Predictions for Greek Theatre paper 2024

cinmnsoul

11

So far in the visual source 10 markers they have assessed have been:

•

Choregoi vase

•

Bird chorus pot

•

Theatre at thorikos

•

Theatre of Dionysus in Athens

•

Telephus vase

•

Oedipus vase

•

Basel dancers vase

Meaning the visual sources they have NOT assessed are:

•

Promonos vase

•

Perseus dance vase

•

Medea’s escape vase

•

Tragic actors dressing

•

Cheiron vase

•

Pentheus cup

•

Maenad vase

Past 20 Markers have included: blindness in oedipus, chorus and comedy, the theatre as an essential part of life, visual vs spoken comedy, hamartia of curiosity in Bacchae and oedipus, visual vs spoken chorus elements in tragedyOverall, very chorus heavy. Multiple questions about visual elements versus literary elements. Only one 20m about specific plays though, so we may see a return to that, with the Pentheus cup or Maenad vase as the visual source. Possibly a 20m about actors / costuming?? Since the promonos vase and tragic actors dressing show clearly actors as actors not characters, and the cheiron vase is good to talk about comic costume....I HATE greek theatre 30 markers... the questions are all so dumb. I got outraged researching this. and I wanted the 30m to be about the frogs parados, my favourite thing to write about :frown:

oh well...
‘Oedipus was an arrogant tyrant who not only deserved his suffering, but made it worse.’
Explain how far you think the theme of the family is more important in Sophocles’ Oedipus the King than in Euripides’ Bacchae.

‘The use of prophecies and omens is the most important factor in the success of Sophocles’ Oedipus the King.’
Compare and contrast how Dionysus is portrayed in Euripides’ Bacchae and Aristophanes’ Frogs.
‘Pentheus is a far nastier and less sympathetic character than Dionysus.’
Analyse whether you think that Sophocles’ Oedipus the King is a better tragedy than Euripides’ Bacchae.
‘It is impossible for a modern audience to fully enjoy a performance of Aristophanes’ Frogs.’
‘Children have teachers to instruct them, young men have the poets.’ Evaluate how far this opinion from Aristophanes’ Frogs applies more to Greek Tragedy than to Greek Comedy.
‘The most important aspect of Sophocles’ Oedipus the King is the question of who killed Laius.’
Evaluate which you think tells us more about ancient Athens and the Athenians;
comedy or tragedy?

Horrible right....

I don't have the specific questions but last years was about frogs and religion in the theatre.

Anyway, topics uncovered: fate/free will, justice/revenge, IMPORTANCE OF THE POLIS, death/afterlife (in frogs), madness

I'm feeling like they'll go down the importance of the polis root, since religion/gods was covered last year and that's a good meaty q.

Reply 1

chappers1234

6

Original post by cinmnsoul

So far in the visual source 10 markers they have assessed have been:

•

Choregoi vase

•

Bird chorus pot

•

Theatre at thorikos

•

Theatre of Dionysus in Athens

•

Telephus vase

•

Oedipus vase

•

Basel dancers vase

Meaning the visual sources they have NOT assessed are:

•

Promonos vase

•

Perseus dance vase

•

Medea’s escape vase

•

Tragic actors dressing

•

Cheiron vase

•

Pentheus cup

•

Maenad vase

Past 20 Markers have included: blindness in oedipus, chorus and comedy, the theatre as an essential part of life, visual vs spoken comedy, hamartia of curiosity in Bacchae and oedipus, visual vs spoken chorus elements in tragedyOverall, very chorus heavy. Multiple questions about visual elements versus literary elements. Only one 20m about specific plays though, so we may see a return to that, with the Pentheus cup or Maenad vase as the visual source. Possibly a 20m about actors / costuming?? Since the promonos vase and tragic actors dressing show clearly actors as actors not characters, and the cheiron vase is good to talk about comic costume....I HATE greek theatre 30 markers... the questions are all so dumb. I got outraged researching this. and I wanted the 30m to be about the frogs parados, my favourite thing to write about :frown:

