View a FREE sample

This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. What does Antony send after his most recent deserter in Act 4, Scene 5?

2. What does Antony compare to the spirit of a youth who "means to be of note," in Act 4, Scene 4?

3. Who accompanies Antony at the outset of Act 4, Scene 12?

4. Whose "case of that huge spirit now is cold" as said by Cleopatra?

5. For whom does Antony call at the end of Act 4's twelfth scene?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does the course of the battle change in Act 4, Scene 10?

2. How does Caesar gain an advantage by holding his land forces still?

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

4. How does Antony behave towards his servants before the battle at Alexandria?

5. What characterizes the reactions of those present in Act 4, Scene 1, to the news of Antony's death?

6. What happens to Enobarbus after his speech in Act 4, Scene 9?

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

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

9. What is revealed by Antony's immediate blame of Cleopatra for the surrender of his fleet?

10. What is revealed about the Roman attitude towards death in Act 4, Scene 14?

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

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?

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?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 896 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample