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This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. What does Atreus do to his nephews' bodies?

2. What is Phaedra doing in the beginning of the fifth act?

3. To where is Thyestes traveling in the third act?

4. For what reason does Phaedra dress in a particular manner in the second act?

5. In the fourth act of "Phaedra," what new character enters the play?

Short Essay Questions

1. Describe Theseus' conflicting emotions over the death of his son and upon learning of his wife's deception.

2. Why does Phaedra wear hunting garb in the second act?

3. What happens when Phaedra reveals to Hippolytus her attraction for him?

4. What is significant about Theseus' return from the underworld in regards to the plot in "Phaedra"?

5. How does Hippolytus die in "Phaedra"?

6. What does Atreus claim about Thyestes' grief at the end of "Thyestes"?

7. Discuss the character of Atreus.

8. For what does Theseus pray at the end of the third act of "Phaedra" and how does the chorus react?

9. Over what is Tantalus agonizing in the afterlife and why?

10. Describe the murders of Thyestes' sons.

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

What is the debate regarding the performance ability of a Senecan tragedy? How does the emphasis on rhetoric suggest that these plays were meant to be recited? How is this related to the on-stage violence? What are some other suggestions that point to these plays having been written with the intention of being performed? Discuss both sides of this debate in a brief essay and conclude with your opinions on whether Seneca intended for his work to be performed.

Essay Topic 2

What is significant about the roles love and hate play in Seneca's work? How is this embodied by Thyestes and Atreus? How does both hate and love appear to drive Nero from "Octavia"? What tends to be the result of any hate in these plays? What does this suggest about Seneca's views on society and people? Cite specific examples from the text to support your answers.

Essay Topic 3

What is the relationship between life and death in the Senecan tragedy? How does this account for the frequent presence of the ghosts in these plays? What does this suggest about the afterlife? How do the living characters face their death and why is this important? Develop a clear thesis on this topic and cite specific examples from the text to support your answers.

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 1,190 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample