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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 does the Emperor ask to see in the beginning of Scene 2 of Act I?

2. Why has the emperor requested Faust to conjure Helen and Paris?

3. What two "orders" support the throne, according to the Chancellor in Scene 2 of Act I?

4. What must Faust descend through to read the location given by the prophetess in Act II?

5. Who has replaced Faust in his position at the University in Act II?

Short Essay Questions

1. When Mephistopheles pays off the debts of the emperor with notes what is the response of the court?

2. Why is Mephistopheles upset that Faust tells the emperor he can conjure the spirits of Helen and Paris?

3. What dichotomy is alluded to between the court of the emperor and the people of the kingdom in Scene 2?

4. What is symbolic about Faust's unconsciousness in the beginning of Act II?

5. Describe Famulus's attitude towards learning and academic achievement.

6. Describe Baccalaureus's attitude towards learning and academic achievement.

7. What advice does Mephistopheles give to the young page who is having trouble attracting women in Act I?

8. Why is Faust seeking Helen in Act II?

9. What is the subject of the prologue of Scene 3 by the Thessalonian witch, Erichto?

10. Explain the circumstances at the end of Scene 7 of Act I, that lead to Faust being found unconscious on the floor.

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

A recurrent theme in Faust is that of power, and how characters desire or gain power. Compare and contrast the pursuit of power as exhibited by two different characters and how it either shifts throughout the novel or remains the same.

Essay Topic 2

Throughout Faust Part II, Goethe employs differing use of meter and rhyme structure as formal elements of the novel. Identify at least two separate meters and rhyme structures used and discuss why Goethe shifted from one to the other in the novel.

Essay Topic 3

What is Goethe's writing style? Discuss both the mechanical aspect of his writing and his "voice" throughout the novel. Make sure and discuss what literary tools and devices he relies on most and what specific parts of the text reflect his voice?

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