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This quiz consists of 5 multiple choice and 5 short answer questions through Section I.

Multiple Choice Questions

1. In poetry, what is the term that Aristotle gives for an action that aims to accomplish a certain goal, but actually accomplishes the opposite?
(a) Tragedy.
(b) Irony.
(c) Reversal of Situation.
(d) Failure.

2. Per Aristotle, in which of the following ways does poetry NOT differ from history?
(a) History is concerned simply with facts.
(b) Poetry depicts what happens according to the "laws of probability and necessity."
(c) Poetry is a higher pursuit than history.
(d) Poetry tells the future, and history tells the past.

3. Aristotle defines poetic work as what?
(a) A love affair.
(b) A philosophical undertaking.
(c) A spiritual journey.
(d) A bad imitation.

4. What reason does Aristotle give for Homer excluding many things that Odysseus does on his voyage home in the "Odyssey"?
(a) Nothing is excluded.
(b) Aristotle explains that Homer prefers to keep the reader guessing.
(c) Aristotle says that Odysseus does some embarrassing things that are better left unsaid.
(d) Aristotle says that Homer excludes things because they do not relate well to the overall plot that is being constructed.

5. What type of story does Aristotle define as "episodic"?
(a) A particularly poor story.
(b) A great story.
(c) A sad story.
(d) A dramatic story.

Short Answer Questions

1. When one character realizes that another character has fewer morals than he once thought, what does Aristotle say is happening?

2. Aristotle asserts that men who find poetry very attractive find great pleasure in what?

3. How does Aristotle say the different types of poetry emerged?

4. What does Aristotle identify as the most essential element of tragedy?

5. How does Aristotle differentiate poetry from prose?

(see the answer key)

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