Round 7: Tossup 2

In a play, one of these figures convinces a king to crossdress after that king had chained him in the royal stables. During a trial, one of these figures argues that the mother is the nurse (-5[1])of the seed (-5[1])instead of a true parent, before another of these figures casts a tie-breaking vote. One of these figures incites his followers to kill his cousin Pentheus in Euripides’ The Bacchae. (-5[1])A crane that lifted these figures above the stage partially names a plot device (10[2])where a seemingly (10[1])insurmountable problem (10[1])is abruptly resolved. (10[1])Greek (10[1])theater emerged from dithyrambs (“DITH-uh-rams”) sung to honor one of these figures. (10[1])For 10 points, name these figures who are “ex machina” or “from the machine” (10[1])and include Dionysus. ■END■ (10[1])

ANSWER: Greek gods [or goddess or theos or deus or theoi or dei; accept Olympians; accept deus ex machina or god from the machine; prompt on Apollo or Athena or Dionysus until read by asking “What broader group is that figure part of?”] (The second line refers to The Eumenides by Aeschylus.)
<Editors, European Literature> | Packet G
= Average correct buzz position

Back to tossups