It is the most popular type of modern drama.
It is the most popular type of modern drama. This type of drama came about because of the rise of the middle class. Audience members could identify with characters.
Which of the following describes heroic drama?
It is written in verse It includes characters of high rank It is serious but optimistic
Which of the following characters could be found as the hero or heroine in a traditional tragedy?
Noblewoman, king, general *Generally, the hero or heroine of a tragedy is an extraordinary person - a king, queen, general, nobleman, etc.
Why is the comic premise set in motion?
The audience can enjoy the incongruity. *The audience is more inclined to notice and enjoy the wild incongruity of the situation.
How does the photo represent the characteristics of traditional tragedy? https://imgur.com/djgCWgE
The innocent woman seems to be suffering at the hands of someone more powerful. The characters are of the upper class. The subject matter seems to be serious in nature.
When a character in a traditional tragedy understands that there is no turning back and must continue on despite the circumstances this is called tragic:
Tragic irretrievability
What type of play blends the elements of serious drama and comedy so that the two points of view become one?
Tragicomedy
Unlike traditional tragedy modern tragedy was written for and about __________.
everyday people
Tragedy from the distant past is called: _______ _________
traditional tragedy
Traditional tragedy is written in this form in order to scale the heights of the ideas and the emotions.
verse