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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. According to the Greeks, in the beginning there was only __________.

2. Zeus imprisoned the Titans and forced _______ to hold up the sky.

3. Persephone was enchanted by Orpheus' music, and Hades agreed to release Eurydice, on what condition?

4. What happened when Venus gave Psyche a series of impossible tasks?

5. How did the Greek gods act?

Short Essay Questions

1. Why were women seen as lesser beings? How does Greek mythology support this belief regarding women?

2. What lesson can be learned about the power of the gods from these stories? Is this lesson still relevant today? Why or why not?

3. Choose two of the Greek gods or goddesses. Describe the personalities and roles of these gods or goddesses.

4. What do all of these stories reveal about the gods?

5. What ended when Atalanta was married? What does this reinforce in Greek culture?

6. Choose one of the love stories in this section. Summarize this story. How does it reflect someone's jealousy?

7. What led to the Trojan War? Was this war necessary? Why or why not?

8. How were Homeric heroes different from earlier Greek heroes? What does this say about the Greeks at the time?

9. Should Greek mythology be understood as a bible of sorts? Why or why not?

10. How did Zeus become the king of the gods?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

According to the Greeks, in the beginning their was only chaos.

Part 1) Describe the main stories of creation and the birth of man, according to Greek mythology. How do these stories compare to each other? What might be the reasons for differences between these stories?

Part 2) How do these stories compare to the creation stories found in world religions today? What might be the reason for any similarities? Are you surprised by these similarities? Why or why not?

Part 3) What are your beliefs regarding the creation of the universe and the birth of man? From where do your beliefs come? How has your culture influenced your beliefs regarding creation? How important is one's culture to one's beliefs? Explain.

Essay Topic 2

Tragedy was often a part of Greek mythology.

Part 1) Describe four myths that one would consider tragic. What led to tragedy in each of these myths? How does the tragedy found in each myth compare to the tragedy found in the others?

Part 2) What is the purpose of this tragedy? What does it reveal about the Greeks? What lessons can still be learned from this tragedy today? Do tragedies such as this exist in contemporary literature? Why or why not?

Part 3) Do you believe that tragic tales are necessary for a culture? Why or why not? Is there a focus on tragedy in American literature? Why or why not? What does this say about Americans and their view of tragedy and loss?

Essay Topic 3

Murder frequently takes place in Greek mythology.

Part 1) Describe two stories in which a murder or murders take place. Why do these murders take place? How do these murders affect the other characters in the story? How might the murders affect those who hear this story?

Part 2) Is murder a popular theme of American folk tales? Why or why not? What does this reveal about the Greeks? What does this reveal about Americans? How does this theme of murder add to the drama and tragedy of Greek mythology?

Part 3) What do you believe is the most popular of themes in American tales? Use at least two stories to support this belief. Why is this a popular theme? What does this reveal about Americans?

(see the answer keys)

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