A. Answer four (4) of the following questions in very brief essays (10 points each).
I. Thebes is said to have two separate foundation
myths. Identify who each of these two founders or sets of founders
is, and describe very briefly what each of them did to "found" the
city.
Grading:
Identification of founders: 2 points each
Description of foundation myths: 4 points each
II. Explain how the concept of "shame culture"
might help us to understand the reaction of Achilles to the loss of
Briseis.
Grading:
Identification of what a shame culture is: 5 points
Explanation of Achilles' actions: 5 points
III. Identify two examples of excess retribution
in the myths of Mycenae and evaluate very briefly the significance of
this excess.
Grading:
Identification of excess: 4 points for each event.
Evaluation of significance: 2 points
IV. Identify two things Odysseus learns on his
return from Troy and explain very briefly how he learns them.
Grading:
What Odysseus learns: 3 points each
How he learns: 2 points each
V. Describe very briefly how two Roman myths
reflect Roman ideology.
Grading:
The myths: 2 points each
The ideology: 3 points each
B. Discuss the role of hubris in Greek and Roman
mythology. Do the following:
1. Explain what hubris is.
2. Identify occurrences of hubris in 3 separate myths, one
from each of the following sets of myths:
a. The creation myths and myths with gods at their center.
b. The myths surrounding heroes we studied mid-semester (Perseus,
Heracles, Theseus, Jason).
c. The myths we studied in the last part of the semester (Thebes,
Troy, Mycenae, Odysseus, Rome).
3. Explain the significance of hubris in Greek thought.
Grading: 30 points total, broken down as follows:
Explanation of hubris: 4 points
Application of the concept of hubris to each of the three
myths: 7 points each
Explanation of the significance of hubris: 5 points
C. We have observed that a central element of
Greek thought was the opposition between the oikos (the household) and the
polis (the
state). Explain the role of this opposition in one play of Euripides
(Hippolytus or
Medea), one play
by Sophocles (Oedipus at
Colonus or Antigone), and in Aeschylus'
Oresteia, then
draw a general conclusion about the role of this opposition in the
tragedies. Consider for each play how the most important characters
react to this opposition, and what results from their reactions to
the opposition. (30 points)
Grading:
Explanation of the role of the opposition in each of the 3 tragedies
or trilogies: 8 points each
General conclusion on the role of the opposition in the tragedies: 6
points
last modified November 27th, 2001 by timmoore@utxvms.cc.utexas.edu