oh well...
‘Oedipus was an arrogant tyrant who not only deserved his suffering, but made it worse.’
Explain how far you think the theme of the family is more important in Sophocles’ Oedipus the King than in Euripides’ Bacchae.
‘The use of prophecies and omens is the most important factor in the success of Sophocles’ Oedipus the King.’
Compare and contrast how Dionysus is portrayed in Euripides’ Bacchae and Aristophanes’ Frogs.
‘Pentheus is a far nastier and less sympathetic character than Dionysus.’
Analyse whether you think that Sophocles’ Oedipus the King is a better tragedy than Euripides’ Bacchae.
‘It is impossible for a modern audience to fully enjoy a performance of Aristophanes’ Frogs.’
‘Children have teachers to instruct them, young men have the poets.’ Evaluate how far this opinion from Aristophanes’ Frogs applies more to Greek Tragedy than to Greek Comedy.
‘The most important aspect of Sophocles’ Oedipus the King is the question of who killed Laius.’
Evaluate which you think tells us more about ancient Athens and the Athenians;
comedy or tragedy?
Horrible right....
I don't have the specific questions but last years was about frogs and religion in the theatre.
Anyway, topics uncovered: fate/free will, justice/revenge, IMPORTANCE OF THE POLIS, death/afterlife (in frogs), madness
I'm feeling like they'll go down the importance of the polis root, since religion/gods was covered last year and that's a good meaty q.

what would polis questions look like?

Reply 2

cinmnsoul

OP

11

Original post by chappers1234

what would polis questions look like?

just noting down some ideas for if the q was smth like evaluate/explore the importance of the polis to tragedy/comedy/theatre since this is a part of the spec that hasn't been covered really at all yet.. it might have a quote to argue for/against since they really seem to like that style of q atm but I can't think of one rn 😭

•

plays were funded by a citizen / people from all 10 tribes attended the theatre / judged by randomly picked citizens

•

theoric fund (GOLDHILL > “The Theoric Fund, which made payments to the citizens to enable them to attend the theatre, was protected by law: it was a prosecutable offence even to propose changes to the fund. It is easy to infer that attendance at the theatre was regarded as a citizen’s duty, privilege and requirement.”)

•

GOLDHILL > “The theatre was a space in which all the citizens were actors – as the city itself and its leading citizens were put on display.”

•

theatre of Dionysus at Athens connected to the agora

•

the chorus of oedipus as the theban elders / his subjects

•

the perversion of the 'natural' order of the polis in bacchae angers pentheus (women running mad) (MORWOOD > “In driving the Theban women from the city to worship him on the mountainside, Dionysus has profoundly disrupted the city’s social structure. The women have abandoned not only their looms but their children too.”)

•

EDITH HALL > “Athenian dependence on recognised membership of the polis was expressed in the recurrence of the themes of exile and loss of civic rights.”

•

comedy often draws on contemporary issues of the polis for its humour (DOVER > “Of all the men whom we know from historical sources to have achieved political prominence at Athens during (this period), there is not one who is not attacked and ridiculed.”)

•

frogs in particular u could possibly make a case for the law trial like vibe of the debate between Euripides and Aeschylus emphasises the importance of the polis w/ reference to this CARTLEDGE quote > “the tragedians’ exploitation of technical legal language and ideas underlines the affinity between the theatre and the courts.”

this is just me brainstorming lol I haven't come up w/ a full proper plan for this q yet... if u have any other ideas lemme know hope this makes a bit more sense 😄

Reply 3

hi_hi

1

Original post by cinmnsoul

So far in the visual source 10 markers they have assessed have been:

•

Choregoi vase

•

Bird chorus pot

•

Theatre at thorikos

•

Theatre of Dionysus in Athens

•

Telephus vase

•

Oedipus vase

•

Basel dancers vase

Meaning the visual sources they have NOT assessed are:

•

Promonos vase

•

Perseus dance vase

•

Medea’s escape vase

•

Tragic actors dressing

•

Cheiron vase

•

Pentheus cup

•

Maenad vase

Past 20 Markers have included: blindness in oedipus, chorus and comedy, the theatre as an essential part of life, visual vs spoken comedy, hamartia of curiosity in Bacchae and oedipus, visual vs spoken chorus elements in tragedyOverall, very chorus heavy. Multiple questions about visual elements versus literary elements. Only one 20m about specific plays though, so we may see a return to that, with the Pentheus cup or Maenad vase as the visual source. Possibly a 20m about actors / costuming?? Since the promonos vase and tragic actors dressing show clearly actors as actors not characters, and the cheiron vase is good to talk about comic costume....I HATE greek theatre 30 markers... the questions are all so dumb. I got outraged researching this. and I wanted the 30m to be about the frogs parados, my favourite thing to write about :frown:

