Medieval Theatre - Quiz 3
Question 1
By which playwright was Hrosvitha
inspired?
Terence
Question 2
List the recurring dramatic actions within
Hrosvitha's plays.
Martyrdom of devout Christians
Conversions of nonbelievers
Renunciations of past sins
Strict penance for the past
Question 3
Define sottie:
short sketches, which frequently had a fool
as the central character. They were often
critical of the church or religious figures.
Question 4
Define trope:
Lyrics added to musical passages in
religious services. They were often
structured like playlets and evolved into
liturgical drama.
Question 5
In England, they supervised the mounting
of plays on wagons. Their work might
have included advanced preparations of
both the wagons & rehearsals, as well as
the logistics of ensuring the plays
happened on schedule.
Pageant masters
Question 6
What did medieval dramatists do to
popularize religious dramas?
Highlighted the spectacular.
Included comedy.
Question 7
Define vernacular language.
The language of the local population
Question 8
Why are morality plays also described as
"station dramas"?
Because the protagonist's journey can be
seen as analogous to Christ's journey
through the stations of the cross
Question 9
Describe the mansions used in the
stationary staging of cycle plays.
Heaven: placed on the east and was
elevated and frequently contained flying
machinery
Hell: most often depicted as the head of a
monster that spewed fire and smoke
Earthly locales: between heaven and hell
& were less intricate.
Question 10
The central, open space that served as the
central playing area for liturgical dramas
was the
platea
