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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. When Hippolytus rebuffs Phaedra, how does she react?

2. Who is the father of Tantulus?

3. What must Atreus convince Thyestes to accept in the third act of "Thyestes"?

4. What does Phaedra finally admit to Theseus at the end of the play?

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

Short Essay Questions

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

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

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

4. What does Atreus claim about Thyestes' grief at the end of "Thyestes"?

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

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

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

8. Describe Hippolytus' preferences in life and how he is at odds with other people over it.

9. For what reasons did Atreus murder his nephews?

10. 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?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

In a brief essay, discuss the role that courage plays in "Troades." Develop a clear thesis statement and cite specific examples from the text to support your answers. Points to consider include (though not exclusively) Andromache's attempts to hide Astyanax, Hecuba's defiance and frequent insults to the Greeks, and the deaths of Astyanax and Polyxena.

Essay Topic 2

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.

Essay Topic 3

How is justice handled in a Senecan tragedy? Discuss this in the following format:

Part 1) Atreus and Thyestes.

Part 2) The death of Hippolytus and Phaedra's suicide.

Part 3) Polyxena and Astyanax.

Part 4) Octavia's fate.

Part 5) Tantalus.

(see the answer keys)

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