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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. Of whom does Cleopatra report dreaming in Act 5, Scene 2?

2. With what word does Enobarbus describe his revolt in comparison to Antony's nobility?

3. What sort of men does Antony lament his poor fortunes have corrupted?

4. Upon whom does Enobarbus call to be his witness in delivering his soliloquy?

5. Who is speaking in Act 4, Scene 11?

Short Essay Questions

1. Why does Caesar insist upon being still with his land forces on the second day of Battle at Alexandria?

2. How does Cleopatra envision her shaming in Rome if she is taken there as a captive?

3. To what end does Cleopatra commit herself, and why, after Antony has died?

4. How does Antony react to the desertion by Enobarbus?

5. In what way is Antony's disposition towards the battle at Alexandria changed on the second day?

6. Why does Cleopatra tell Mardian to inform Antony that she has died?

7. Why does Enobarbus say he will seek out a ditch in which he may die?

8. How has the battle gone so far, in Act 4, Scene 7?

9. In what way are the places of the two armies shown to be exchanged in Act 4, Scene 8?

10. For what reason does Caesar seek to preserve the life of Cleopatra after hearing that Antony has died?

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

A seldom explicitly mentioned theme throughout the play is the fidelity and infidelity of minor characters despite maltreatment and disregard for their more fundamental rights. Thoughtfully explicate this theme in a well-developed essay. How do the various minor characters demonstrate their fidelity and to whom? For what reasons do the characters evidently remain loyal? Contrariwise, which characters forsake their obligations to fidelity, and for what reasons are they motivated to do so? What do these various relationships of disparate levels of fidelity indicate about the fundamental human tendencies regarding loyalty?

Essay Topic 3

Compose a carefully crafted and well-planned analytical essay on the character of Mark Antony. As the story's protagonist, he is regarded as an extraordinary man whose life ends in exceptional calamity and disintegration. What are his principal character traits? In what ways does Antony stand out from the rest of the characters in the story? How do these contribute to his being an extraordinary man? What affects his downfall? What characterizes the disintegration of Antony's life? How does Antony's life drive the lives of others and the plot of the story? What way of life does Antony represent?

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