oh well...
‘Oedipus was an arrogant tyrant who not only deserved his suffering, but made it worse.’
Explain how far you think the theme of the family is more important in Sophocles’ Oedipus the King than in Euripides’ Bacchae.
‘The use of prophecies and omens is the most important factor in the success of Sophocles’ Oedipus the King.’
Compare and contrast how Dionysus is portrayed in Euripides’ Bacchae and Aristophanes’ Frogs.
‘Pentheus is a far nastier and less sympathetic character than Dionysus.’
Analyse whether you think that Sophocles’ Oedipus the King is a better tragedy than Euripides’ Bacchae.
‘It is impossible for a modern audience to fully enjoy a performance of Aristophanes’ Frogs.’
‘Children have teachers to instruct them, young men have the poets.’ Evaluate how far this opinion from Aristophanes’ Frogs applies more to Greek Tragedy than to Greek Comedy.
‘The most important aspect of Sophocles’ Oedipus the King is the question of who killed Laius.’
Evaluate which you think tells us more about ancient Athens and the Athenians;
comedy or tragedy?
Horrible right....
I don't have the specific questions but last years was about frogs and religion in the theatre.
Anyway, topics uncovered: fate/free will, justice/revenge, IMPORTANCE OF THE POLIS, death/afterlife (in frogs), madness
I'm feeling like they'll go down the importance of the polis root, since religion/gods was covered last year and that's a good meaty q.

in case anyone wants to know, last yrs questions for 30 markers were:

Analyse whether the first half of Aristophanes Frogs (Dionysus' travels) contributes more to the success of the play than the second half (the contest between Aeschylus and Euripides). Justify your answer with close reference to Aristophanes' Frogs.
OR
"The Gods and Religion are at the heart of ancient Greek Theatre". Assess how far you agree with this statement. Justify your answer with close reference to at least two of the plays you have studied.

Reply 4

swift513

11

what vase does anyone predict? I know it's kind of impossible to tell but just curious

Reply 5

333anon

10

how would you answer a twenty marker on costume?

Reply 6

alecks

8

Original post by cinmnsoul

just noting down some ideas for if the q was smth like evaluate/explore the importance of the polis to tragedy/comedy/theatre since this is a part of the spec that hasn't been covered really at all yet.. it might have a quote to argue for/against since they really seem to like that style of q atm but I can't think of one rn 😭

•

plays were funded by a citizen / people from all 10 tribes attended the theatre / judged by randomly picked citizens

•

theoric fund (GOLDHILL > “The Theoric Fund, which made payments to the citizens to enable them to attend the theatre, was protected by law: it was a prosecutable offence even to propose changes to the fund. It is easy to infer that attendance at the theatre was regarded as a citizen’s duty, privilege and requirement.”)

•

GOLDHILL > “The theatre was a space in which all the citizens were actors – as the city itself and its leading citizens were put on display.”

•

theatre of Dionysus at Athens connected to the agora

•

the chorus of oedipus as the theban elders / his subjects

•

the perversion of the 'natural' order of the polis in bacchae angers pentheus (women running mad) (MORWOOD > “In driving the Theban women from the city to worship him on the mountainside, Dionysus has profoundly disrupted the city’s social structure. The women have abandoned not only their looms but their children too.”)

•

EDITH HALL > “Athenian dependence on recognised membership of the polis was expressed in the recurrence of the themes of exile and loss of civic rights.”

•

comedy often draws on contemporary issues of the polis for its humour (DOVER > “Of all the men whom we know from historical sources to have achieved political prominence at Athens during (this period), there is not one who is not attacked and ridiculed.”)

•

frogs in particular u could possibly make a case for the law trial like vibe of the debate between Euripides and Aeschylus emphasises the importance of the polis w/ reference to this CARTLEDGE quote > “the tragedians’ exploitation of technical legal language and ideas underlines the affinity between the theatre and the courts.”

this is just me brainstorming lol I haven't come up w/ a full proper plan for this q yet... if u have any other ideas lemme know hope this makes a bit more sense 😄

it could be something like

'the purpose of greek drama was to promote athenian values.' how far do you agree with this statement?

Reply 7

chappers1234

6

what would you say for death and the afterlife in frogs?

