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This test consists of 5 multiple choice questions, 5 short answer questions, and 10 short essay questions.

Multiple Choice Questions

1. In what sort of garb is Phaedra's nurse dressed in the third act?
(a) Priestess robes.
(b) Wedding dress.
(c) Hunting garb.
(d) Mourning garb.

2. What fate awaits the children of Thyestes?
(a) They will be exiled.
(b) Their bodies will be fed to wild animals.
(c) They will be buried alive.
(d) Their bodies will be boiled to pieces.

3. In the preface of "Phaedra," what is Hippolytus organizing?
(a) A hunt.
(b) A prayer service.
(c) A battle.
(d) A rebellion.

4. Who accompanies Atreus at his bidding when he goes to make a sacrifice to the gods at the end of the third act of "Thyestes"?
(a) Thyestes.
(b) Thyestes' sons.
(c) Thyestes' wife.
(d) Atreus' sons.

5. How was young Tantalus murdered?
(a) He was drowned.
(b) He was thrown from a tower.
(c) He was disemboweled.
(d) His throat was cut.

Short Answer Questions

1. Why does the nurse claim to be dressed in a particular manner in the third act of "Phaedra"?

2. To whom does Phaedra confide her desire for Hippolytus?

3. How does Atreus justify his wicked plans against his brother?

4. For what reason does Phaedra dress in a particular manner in the second act?

5. What is Phaedra's relationship to Hippolytus?

Short Essay Questions

1. Discuss the character of Atreus.

2. What is significant about Theseus' return from the underworld in regards to the plot in "Phaedra"?

3. Upon what does Thyestes unknowingly feast and how does it make him feel before he learns the truth of his brother's treachery?

4. What happens when Phaedra reveals to Hippolytus her attraction for him?

5. How is Tantalus manipulated into releasing the Fury upon the House of Pelops?

6. Describe Theseus' conflicting emotions over the death of his son and upon learning of his wife's deception.

7. Describe the backstory to "Phaedra."

8. For what reasons did Atreus murder his nephews?

9. What is the chorus at the end of the first act of "Phaedra" singing about and how does it relate to the action of the play?

10. In what conflicting moods does Thyestes find himself as he travels to Argos?

(see the answer keys)

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