SparkNotes: Protagoras: Quiz

What is Socrates doing when Hippocrates tells him that Protagoras is in Athens?

(A) Eating

(B) Talking to Hippias

(C) Sleeping

(D) Making shoes

Who tries to bar Socrates from entering Callias's house?

(A) Hippias

(B) The doorkeeper

(C) Protagoras

(D) Callias

What does Socrates's friend accuse Socrates of doing at the start of the dialogue?

(A) Perverting the youth of Athens

(B) Arguing like a Sophist

(C) Flattering Protagoras

(D) Chasing Alcibiades

Who supports Protagoras's right to answer at as much length as he desires?

(A) Callias

(B) Alcibiades

(C) Critias

(D) Prodicus

Socrates compares the relation of the parts of virtue to each other as being similar to two things. Which are they?

(A) The parts of an animal and the parts of a city

(B) The parts of a face and the parts of a body

(C) The parts of a house and the parts of Alcibiades

(D) The parts of a face the parts of gold

Protagoras says that any two things bear some resemblance to each other, and gives an extreme example. What is this example?

(A) Black and white

(B) Justice and holiness

(C) Courage and cowardice

(D) Socrates and Protagoras

Protagoras attacks Socrates's argument that courage is wisdom by presenting a ridiculous parallel argument. What two things does he argue are identical?

(A) Justice and strength

(B) Love and politics

(C) Courage and stamina

(D) Wisdom and strength

What is not considered by Protagoras and Socrates as an aspect of virtue?

(A) Holiness

(B) Temperance

(C) Justice

(D) Fortitude

What is Socrates's argument against the interpretation of poetry as a method of philosophy?

(A) It is impossible to determine precisely what the poet means

(B) The beauty of a poem distracts from the ability to think critically

(C) Poets can distort morality without our being aware of it

(D) Poetry is best enjoyed with wine, flute-playing and dancing-girls

What does Simonides's poem criticize Pittacus for stating?

(A) That it is hard to be good

(B) That it is hard to become good

(C) That only the gods can be good

(D) That all good things are knowledge

Who is chosen as the chairman of the discussion after Socrates and Protagoras's dialogue breaks down?

(A) Callias

(B) Everyone present

(C) Hippias

(D) Hippocrates

Socrates argues that it is impossible to be overcome by pleasure. What is his reason?

(A) Pleasure has no power over our decisions

(B) He can think of no cases in history where this has happened

(C) Pleasure is the only motivating factor in life

(D) If we do what we want, we have not been overcome by anything

Why do people behave badly according to Socrates?

(A) They are ignorant

(B) They are evil

(C) There is no objective measure of good and bad to regulate their behavior

(D) They have been influenced by the Sophists

Which city-state does Socrates ironically assert is famous for its Sophists?

(A) Thebes

(B) Athens

(C) Elis

(D) Sparta

At the end of the dialogue, what reason does Socrates give for having stayed to argue?

(A) His respect for Protagoras

(B) His respect for Callias

(C) His desire to discover what virtue is

(D) His desire to impress Hippocrates

According to Socrates, what should be tested in a discussion besides the truth?

(A) The speakers

(B) The views of the majority of citizens

(C) False opinions

(D) The method of discussion

What reason does Socrates give for requiring shorter responses from Protagoras?

(A) Alcibiades is bored by long speeches

(B) Protagoras is mystifying the listeners with rhetoric

(C) His memory is too poor to follow long answers

(D) Short answers are more respected amongst Sophists

Which occupation does Protagoras not say is a kind of sophistry?

(A) Politician

(B) Athletic trainer

(C) Music teacher

(D) Poet

In Protagoras's creation story, where does Prometheus get the fire and crafts he gives to humanity?

(A) He steals them from Hephaestus and Athena

(B) Zeus gives them to him

(C) He steals them from Hera and Hermes

(D) He invents them himself

According to Protagoras, what is the purpose of rational punishment?

(A) Revenge

(B) Reformation

(C) Justice

(D) Repayment

Why does Hippocrates learn about Protagoras's arrival in Athens two days after Socrates learns about it?

(A) He has been staying with a friend in Thessaly

(B) He has been engrossed in a long discussion with Euthyphro

(C) He has only just returned from Sparta

(D) He has been chasing his boy, Satyrus, who had run away

Why did Zeus distribute the civic arts to humanity, according to Socrates?

(A) So that humans would be safe from attacks by wild animals

(B) To ensure that humans would live justly and honorably

(C) So that humans could worship the gods better

(D) Because he wanted to see what kind of cities humans would build

Who does Socrates claim he is a disciple of?

(A) Protagoras

(B) Callias

(C) Hippias

(D) Prodicus

Why does Socrates claim he can learn more from Protagoras than from Pericles?

(A) Protagoras is more virtuous than Pericles

(B) Protagoras is a professional teacher

(C) Protagoras can both give a long speech and answer question about it afterwards

(D) Protagoras composes his own speeches and also those of Pericles

How does Socrates feel after Protagoras criticizes the poem by Simonides?

(A) Blind and dizzy, as if he had been hit

(B) Outraged that Protagoras would criticize one of his favorite poets

(C) Annoyed that he now has to talk about poetry

(D) Happy, because he knows he can disprove Protagoras' interpretation