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Name: _________________________ | Period: ___________________ |
This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.
Short Answer Questions
1. What supernatural ability is Medea said to have?
2. What does the chorus, after hearing Medea's plans, say about relations between men and women?
3. Why does Jason say Medea is lucky?
4. What bargain does Medea strike with Creon?
5. Why does Medea first consent to leave her home and meet with the chorus?
Short Essay Questions
1. What literary function does the Nurse serve by opening the play?
2. It could be said that Medea represents a type of "Everywoman" as she comes to terms with her feelings over her husband's betrayal - do you agree or disagree with this assertion? Explain why.
3. Based on their conversation, do you find Medea's anger more justified? Why or why not?
4. Does Medea's behavior support or work against the author's point about women being strong and independent?
5. What is significant about the Tutor's statement "that everyone loves himself more than his neighbor"?
6. Do you agree or disagree with Creon's decision to banish Medea? Why or why not?
7. What is revealed in the argument between Medea and Jason about who loved their children more?
8. What is the significance, in the first scene, of the Nurse urging the children to hide from their mother until her anger has passed?
9. What do you think the messenger means when he says the princess "smiled at the lifeless image of herself" in the mirror?
10. Given that the audience would typically know the story before going to a play, why do you think the author chose to begin the play with heavy exposition?
Essay Topics
Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:
Essay Topic 1
Medea is largely reviled as a character because of her decision to kill her children. Discuss the motivation behind her decision to commit filicide, and whether the author sufficiently justifies her actions to make her a heroine with whom audiences can identify.
Essay Topic 2
It appears as though, sympathetic or not, Medea is representing a type of "Everywoman" character. Argue for whether you believe Medea does or does not effectively represent an "Everywoman", using specific supporting details from the text to support your argument.
Essay Topic 3
The chorus plays an integral role within "Medea" and many classic Greek plays. Discuss this role, considering the following: What was the primary function of the chorus; how were the lines of the chorus delivered, and why was that delivery used; what is the interaction between the audience and the chorus?
This section contains 1,118 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) |
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