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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. Pelops' sons Atreus and Thyestes quarreled over Thyestes' affair with whom?

2. Aeneas obeyed immediately, and the heartbroken Queen ______________.

3. Pelops then refused to honor his bribe and killed Myrtilus, who _____________.

4. The Horn of Plenty, or the Cornucopia, was magically always full of what?

5. Agamemnon's son Orestes was instructed by Apollo's oracle to slay the murderer of his father. This meant killing whom?

Short Essay Questions

1. How is Aeneas' story unique?

2. What are the Danaids known for doing? Why might they have done this?

3. How did Odysseus' adventures make him a hero?

4. Why might Zeus have struck Aesculapius dead?

5. What are the purposes of myths, based on these stories?

6. How did the bad luck of the later generations reflect the bad luck of the earlier generations? What does this say about the tie between one generation and another?

7. Who are two members of this family who did not deserve the bad luck they received? Why?

8. What are the purpose of many of these stories?

9. How is Midas rewarded by Bacchus? Is this what many people would choose? Why or why not?

10. What story explains the creation of spiders? How does this explain the creation of spiders?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

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 2

There are several love stories that are a part of Greek mythology.

Part 1) Summarize two of these love stories. What is the purpose of each of these love stories? What do these stories say about love? How does this reflect the ancient Greek's view of love?

Part 2) How are love stories an important part of other cultures? How is love a universal part of life? How does it differ from one culture to the next? Why is it such an important part of the spectrum of human emotion?

Part 3) To you, what does it mean to love? How important is love to one's quality of life? Explain. How have you witnessed love in your own life? How has this affected you? How might it influence your behavior towards others?

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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