Reply 8

abitcaa

1

I am so cooked for this exam, spent all my time on world of the hero 😭

Reply 9

tameimpalaslays

1

Original post by alecks

it could be something like
'the purpose of greek drama was to promote athenian values.' how far do you agree with this statement?

all i can think of for this is tyranny and democracy in tragedy? and maybe tradition vs sophism for comedy. am i missing anything?

Reply 10

cinmnsoul

OP

11

Original post by tameimpalaslays

all i can think of for this is tyranny and democracy in tragedy? and maybe tradition vs sophism for comedy. am i missing anything?

in this hypothetical q frogs is soooo much easier to argue imo because the whole thing is a political message

•

political message of choosing aeschylus over euripides > rejection of the new life style (insecure, corrupt) in favour of a return to the old moral centre (valour, virtue and security) as echoed in other parts of the play e.g parabasis old silver coins over new bronze ones etc

•

the parabasis meant that frogs was performed an unprecedented second time

•

in the parabasis, the chorus directly speaks to the audience often on behalf of the playwright, providing a change of tone and atmosphere > they plead for the return of the oligarchs who had been exiled after the restoration of democracy in 410 = an actual promotion of political values

•

references and comedic jokes about "that sea battle", jokes about demagogues such as cleisthenes

•

dionysus asks very directly about “what should be done” about Alcibiades

bacchae could argue for the traditional role of women > maenads abandon looms and homes as well as children and this leads to disastrous punishments (morwood > agave's punishment is "non greek" in its barbarism, perhaps because she was "non greek" in her attitude"

oedipus obviously argues against tyranny > obvious parallels between pericles and oedipus, the plague referencing the athenian one of 429 BC. when oedipus’ priorities shift from public responsibility to private fate is what has devastating consequences and there is no longer room in democratic society for him

Reply 11

tbhcreature

7

If it’s on costume what the hell would you even talk about? This is what I could think of but it would be confusing to write for a 20 marker and there’s just not enough for a 30
Frogs:

•

Heracles costume

•

Comic masks and phalluses, scatological humour in relation

•

Frogs chorus costume

Bacchae:

•

Maenad costumes, Pentheus condemning Cadmus for wearing one at the beginning and then wearing one himself, Cadmus returning in one at the end

•

Agave potentially using Pentheus’ mask as a prop at the end

•

Agave played by the same actor as Pentheus

•

Dionysus’ mask smiling

Oedipus:

•

Jocasta played by same as Tiresias or whatever

•

Image of Oedipus’ mask being blinded + blood

But there’s not actually a lot to go on? I don’t think they’d ask a question on it. You could bring in some of the vases I guess and general context on costuming but there’s still not much

(edited 11 months ago)

Reply 12

maiahazel

1

Original post by tbhcreature

If it’s on costume what the hell would you even talk about? This is what I could think of but it would be confusing to write for a 20 marker and there’s just not enough for a 30
Frogs:

•

Heracles costume

•

Comic masks and phalluses, scatological humour in relation

•

Frogs chorus costume

Bacchae:

•

Maenad costumes, Pentheus condemning Cadmus for wearing one at the beginning and then wearing one himself, Cadmus returning in one at the end

•

Agave potentially using Pentheus’ mask as a prop at the end

•

Agave played by the same actor as Pentheus

•

Dionysus’ mask smiling

Oedipus:

•

Jocasta played by same as Tiresias or whatever

•

Image of Oedipus’ mask being blinded + blood

But there’s not actually a lot to go on? I don’t think they’d ask a question on it. You could bring in some of the vases I guess and general context on costuming but there’s still not much

it could be on the theme appearance/reality where you'd bring in costume as context?

Reply 13

lylylyly611

1

I feel like it's going to be a tragedy (mainly Bacchae) focused paper because last year they basically did not include ANY of Bacchae...hopefully there'll be a good passage

Reply 14

tameimpalaslays

1

Original post by lylylyly611

I feel like it's going to be a tragedy (mainly Bacchae) focused paper because last year they basically did not include ANY of Bacchae...hopefully there'll be a good passage

ughhh i know you're probably right but i really hope not

Reply 15

cinmnsoul

OP

11

Original post by tameimpalaslays

ughhh i know you're probably right but i really hope not

they haven't had a fully bacchae themed 30m in forever, there's only ever been one ('Pentheus is a far nastier and less sympathetic character than Dionysus.’)

