Quesbank 280916050759

B.A. Hons.
I Year
European Classical Literature
Iliad
1. Anthropomorphicity of gods has a larger purpose in the grand design of Iliad. Do you
agree? Comment.
2. Discuss the possibility of Achilles’s shield being a symbol of entire existential context as
perceived by the ancient Greeks.
3. Diomedes, Hector and Achilles provide us with different perspectives on the underlying
theme of heroism with its emphasis on Kléos and Timé. Explain.
4. Comment on Book IX of Iliad being central to both the theme and structural design of
epic.
5. Trapped in a patriarchal world dominated by machismo values, Homer women characters
struggle to find their own identity in Iliad. Discuss.
6. Would you agree with the assessment that Homeric vision in Book 24 is one of the
greatest moments in Western literature?
Oedipus Rex
1. Oedipus Rex is “almost universally regarded as the classic example of ‘tragedy of fate.’
Do you agree? Give a reasoned answer.
2. Do you agree with the assessment that even though Oedipus is a man of action, his
actions do not lead him towards truth? Discuss with reference to the character of
Oedipus.
3. In Oedipus’s confrontation with Tiresias, Oedipus stands for epistemic excellence while
the blind prophet stands for the power of doxa. Critically examine the Greek concepts of
episteme and doxa with reference to both these characters.
4. Jocasta’s character oscillates between flippancy with reference to divine word and care
for her family including her brother and husband. Is it a fair assessment of her character?
Elaborate.
5. Greek chorus is a concerned spectator to a world which has become indifferent to gods
who seem bent upon punishing it. Discuss with reference to the stasimons of Chorus in
Oedipus Rex.
6. Creon’s levelheadedness stands in contrast to the headstrong intelligence of Oedipus.
Compare and contrast the characters of both Creon and Oedipus.
7. Aristotle’s Poetics describes the fall of a great man as the essence of great poetic drama.
Analyse Oedipus Rex in the light of Aristotle’s principles of tragedy.
Pot of Gold
1. “Euclio is the embodiment of agelast, the mirthless man, who serves as the best example
of senex, the father figure, obstructing the fruition of Lyconides’s love.” Comment.
2. Do you agree with the view Plautus transforms the stock character of slave into someone
who uses his wits to achieve a balance between serving his master Lyconides and gaining
his freedom from him.
3. Megadorous’s diatribe against women and marriage in the beginning is focused on
creating laughter in the bawdy crowds that frequented the comedies in Roman theatres.
Discuss Plautine laughter with reference to the background of rise of comedy in Roman
times.
4. Ending of the Pot of Gold is contrived to resolve the issues in the best possible manner
without paying too much attention to the psychological plausibility of the characters. Do
you agree? Give a reasoned answer.
5. Comic impulse can be interpreted as a confrontation between Freudian principles of work
and pleasure. Do you agree? Write with reference to Plautus’s Pot of Gold.
6. Comic impulse is an expression of individual and society accommodating each other’s
desires in a suitable manner. Discuss with reference to the Pot of Gold.
Horace’s Satire and Ovid
1. Comment upon themes of transformation in Ovidian myths which are prescribed in your
syllabus.
2. Is the world is depicted in the myths that Ovid at peace with itself or is it chaotic enough
to fall apart? Discuss with reference to the myths of Bacchus and Philomela.
3. Ovid’s portrayal of women is more defined in the strength of their character and beauty
compared to his characterization of men. Discuss.
4. Horace satires are self-conscious attempts to look at the act of creating poetry itself. Do
you agree? Elaborate.
5. The basic impulse of satire is to create a context that will provide a vantage point to
analyse the existent reality. Elaborate with reference to the satires in your syllabus.

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B.A. Hons.

European Classical Literature

Horace’s Satire and Ovid

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