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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. Why does Andrea leave the room when Galileo was asking the men from the courts to look through the telescope?

2. How old is Galileo when he was arguing with the Curator about salary?

3. What do the strips of paper on the Ptolemaic system model have written on them?

4. While talking to Andrea about the ships that had found new continents, what does Galileo call the "dreaded ocean"?

5. When Sagredo asks Galileo about where God was, what is Galileo's answer?

Short Essay Questions

1. Why does the Inquisitor tell Virginia that Galileo's new picture of the universe was harmful?

2. Why is the Curator angry with Galileo after Galileo received his raise from the University with the Curator's help?

3. What is happening at the opening of Scene I?

4. Why does the Inquisitor have the conversation between Galileo and Cardinal Bellarmin transcribed?

5. Describe the Ptolemaic system model that Galileo shows to Andrea.

6. Why does Ludovico seem upset with Galileo at the end of Scene II?

7. When Andrea questions Galileo about the Ptolemaic system model, what is Galileo's answer?

8. What lie does Galileo tell the Senators about the telescope to secure his raise at the University?

9. What does Virginia find out about her father's fame on the day of the party at Cardinal Bellarmin's?

10. Why does the Curator refuse to give Galileo the raise that he requests for his work as a mathematician at the University?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

The truth of science and the truth of religion are conflicted throughout the play. Discuss the following: 1) Why was the truth of religion weighed heavier than the truth of science? 2) How did new thought challenge the church? 3) How did the Church have so much clout in determining its power over new thought related to science?

Essay Topic 2

Many times, Galileo implied that a woman's place was not in the scientific world. Find at least two examples and discuss how these thoughts contradicted Galileo's teachings using textual evidence from the play.

Essay Topic 3

The invention of the telescope creates social unrest given the new discoveries that Galileo comes upon from peering through it. Therefore, based upon the discovery of the telescope, society experiences unrest because of the questions that the new discoveries create in regard to currently socially accepted beliefs, i.e. the Earth is the center of the universe. Based upon this fact, discuss two textually specific examples where scientific discoveries created social unrest. What was the discovery? Why did society react as it did? What was the reaction of Galileo to the unrest? What was the outcome of the unrest?

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