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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 does Atreus do to his nephews' bodies?

2. To whom do Thyestes and Atreus drink a toast in the fifth act of "Thyestes"?

3. In the second act of "Thyestes," how does Atreus plan to wreak vengeance against his brother?

4. To whom does Hippolytus pray in the preface of "Phaedra"?

5. Upon what were Thyestes' sons sacrificed?

Short Essay Questions

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

2. What does Theseus plan to do at the end of "Phaedra" in regards to his dead family and why?

3. How does Hippolytus die in "Phaedra"?

4. Describe the backstory to "Phaedra."

5. What plot does Atreus form against his brother and why?

6. What do Thyestes and his children believe about their upcoming meeting with Atreus?

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

8. 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?

9. What does Atreus offer his brother during their false reconciliation and how does Thyestes react to the gifts?

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

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

What roles do the gods play in the lives of Seneca's characters? How do they handle meting out justice? How do the humans look upon them? What is significant about the fact that the gods are never actually seen in any of these plays? How does this relate to the humans governing themselves and doling out punishments and justice? Develop a clear thesis statement in order to answer these questions (though not exclusively) and cite specific examples from the text to support your answers.

Essay Topic 2

What is the debate regarding the performance ability of a Senecan tragedy? How does the emphasis on rhetoric suggest that these plays were meant to be recited? How is this related to the on-stage violence? What are some other suggestions that point to these plays having been written with the intention of being performed? Discuss both sides of this debate in a brief essay and conclude with your opinions on whether Seneca intended for his work to be performed.

Essay Topic 3

What is stoicism? How does this relate to Seneca? How is the Stoic philosophy seen throughout Seneca's plays? Which characters appear to embody stoicism and how does this affect their fate? What does this suggest about Seneca's beliefs? Cite specific examples from the text to support your answers.

(see the answer keys)

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