Humanities 201
MidTerm Examination

There will be two parts, Short Answer (Closed Book) and Essay (Open Book) 


For the short answer sections you will have to answer 16 questions, broken down thusly:
These questions all come from the homework questions from class, which can be found from the links page ,  specifically  those that emphasize:

Literary Terms (i.e. What is Dramatic Irony?)

Important Plot Aspects (Why does Enkidu die?)

Other Statement of Ideas (What does Aristotle say the difference is between a simple and a complex plot?)

For the Essay, you will have to examine important themes in the longer works, including:

Specifically, you will need to respond to one of  the following questions in a well-organized, well-supported (i.e. with specific quotes from the texts) discussion with a clear thesis. You will need to provide detailed responses, including as much specific detail from the texts as possible.

  1. Describe the relationship between gods and humans in Gilgamesh, Sundiata, and Oedipus Rex.  To what extent do they influence each other and the events of the story?  What determines who has the power to control events? Incorporate discussion of dreams and prophecies into your discussion.
  2. Explain the roles of  women/goddesses in Gilgamesh, Sundiata, and Oedipus Rex.  How much power do they have to influence the events that occur? What determines the different amounts of power they may experience?
  3. Compare the characters of Gilgamesh, Sundiata, and Oedipus.  Who is a good king? Who is a bad king?  Are any of them somewhere in the middle?  Explain in terms of their relationships with their subjects and with other kings or rulers or gods.

* Keep in mind the importance of Quote Incorporation, which can be described as a three-step process:
Introduce--Present Accurately--Explain

Here's an example, using a quote from page 278 of Oedipus:

Oedipus describes the prophecy that frightened him:  "'I was fated to lie with my mother, / and show to daylight an accursed breed / which men would not endure'" (865-67).  In addition to suggesting the importance of  the gods, this prophecy does in fact foreshadow the fate of which Oedipus is afraid.

*Notice how I introduced the quote, presented and cited the quote accurately, then explained its significance.
I also used a slash (/) to designate a line break. You must do that with poems and plays (anything that has line numbers next to it). Also notice how I placed line numbers in parentheses rather than page number. Again, do this with poems and plays. With long poems, such as The Iliad, which has Book numbers, include them: (2.134-36). This quote would have come from Book 2, lines 134 to 136.  Also use proper format with more than four lines of quoted material, whether prose or poetry: Indent, etc..


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