Question

Use context clues to determine the meaning of the word restrained. Write your definition, along with the words or phrases that were most helpful in arriving at
your conclusion. Then consult a dictionary to confirm your understanding.

The literature and other art of the ancient and classical periods is characterized by a formal and restrained style. A glance at any piece of classical Greek or Roman art or architecture makes that style clear. It is
perfectly balanced and symmetrical and hardly adorned, which can be seen in the Parthenon, a famous Greek temple built in 480 BCE. Classical artists strove to achieve an ideal, and therefore did not include excess features that could throw the piece off balance or reveal any awkward human flaw. Likewise, classical authors employed a restrained style in their poetry and prose. True to the philosophy of the time, they prized balance and order in their language and
in the structure of their poems and plots. Dramas follow Aristotle's unities, strict rules that dictated that a play must focus on one action over the course of one day in a single location. All the messy action happens offstage and then is described in formal language for the audience by a member of the chorus. In epic poems, passionate actions are often counseled against or result in terrible consequences.

Answer 1

Answer:

The meaning of restrained seems to be "governed by rules, restricted. Constrained by structure"

Phrases from context: "Dramas follow Aristotle's unities, strict rules..."

"...balance and order in their language and in the structure of their poems and plots...

Dictionary definition:: Restrain: check or hold in; keep under control or within bounds. (Oxford)

Restrained: marked by restraint : not excessive or extravagant (Merriam-Webster)

Explanation: The context explains that writers followed the rules and the structure that they learned from the models set up by Aristotle and other classical writers. The audience expected that structure and balance. Some things would have disturbed the audience or readers, so writers were careful to not to offend them.