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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 did Ajax do in the middle of the carnage that he wrought?

2. What is the strophe?

3. What is the antistrophe?

4. Who did Athena protect throughout the war?

5. Who confirms Odysseus' suspicions that Ajax slaughtered a herd of cattle?

Short Essay Questions

1. What does the Chorus lament, now that Ajax is dead?

2. When the Chorus unsuccessfully attempts to calm Ajax, what does Ajax bemoan?

3. Who goes in search of Ajax in Part 3?

4. Why does Ajax refuse to go home?

5. What does Ajax's betrayal earn him, according to Menelaus?

6. Where, and why, does Tecmessa say that Ajax collapsed?

7. What is the tone of Ajax's long speech about his honor in Part 2?

8. What preparations did Ajax make to the sword so that he can use it to kill himself?

9. How, and why, does Tecmessa hide Ajax's body from the Chorus?

10. How did Ajax betray the Greeks, according to Menelaus?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

How do the actions of Ajax symbolize the struggles of man against Fate, which is a theme in the play? Support your answer with examples from the text.

Essay Topic 2

What two types of authority are in conflict in this play, and what does the conflict mean for the characters in the play? Use the play to find examples to support your answer.

Essay Topic 3

Cite examples from the play to support your answer to the following question: How does this play portray the relationship between the gods and man?

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This section contains 616 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample