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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. What characteristics does love have, according to Agathon?

2. As explained by Socrates, is love ugly or beautiful?

3. In the example Socrates provides, what city's laws are "fathered" by Solon?

4. In Diotima's opinion, who is Love's father?

5. How does Socrates view people in Alcibiades' view?

Short Essay Questions

1. What are the statues of Silenus and why does Alcibiades include them in his speech?

2. Who is Diotima and what is significant about the experience Socrates had with her?

3. What examples does Socrates provide of what men can leave behind?

4. What suggestion does Alcibiades make, why does Socrates object to it, and how does Alcibiades convince him to allow it?

5. What is Alcibiades' condition when he interrupts the party, and what does he encourage the other guests to do?

6. What is Socrates' opinion of the speeches he has heard?

7. How does Agathon disagree with Phaedrus in the beginning of his speech and why?

8. How does Socrates' theory of passing on knowledge apply to his own life?

9. Why does Socrates believe that love cannot be beautiful or ugly, and what analogy does he use?

10. What does Socrates think the function of love is?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Explain how the subject of love is decided as the main topic for the speeches given at the Symposium. Be sure to include whose idea it was, how it was suggested, how the guests and Socrates, in particular, respond, and what conditions were agreed upon before the speeches begin.

Essay Topic 2

Describe the parallels between love and music that Eryximachus makes in his speech. Include several examples of how love and music are similar and why Eryximachus uses music as an effective metaphor in analyzing the way that love works.

Essay Topic 3

Compare and contrast the different speeches given at the Symposium.

1) Analyze the similarities between Socrates' speech and Eryximachus' speech as well as what the main difference was between the two.

2) Explain which speeches had the most differences and why.

3) Describe the speech or speeches that you think made the most sense and/or contained the most important information.

(see the answer keys)

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