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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 Antony foreshadow by telling Eros that they must sleep, after Mardian delivers news of Cleopatra's death?
2. Who enters the stage bleeding in Act 4, Scene 7?
3. Upon whom does Enobarbus call to be his witness in delivering his soliloquy?
4. How many lines are there in Act 4, Scene 11?
5. From next to where does Antony go to discover the outcome of the sea-battle at Alexandria?
Short Essay Questions
1. How does Antony react to the desertion by Enobarbus?
2. How does Cleopatra comport herself towards Antony in Act 4, Scene 4?
3. What does Antony mean by saying that his men have "shown all Hectors" and why is this significant?
4. How does Antony behave towards his servants before the battle at Alexandria?
5. What effect on Antony's disposition does the desertion by Enobarbus have?
6. What is revealed by Antony's immediate blame of Cleopatra for the surrender of his fleet?
7. What is meant by Charmian's statement that "The soul and body rive not more in parting / Than greatness going off"?
8. Why does Cleopatra feign submission to Caesar at the end of the play?
9. How does Caesar gain an advantage by holding his land forces still?
10. How does the course of the battle change in Act 4, Scene 10?
Essay Topics
Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:
Essay Topic 1
As Antony's rival, Octavius Caesar plays a vital role in the tragic story of Antony and Cleopatra. As the story's external antagonist, he helps to propel the action of the story. In a thoughtful essay, analyze the character of Caesar, being sure to contrast him with Mark Antony but nonetheless retaining focus on Caesar himself. What are his principal traits as a character? What are his motivations? How does he treat other characters in the story? What worldview does Caesar represent? How does Caesar correspond to a changing world dynamic?
Essay Topic 2
A dominant means of exposition and plot movement in the play is through the unseen but contextually described battles. Being careful to read out from the play and not into the play, explicate the significance of the battles at Actium and Alexandria, analyzing in what ways the various victories and defeats occur and what the significance of each is. Who wins the battle? How does he win the battle? What are the consequences of the battle being won? What is revealed about the various involved characters through their reactions to the conclusions of the various battles?
Essay Topic 3
An essential element of the tragic play is the evocation of pity from the audience. In order to evoke pity, the audience must be enabled to relate with the characters caught up in the tragedy. In a broad-minded and considerate essay, analyze the means by which the play makes those involved in the tragedy, principally Antony and Cleopatra, but also Enobarbus and Eros, as well as any others caught in the struggles between mightier characters, sympathetic to the audience or reader. What scenes demonstrate the unfortunate nature of these characters' sufferings? How do they portray the characters as pitiable? What is the fundamental root of relation between the audience and the pitiable characters in these scenes? What does this reveal about dramatic tragedy and its relationship to human nature?
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This section contains 871 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) |
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