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This test consists of 15 multiple choice questions and 5 short answer questions.

Multiple Choice Questions

1. What is one of the requirements Aristotle mentions for a good tragic plot?
(a) A good plot must be unified.
(b) A good plot must have disconnected episodes that tie together at the end.
(c) A good plot must be mysterious.
(d) A good plot must be tragic in the beginning, middle, and end.

2. 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) Irony.
(b) Tragedy.
(c) Failure.
(d) Reversal of Situation.

3. What does Aristotle consider to be secondary to the most essential element of tragedy?
(a) Development of rhyme.
(b) Development of irony.
(c) Development of imitation.
(d) Development of character.

4. Per Aristotle, the unity of plot is what to the unity of a character's actions?
(a) Influential, but not important.
(b) Not equivalent, but often closely related.
(c) Irrelevant.
(d) Equivalent.

5. The object poetry portrays is what, according to Aristotle?
(a) Other poets.
(b) Men in action.
(c) Various places around the world.
(d) Tragic events.

6. In the context of poetry and according to Aristotle's teachings, why is man naturally attracted to imitation?
(a) It is through imitation that man most easily learns.
(b) Imitation is a form of acting.
(c) It is a lot of fun.
(d) Imitation is less expensive.

7. Aristotle believes that a poet can turn a complex plot into a simple one by doing what?
(a) Focus.
(b) Adding more character flaws.
(c) Hard work and dedication.
(d) Eliminating recognition and/or reversal of situation.

8. What does Aristotle call the individual episodes of a story with an episodic plot?
(a) Funny.
(b) Isolated stories.
(c) Dependent stories.
(d) Interesting.

9. What type of poetry does Aristotle say focuses on serious and important actions?
(a) Roman poetry.
(b) None of the answers is correct.
(c) Greek poetry.
(d) Tragedy.

10. What type of situation does Aristotle explain occurs more frequently in tragedy?
(a) A child being abandoned.
(b) A member of a family killing another member.
(c) The protagonist losing one of his or her five senses.
(d) The main character dying from illness.

11. What two things does Aristotle require to be present in a well-written story?
(a) Birth and death.
(b) Conflict and pain.
(c) Irony and foreshadowing.
(d) Rhythm and harmony.

12. What are the ways Aristotle explains in regard to how poets differ in their representation of the object?
(a) Poets can portray the objects as worse, better, or the same as they are
(b) There is no difference in the way poets portray the objects.
(c) Poets can portray the object as better or worse, but never the same as they are.
(d) Poets can portray the objects as worse or the same as they are.

13. Aristotle teaches that the beginning of a well-written tragedy starts at what point?
(a) Where the narrative has dependence upon events that happen prior to it.
(b) Where the narrative has no dependence upon events that happened prior to it.
(c) With the end and uses the method of flashback to tell the rest.
(d) In the middle and uses the method of flashback to tell what preceded.

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

15. When one character realizes that another character has fewer morals than he once thought, what does Aristotle say is happening?
(a) Recognition.
(b) Bad judgment.
(c) Opportunity.
(d) Growth.

Short Answer Questions

1. According to Aristotle, how should the plot of a well-written tragedy be structured?

2. What reason does Aristotle give for Homer excluding many things that Odysseus does on his voyage home in the "Odyssey"?

3. When a poet simply straightforwardly describes the events as they happen, what method does Aristotle say the poet is using?

4. What men does Aristotle consider to be "lower" types?

5. Aristotle explains that the medium specific to poetry is one that uses what?

(see the answer keys)

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