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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 do citizens depend upon for their ability to achieve excellence?

2. At a party, over what subject do Strepsiades and Pheidippides fight?

3. What would happen if Socrates fled to a city that was well-governed?

4. At what point does Strepsiades stop speaking to Pheidippides?

5. What is Pheidippides' opinion about the old city songs?

Short Essay Questions

1. What is Crito's opinion of Socrates, following his trial?

2. According to Socrates, why must experts always be obeyed?

3. Why did Socrates offer such a meek defense and go to prison and his death so willingly?

4. What is the nature of Strepsiades' most pressing problem? What does he hope to learn from Socrates? What does Socrates in turn teach him?

5. How can Aristophanes' characterization of Socrates be summed up?

6. Socrates claims that laws result in what benefits to society?

7. To what degree did The Clouds shape public perception of Socrates?

8. How does Strepsiades react to Socrates' course of study in the Thinkery? How does Socrates in turn respond to Strepsiades?

9. What reasons does Socrates give for deciding to remain in Athens, rather than escape with Crito?

10. By the end of The Clouds, how has Strepsiades changed? What are his beliefs?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Aristophanes approaches the topic of science versus religion in a different way than Plato. Discuss the nature of this difference, using specific examples from each text. To each author, what harm (if any) does science pose to a society? What is the role of religion in society? What are the dangers (if any) of religion in a society? Can the two peacefully coexist, or must they always be in conflict?

Essay Topic 2

In Apology, Socrates sets up a conflict between science and religion.

1) Why are science and religion in conflict, at least in the world of Athens, according to Socrates?

2) What danger does science pose to Athenian society? Why are scientists often accused of atheism in this society?

3) What compels Socrates to pursue trains of thought that could be said to resemble science?

4) How does Socrates, in his Apology defense, reconcile science and religion? Can the two coexist?

Essay Topic 3

In Apology, Socrates makes it a point to discuss oratorical skills.

1) How does Socrates characterize his own oratorical skills? How does he characterize the oratorical skills of his accusers?

2) Why is Socrates' speech style both a boon and a hindrance, according to him?

3) How does Socrates relate his speech style to a large comment on the philosopher's place in society? Why does a philosopher's speech create antagonism within a society?

(see the answer keys)

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