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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. How many times "of better fortune" does Enobarbus say that Caesar is, in comparison to Antony?

2. What does Caesar's companion say indicates Antony is ready to fall in the beginning of the fourth act?

3. Who is sent by Antony to intervene with Caesar in an attempt to prevent civil war?

4. In what field of battle does Antony proclaim he will engage Caesar in Act 3, Scene 7?

5. What is the name of Mark Antony's wife?

Short Essay Questions

1. For what reason does Antony spurn the news that has come from Rome at the play's beginning?

2. How does Cleopatra act in Antony's absence?

3. For what reason does Antony insist upon assailing Caesar by sea at Actium, despite the protestations of his loyal men?

4. What is the result of Antony's fleeing from Actium?

5. What good does Caesar say that Octavia's letters had done, regarding Antony?

6. For what reason does Ventidius claim he leaves some soldiering undone?

7. In what way does Antony compose himself in Act 4, Scene 2?

8. What characterizes Antony's speech after Actium, before Cleopatra arrives, at the palace in Alexandria?

9. What does the sight of Thyreus kissing Cleopatra's hand provoke in Mark Antony?

10. What is the meaning and significance of "a Lethe'd dulness" as Pompey uses the phrase in line 27 of Act 2, Scene 1?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

As Antony's rival, Octavius Caesar plays a vital role in the tragic story of Antony and Cleopatra. As the story's external antagonist, he helps to propel the action of the story. In a thoughtful essay, analyze the character of Caesar, being sure to contrast him with Mark Antony but nonetheless retaining focus on Caesar himself. What are his principal traits as a character? What are his motivations? How does he treat other characters in the story? What worldview does Caesar represent? How does Caesar correspond to a changing world dynamic?

Essay Topic 2

The tragic conclusion of Antony and Cleopatra is somewhat mitigated by the portrayal and evident Roman perception of the nobility of suicide. By carefully developing a well-structured essay, analyze the reasons behind the Roman view of suicide and explicate how this effects the conclusion of the play. What is significant about the various characters ending their own lives? How does such action alter the ending of the play? What is the fundamental correlation between death and nobility? Upon what principles is the Roman conception of suicide in the face of being conquered as noble founded? Be sure to explicate through examples from the text.

Essay Topic 3

Though not an antagonist in the traditional sense of the word, Cleopatra acts as a catalyst for the internal conflict that contributes to Mark Antony's disintegration. This makes Cleopatra a somewhat unique character in literature. Compose an analytical essay that examines the peculiarities of her character, including how they affect Antony, but focusing principally on Cleopatra. What characterizes her personality? What traits does she habitually evince in the play? What are her motivations throughout the play? Does her behavior, by the final act, change from how she comports herself in the play's first act?

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