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The trilogy of Greek tragedies written by Aeschylus that detail the story of the family of Agamemnon is called __________.
The Oresteia is the only surviving trilogy of Ancient Greek theater that was written to be performed in one sitting. Its author, Aeschylus, gained fame and prizes for his version of the story of Agamemnon, the hero of the Trojan War who is murdered by his wife Clytemnestra when he arrives home. The plays take their name from the character of Orestes, Agamemnon's son who seeks vengeance for his father's death.
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Which Shakespeare play opens with three witches forecasting the future?
The image of three witches calmly prophesying the future is one of the indelible images of Shakespeare's Macbeth. The titular character's rise to power is conditioned and effected by the witches' proclamations, providing one of the key themes of the play, predestination and foreshadowing.
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The character Ophelia was featured in which of the following Shakespeare plays?
Ophelia is featured in Shakespeare's Hamlet.
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"He hath disgraced me, and
hindered me half a million; laughed at my losses,
mocked at my gains, scorned my nation, thwarted my
bargains, cooled my enemies, heated mine
enemies; and what's his reason? I am a Jew."
(1605)
From which Shakespeare play is the following quotation drawn?
This quote is from Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice, and is spoken by Shylock about his reasons for seeking revenge against Antonio. The revenge that Shylock is seeking is the right to exact a pound of flesh from Antonio for not repaying the money that Shylock lent him.
(Passage adapted from The Merchant of Venice by William Shakespeare_,_ III.iii.54-58)
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The story told in William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet is often thought to be derived from the story of __________.
The general consensus among scholars reflects that Shakespeare derived his story and main characters for Romeo and Juliet from Ovid's story of Pyramus and Thisbe. The story of Pyramus and Thisbe depicts two tragic lovers who are separated by their families, who do not approve of their marriage. They communicate their love through a cement wall and plan to meet under a tree outside to confess their love. However, when Thisbe comes out first, she mistakes the blood of a lion for Pyramus' blood and, believing he had been killed, kills herself.
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Antonio, Portia, and Jessica are all characters in which Shakespearean play?
Antonio, Jessica, and Portia are all characters in The Merchant of Venice.
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What is the Shakespeare play about the Prince of Denmark investigating his father’s death?
Hamlet was a turning point in the writing career of William Shakespeare. Taking an old tale about a Prince of Denmark whose father has mysteriously died and whose uncle has usurped the throne, Shakespeare focused intensely on Hamlet's character and inner drama. The play features many ruminations on philosophy and psychology, which were used in most of Shakespeare's later tragedies.
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The Johann Wolfgang von Goethe work about a man who makes a deal with the devil is __________.
The Faust story is an old one, told in traditional German folk tales, puppet plays, and songs, but Goethe retold the story of an intellectual who sells his soul to the devil to plough psychological depths. Goethe's story finds a man questing for a more fulfilling life, and being tempted by a demon to achieve this goal. Goethe's two-part play is the most widely performed and seen play in the German language.
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Willy Loman is the main character of the play __________.
Arthur Miller's Death of a Salesman won both the Pulitzer Prize for Drama and the Tony Award for Best Play in 1949. Its protagonist, Willy Loman, became a classic character of the American theater, thanks to Miller's story about the aged salesman and his fraught relationships with his family. Loman's struggles with work and disappointment in his sons provide the emotional depth for the character.
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Which play allegorizes the "Red Scare" of the 1950s by telling the story of the Salem witch trials of the 1690s?
Arthur Miller wrote The Crucible in 1953, at the height of the second "Red Scare," when figures like Senator Joseph McCarthy were investigating Communism in America and targeting artists. Miller chose the Salem witch trials as a similar moment in American history when wild accusations generated by fear were prevalent. Miller himself was cited for "contempt of Congress" for refusing to name people he had seen at meetings of the Communist Party.
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What is the common English title of the French play about three people stuck in a room from which they cannot escape?
Jean-Paul Sartre's No Exit takes place entirely in one room, featuring three people who cannot leave. Reflecting some of Sartre's philosophy, the characters slowly realize that they are dead and in hell. The play closes with the famous final line "Hell is other people."
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