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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. Although he refuses to grant Phaedra a proper burial, what does Theseus plan to do at the end of the play?

2. For what does Theseus pray at the end of the third act of "Phaedra"?

3. Why was Hippolytus trapped upon his horse before his death?

4. Who enters at the end of the second act of "Phaedra"?

5. What does Phaedra's nurse lament in the beginning of the second act?

Short Essay Questions

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

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

3. Why does Phaedra wear hunting garb in the second act?

4. Describe the murders of Thyestes' sons.

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

6. Of what does Hippolytus' nurse try to convince Phaedra in the first act?

7. For what does Theseus pray at the end of the third act of "Phaedra" and how does the chorus react?

8. Discuss the backstory of the House of Pelops.

9. Describe the backstory to "Phaedra."

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

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

What is significant about the roles love and hate play in Seneca's work? How is this embodied by Thyestes and Atreus? How does both hate and love appear to drive Nero from "Octavia"? What tends to be the result of any hate in these plays? What does this suggest about Seneca's views on society and people? Cite specific examples from the text to support your answers.

Essay Topic 2

What is the relationship between life and death in the Senecan tragedy? How does this account for the frequent presence of the ghosts in these plays? What does this suggest about the afterlife? How do the living characters face their death and why is this important? Develop a clear thesis on this topic and cite specific examples from the text to support your answers.

Essay Topic 3

What does the onstage violence in Seneca's tragedies reveal about Roman society? How does this differ from the original, Greek versions of these plays? What does the escalation of violence in these works suggest about Seneca's intents with these plays? Develop a clear thesis statement on this subject and cite specific examples from the text to support your answers.

(see the answer keys)

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