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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 Seneca say in Letter XVI is of no interest to the wise man?

2. In Letter VII, what does Lucilius accuse Seneca of being?

3. Who says that hope is the cause of fear?

4. What does Seneca say many slave-owners foolishly think?

5. According to Letter XLI, what lives in each man's soul?

Short Essay Questions

1. What is Seneca's opinion of Vatia? How does it differ from public opinion?

2. According to Seneca, how much concern should a wise man have regarding his or others' physical beauty?

3. What does Seneca say about developing friendships?

4. What are Seneca's thoughts on fear and how to eliminate it from life?

5. Lucilius writes Seneca that his melancholy mood remained unchanged no matter how far he traveled from home. How does Seneca explain Lucilius' complaint?

6. As Seneca comforts Lucilius at the loss of his friend, he says grief has a purpose. What is that purpose and how should a wise Stoic man deal with the death of a friend?

7. What does Seneca confide to Lucilius about his own vices?

8. What is the goal of philosophy, as stated by Seneca?

9. What is Seneca's thoughts on the phrase "cheerful poverty?"

10. When does Seneca say a master should correct his slaves? How should slaves be corrected and why?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

There are three types of irony: verbal, situational and dramatic. Define each and discuss at least two examples of irony in Seneca's letters.

Essay Topic 2

What is philosophy? What are ethics and what is the importance of ethics in philosophy?

Essay Topic 3

Discuss the ways Seneca treated or dealt with his asthma.

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 736 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample