greek mythology

CRUSADES
1. Who ordered the First Crusade? What were his reasons for calling for the crusade?
2. Give two examples of real reasons for the Crusades. (A behind the scene look at the politics of the period….think money…land…power) Be specific with your answers.
3. Eye witness accounts of war tend to eliminate any glory from the battlefield. Give two examples from the readings which describe the horror of a battle.
4. What promises were made to the fighters of the Crusades? Who made these promises? Why did the soldiers believe them?
5. What did the Christian troops believe was the purpose of the battles? What did the Muslims believe was their purpose?
6. How did soldiers on both sides of the battle behave? How were civilians treated?
7. What was the final outcome of the battles (in the First Crusade)?

THE INFERNO
1. Who is the guide Dante chooses for his trip through Hell? Why does he choose him?
2. What metaphor does the poet use to explain his descent into Hell? Why does this metaphor work?
3. Who are the people condemned to Limbo? Give two examples of these individuals.
4. What does the leopard, she-wolf, and lion represent?
5. “This miserable state is borne/by the wretched souls of those who lived/without disgrace yet without praise.” To whom is the author referring?
6. What is the significance of Charon? How does the author react to his presence?
7. Who lives in the Third Circle? What is the significance of the constant rain?
8. Give three examples of fraud – what was the crime and how was it punished?
9. How are murderers punished? What is the symbolism of their punishment?
10. How is Jason punished? What was his crime? (Note: this is one of the few pieces of literature which appears to defend his wife Medea.)
11. Who are the three figures at the bottom of Hell? How are they depicted? What does Satan say to Dante?
12. How is Satan punished? What is the point of his punishment?

THE CANTERBURY TALES
1. Compare/contrast the views of the Knight towards the Crusades with that of Roland. How is the Knight described by Chaucer?
2. What criticism is Chaucer making about the Church with his description of the Prioress? With the Monk?
3. How does the author present the Oxford Student? What is the author trying to say about this character?
4. The Physician is also criticized…with some criticisms familar to 21st. century readers. What points is Chaucer making? Are they valid? Why or why not?
5. The Wife of Bath is one of Chaucer’s most famous character. She argues several points regarding marriage and the rights of women. Give at least 3 examples of her arguments. Be specific. Do you agree with her? Why or why not?
6. The Pardoner is one of Chaucer’s most unpleasant characters. What is his position in the Church? What parallels do you see with modern preachers?
7. In The Wife of Bath’s Tale, what crime did the knight commit? What was his punishment?
8. Who solves his problem? What answer does she give him?
9. How does the knight respond? What does his response say about him?
10. Why are the characters going to Canterbury? What is the significance of this place?

THE EARLY MODERN WORLD
1. What significant transitional event occurred which led to the development of what we call “world history”?
2. How did the development of commerce aid in this change? What role did the Crusades play in the changing of the world through commerce?
3. The Renaissance, a general term for some of the changes occurring in the world, can be defined in what terms? Give at least 2 specific examples to support your answer.
4. How did focus on the individual affect the perception of government…especially monarchies? Be specific.
5. Give specific examples of writers who affected this time period – and explain what they contributed to their culture.
SHAKESPEARE
1. Shakespeare’s sonnets have 14 lines with a definitive rhyme scheme. The sonnet is divided into 2 parts – the problem and the resolution. In these sonnets, the problem is defined in the first 12 lines while the resolution is in the final couple (last 2 lines). Identify both the problem and the resolution in each of the 4 sonnets.
2. In sonnet 18, what is the primary comparison the author uses to make his point? Is this effective? Why or why not?
3. Give 2 examples of comparison in this sonnet.
4. In sonnet 116, the author discusses true love. What does he mean by the words “Love’s not Time’s fool, though rosy lips and cheeks/Within his bending sickle’s compass come;”
5. Sonnet 129 reveals the dark side of love. What words does the author use to get his point across? Why does he criticize lust? (Think 7 Deadly Sins). Is this an acccurate depiction of lust? Why or why not?
6. The last sonnet makes fun of the conventions used in typical love poems. What words does the author use to describe his lover? Does he really love her? How do you know?
7. What changes do you see in the sonnets…starting with the first one and ending with #130? What accounts for these changes? What does this say about the author?

ANDREW MARVELL
1. What is the meaning of the words “carpe diem”?
2. What is the meaning of the first stanza of the poem?
3. How does the author convince the lady to remove her clothes? Is he successful? How do you know?
4. In the second stanza, he uses the idea that life ends at the grave…there is no indication of an afterlife. How does this belief differ from the concepts of Mideval Europe? What do these words say about the power of the Church?
5. What is the tone of this poem? How does the tone work to make the author’s points?

THE PRINCE
1. Once an individual has gained power, why do the people who assisted him often turn against him? Is this a valid premise? Why or why not?
2. When one seeks to invade a country, why is the support of that population so important? What may happen is the people turn against their new ruler?
3. Why should an invader keep his army outside the city? Give 2 reasons.
4. Why should an invader be regarded as stingy by the people? What effect does this perception have on the population? What is the invader then able to do?
5. Is it better to be loved than feared? What is the opinion of the author? What do you think? Why?
6. What must the invader not do to members of the population? Give 2 examples. Why are these (non) actions so important?
7. How does the ruler avoid the contempt or hatred of the population? What happens when people become inflamed with hate?
8. What role does fortune play in the affairs of men? Why does the author consider this to be so important? Why does forturn appear to favor the young?

JOHN MILTON

1. Why did Satan attempt a revolution against God? What was the result of his attempt?
2. What kind of self-knowledge does Satan have about himself? Give 2 examples.
3. If Adam/Eve eat of the forbidden tree of knowledge, what will happen to them, according
to God?
4. What does Satan tell Eve will be the result of eating this fruit? Why does she believe
him?
5. What parallel does Milton make between innocence and knowledge?
6. Why does Adam permit Eve to leave his side and to wonder off in the Garden? What
arguments does she use to convince him?
7. How does Adam respond when he discovers Eve had disobeyed God? What triggers
this response?
8. When Eve ate the apple, what did she succeed in introducing to the world? What was
the long-term result of this action?
9. Satan loses his heroic statue when he enters the Garden of Eden. What form does he
assume? Give 1 possible reason why this particular animal was chosen?
10. What is Milton=s view of women? Give 2 examples to support your answer.
11. What is the meaning of the words AThe world was all before them…@? Give 2 possible
interpretations.