Reply 16

attempting2learn

4

Original post by cinmnsoul

So far in the visual source 10 markers they have assessed have been:

•

Choregoi vase

•

Bird chorus pot

•

Theatre at thorikos

•

Theatre of Dionysus in Athens

•

Telephus vase

•

Oedipus vase

•

Basel dancers vase

Meaning the visual sources they have NOT assessed are:

•

Promonos vase

•

Perseus dance vase

•

Medea’s escape vase

•

Tragic actors dressing

•

Cheiron vase

•

Pentheus cup

•

Maenad vase

Past 20 Markers have included: blindness in oedipus, chorus and comedy, the theatre as an essential part of life, visual vs spoken comedy, hamartia of curiosity in Bacchae and oedipus, visual vs spoken chorus elements in tragedyOverall, very chorus heavy. Multiple questions about visual elements versus literary elements. Only one 20m about specific plays though, so we may see a return to that, with the Pentheus cup or Maenad vase as the visual source. Possibly a 20m about actors / costuming?? Since the promonos vase and tragic actors dressing show clearly actors as actors not characters, and the cheiron vase is good to talk about comic costume....I HATE greek theatre 30 markers... the questions are all so dumb. I got outraged researching this. and I wanted the 30m to be about the frogs parados, my favourite thing to write about :frown:

oh well...
‘Oedipus was an arrogant tyrant who not only deserved his suffering, but made it worse.’
Explain how far you think the theme of the family is more important in Sophocles’ Oedipus the King than in Euripides’ Bacchae.
‘The use of prophecies and omens is the most important factor in the success of Sophocles’ Oedipus the King.’
Compare and contrast how Dionysus is portrayed in Euripides’ Bacchae and Aristophanes’ Frogs.
‘Pentheus is a far nastier and less sympathetic character than Dionysus.’
Analyse whether you think that Sophocles’ Oedipus the King is a better tragedy than Euripides’ Bacchae.
‘It is impossible for a modern audience to fully enjoy a performance of Aristophanes’ Frogs.’
‘Children have teachers to instruct them, young men have the poets.’ Evaluate how far this opinion from Aristophanes’ Frogs applies more to Greek Tragedy than to Greek Comedy.
‘The most important aspect of Sophocles’ Oedipus the King is the question of who killed Laius.’
Evaluate which you think tells us more about ancient Athens and the Athenians;
comedy or tragedy?
Horrible right....
I don't have the specific questions but last years was about frogs and religion in the theatre.
Anyway, topics uncovered: fate/free will, justice/revenge, IMPORTANCE OF THE POLIS, death/afterlife (in frogs), madness
I'm feeling like they'll go down the importance of the polis root, since religion/gods was covered last year and that's a good meaty q.

THANK YOU SO MUCH for that list of visual sources, about an hour or two before the exam I realised I hadn't studied a few at all, and so I managed to cram them. And one of them came up on the exam.

Beyond the marks gained, it saved me from being in shock when doing the rest of the paper due to the first 3 questions being about a source I'd never seen before.

Reply 17

Katiebartlettt

Original post by attempting2learn

THANK YOU SO MUCH for that list of visual sources, about an hour or two before the exam I realised I hadn't studied a few at all, and so I managed to cram them. And one of them came up on the exam.
Beyond the marks gained, it saved me from being in shock when doing the rest of the paper due to the first 3 questions being about a source I'd never seen before.

Had anyone seen the inside of the pentheus kylix before? I’ve only ever studied the outside and was so thrown by it. Also what on earth was the 20 marker on messenger speeches - strangest paper I’ve ever seen

Reply 18

abstaroni

1

Original post by Katiebartlettt

Had anyone seen the inside of the pentheus kylix before? I’ve only ever studied the outside and was so thrown by it. Also what on earth was the 20 marker on messenger speeches - strangest paper I’ve ever seen

that's what i was thinking....i think we will probably end up with marks back for it/ocr apology kinda thing because im 99% sure that wasn't on the spec.

Reply 19

cinmnsoul

OP

11

Original post by Katiebartlettt

Had anyone seen the inside of the pentheus kylix before? I’ve only ever studied the outside and was so thrown by it. Also what on earth was the 20 marker on messenger speeches - strangest paper I’ve ever seen

it was so weird... like the 30 markers were actually shockingly normal but that 20 marker...

Predictions for Greek Theatre paper 2024

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