World Literature I ESPN 4251 2011

RUSTAQ COLLEGE OF APPLIED SCIENCES ENGLISH DEPARTMENT

MID SEMESTER Test Oedipus & The Stranger

Group: ____________ TIME: 1 hour 20min

Name____________________ 5 December, 2011

Teacher: ___________________________ MARKS: 30

INSTRUCTIONS:
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Please write your name, group and teacher in the spaces provided at the top of this page. Write neatly and legible. Answer Section B and C in full sentences. Use proper language and grammar. Follow the instructions of each section. Good luck with your test!

SECTION A:
Multiple Choice: INSTRUCTION: For each question, circle the BEST answer and then write the chosen letter in the answer block to the right. There is an answer block provided on each page. (1 point each)
OEDIPUS THE KING: 1. Where did Oedipus send Creon at the beginning of the play? A. To Corinth B. To the Pythian oracle C. To be banished from Thebes D. To a crossroads 2. What does Creon report? A. That Jocasta's son must be found B. That Teiresias killed Laius C. That he will kill his father and marry his mother D. That Laius's killer must be found 3. Why didn't anyone investigate Laius's murder at the time? A. Jocasta went into labour B. There was a blight on the city C. They didn't want anyone to know that Oedipus did it D. The Sphinx was attacking the city

ANSWER: 1. 2. 3.

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World Literature I ESPN 4251 2011

4. What does Oedipus announce to the Theban people? A. That if any man confesses, he will only be banished B. That he too will be punished if he helps the killer C. That if anyone knows who killed Laius, he should come forward D. All of the above 5. What does Teiresias say when he arrives? A. That the Sphinx did it B. That Jocasta did it C. That Creon did it D. That he will not tell who did it 6. How does Oedipus respond when Teiresias charges him with killing Laius? A. He calls Teiresias a blind fool B. He accuses Creon of killing Laius C. He accuses Teiresias of conspiring with Creon D. All of the above 7. What is Oedipus' initial attitude toward the crowd that has gathered? A. caring and helpful B. overjoyed and cheerful C. critical and derisive D. angry and annoyed THE STRANGER:

ANSWER: 4. 5. 6. 7.

8. What does Meursault do in the opening chapter? a. He looks for a new job. b. He quits school and begins to live the life of an artist. c. He attends his mother's funeral. d. He takes the train to Paris for the weekend. 9. Who does Meursault encounter at the beach? a. He meets his old college roommate. b. He meets a girl who had once worked at the same office as he did. c. He meets a friend of his mother's from the nursing home. d. He meets his aunt, his only living relative.

ANSWER: 8. 9. 10.

10. Why is Marie allowed only one visit to Meursault? a. The guards are afraid she will smuggle in poison so he can kill himself. b. It is too expensive. Visitors must bribe the guards to get in, and she can only afford one bribe. c. She is not his wife. d. She has been arrested as an accomplice to the crime and is in jail herself.

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World Literature I ESPN 4251 2011

SECTION B: SHORT ANSWER QUESTIONS:
Instruction: Answer these questions in the spaces provided.
11. What is your first impression of Oedipus? (1)

12. What problem is afflicting Thebes at this time?

(1)

13. Is Oedipus a hero or a monster? Motivate your answer.

(2)

14. Explain why Oedipus left Corinth. What was he afraid of?

(1)

15.

What does Meursault think of Salamano's relationship with his dog?

(1)

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World Literature I ESPN 4251 2011

16.

Existential philosophy holds that nothing really matters, not even death. Discuss any examples of death in The Stranger and how Meursault reacts to it. Would these reactions confirm or refute the opinion that Meursault is an existentialist character? (4)

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[sub total: 20]

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World Literature I ESPN 4251 2011

SECTION C: Essay:
Instruction: Answer only ONE of the following questions (18. or 19.) in 3 paragraphs of at least 100 words each. Use the next 2 pages given as answer sheet. 18. What dangers does the oral tradition face in the modern world? Think of some examples and try to explain what society might lose without an oral tradition of storytelling, like with the Arabian Nights, Oedipus Rex or any other folktale in the world?

OR
19. Write a unified 3 paragraph essay exploring how one (1) of the following quotations illuminates our understanding of Oedipus the King. You are free to disagree with the quotation and explain why it is not true to the play; you may use the quotation as your topic and either support or refute the quotation in your body paragraphs.

Humility is the most difficult of all virtues to achieve. Nothing dies harder than the desire to think well of oneself. 1. T.S. Eliot Oedipus recognizes that each man is an embodiment of his own heritage and must accept the consequences of his own personality even if he did not create that personality all by himself. Michael J. OBrien As we try to bear the full brunt of the ending of Oedipus the King, we still try to reach for some moral simplicity to lessen it. Jane Adamson
(10 points)

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[TOTAL: 30]

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World Literature I ESPN 4251 2011 Essay Title:

Introduction:

Paragraph 1:

Paragraph 2:

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World Literature I ESPN 4251 2011

Paragraph 3:

Conclusion:

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