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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. Who brings Ajax's son onto the stage?

2. Who did Athena protect throughout the war?

3. Which god does Ajax ask for help in the first part of the play?

4. Who does the Chorus think will grieve if Ajax continues to be self-destructive?

5. Which side is Ajax fighting on?

Short Essay Questions

1. Why does Ajax list the ways he thinks his honor has been destroyed?

2. Why does Menelaus tell Teucer that he doesn't have to argue with Teucer?

3. What does Agamemnon tell Teucer he had no right to do?

4. Why is Odysseus standing outside of Ajax's tent at the beginning of the play?

5. What does Ajax tell Eurysaces when he is brought out of hiding by his mother and two attendants?

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

7. Why does the Chorus suggest that it is time the Chorus members flee?

8. What does Athena say when she first appears to Odysseus and why does she appear?

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

10. What does Athena say is the warning embodied by Ajax's behavior?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Odysseus, Agamemnon, and Menelaus are all kings. What aspects of a good, or bad, king does each character represent and why? Support your answer with specific examples from the play.

Essay Topic 2

Discuss whether you agree or disagree, and why, with the following statement: The play just peters out at the end without a true ending.

Essay Topic 3

Using specific examples from the text, show how Sophocles uses foreshadowing in this play.

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This section contains 651 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample