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

Multiple Choice Questions

1. Aristotle says what type of poetry imitates the "lower" types of men?
(a) Roman poetry.
(b) Greek poetry.
(c) Comedy.
(d) Tragedy.

2. What does Aristotle identify as the foundation of good poetry writing?
(a) An interesting twist or turn.
(b) Irony.
(c) Probability and necessity.
(d) Using well-researched historical events.

3. According to "Poetics", what would be the analogy between the pen of a writer and the plow of a farmer?
(a) They are tools: both are used to make a living.
(b) Both work.
(c) Both are people.
(d) This is not an analogy.

4. In a good tragedy, Aristotle explains that the misfortune the main character experiences is usually caused by what?
(a) The character's weakness.
(b) Misguided love.
(c) Stupidity.
(d) The character's arrogance.

5. Generally performed for an audience, tragic poetry, as Aristotle explains, is embellished with episodes and gestures for what reason?
(a) To make it easily understood.
(b) To keep the audience on their toes.
(c) To compensate for a poorly written tragedy.
(d) To help eliminate confusion of words with multiple meanings.

Short Answer Questions

1. How does Aristotle compare the medium of poetry and prose?

2. As Aristotle explains, when an evil main character of a tragic story experiences misfortune, why doesn't this inspire certain key emotions in the audience?

3. Aristotle defines poetic work as what?

4. Why, as identified by Aristotle, can the scale of story told by epics be much greater than what is allowed by the format of tragedy?

5. The plot, as Aristotle explains, should be unified in such a way that each part should be what?

(see the answer key)

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