Time and Place of Exam:  Small 113 (our normal room); 1:30 PM; Friday, December 17th 1999.

BRING A BLUE BOOK OR PLENTY OF BLANK PAPER, as well as multiple writing implements (blue or black pen is best). Your instructor can supply none of these things.

This is designed to be a 1-hour test.  You will be given 90 minutes, if you need it, but no more.


Most of the test will concern material  in the textbook from Chapter 12, Aeschylus' Agamemnon,  Sophocles' Antigone, the Odyssey, the additional readings from Vergil and Dante assigned for  9/30 (Click HERE to see the assignment), and material from lectures since the midterm.

PART I of the test will consist of short-answer questions (similar in type to those on the midterm) testing your knowledge of the basic facts and themes we have covered so far. This section is worth 60% of the test and you should plan to spend no more than 30 minutes on it. To prepare yourself for this, familiarize yourself well with the following:

• The myths of the heroes, including local traditions, heroic families, tales of individual heroes and group quests.  Know the Hero Pattern and know which Greek and Roman heroes fit it well and which don't.
• The plot, major characters and mythological themes of the plays we have read and the Odyssey
• The theories of mythological interpretation we have studied, including Freudianism and Structuralism, and how they might be applied to Greek and Roman myths.
• The similarities and differences between the Underworld journey in the Odyssey, the Aeneid and Dante's Inferno.

PART II: Essays. You will write one essay, worth 40% (suggested writing time, 20 minutes). The essays will not be graded on length. Far more important are the following: clarity of organization, clarity of expression, accuracy in matters of fact and the ability to back up assertions with SPECIFIC and pertinent examples from the myths we have encountered. Grades in the "A" range will be reserved for those essays which display, in addition to these features, a capacity for critical and original thought about the material and the ability to draw on material from the entire semester.

Essay questions BASED ON (not identical to) some of the following topics will appear on the exam. You will have four or five topics to choose from. Not all of the essay options will be based on these topics, but the majority will. Most questions will ask you to discuss the topic in relation to at least three myths or mythological characters. I STRONGLY suggest that you spend time outlining essays on a number of these topics and deciding what specific myths you would use for each one. If you prepare for five of these topics, you are certain to get a question on that topic.

1) The theme of hospitality in the Odyssey and elsewhere.

2) What are the limits of divine power in Greek myth?

3) The strengths and weaknesses of Freudian and/or Structuralist analysis of myth

4) The concept of "charter myth" (myth as justification for societal norms and practices)

5) Women as defenders of the home in drama and in other mythological contexts.

6) The theme of absence and return in myths (Hero pattern & elsewhere).

7)  The differences betwen Greek and Roman mythology.

8) Do characters in Greek and Roman myths learn from their experiences?

SUGGESTED STUDY STRATEGY:

I. As soon as possible: Skim over textbook chapters, identify areas of weakness for more intensive reading; review lecture notes. Try to take "meta-notes" (notes on your notes and notes on your readings) as you do these things, and focus not on detai l but on picking out the most important facts, ideas and themes. Identify things that are unclear to you either in the textbook or in your notes; be prepared to ask me about them either in class or otherwise (office hours, e-mail)

II. Monday thru Thursday: begin making outlines and deciding on specific examples for some essay topics; Re-read sections of the textbook that you are weak on.

III. Thursday night: Go over the list of terms above; look up any that you're still not sure about.

IV.Friday, before the test: Review your meta-notes; review your essay outlines. Take one more run through the list of terms above just to refresh your memory.

The way the human mind works it is much better for you to do some studying every day between now and the test than it is to stay up all night the night before trying to cram it all in. If you pull an all-nighter before the test, not only will you be do g tired (hence dog-brained as well) at test time, but you'll forget a large portion of what you tried to cram into your head. Going over the material repeatedly over the course of several days, and getting a good night's sleep the night before, will be mu ch more conducive to cementing this material into your memory.