PT154 S1 Q20 ExplanationThat Shakespeare’s The Winter’s Tale

Answer choices, explained

1. A

   Correct38% picked this

   Latin phrases that were widely used in England during Shakespeare’s time appear in a number

   Why this is right

   This just has no impact, since it's not about knowing how to speak Latin or having access to a Latin translation of the play. There are French phrases widely used in America during our time that appear in lots of plays / books / movies (ensemble, ennui, je ne sais quoi, menage a trois, etc.), but that doesn't mean that I speak French or could read a French translation of an ancient Greek play.

   Skill tested: Strengthen · how this choice captures the argument's function is the move to repeat next time.

   38%
2. B

   Rules Out Alternate Explanation46% picked this

   The only English language version of Alcestis available in Shakespeare’s time differed drastically from the original in ways

   This makes it highly unlikely that Shakespeare (an English writer) learned the English translation of the Alcestis. Ruling out that possibility makes us more likely to entertain the author's idea that Shakespeare used a different (possibly Latin) translation.

   46%
3. C

   Helps Author's Explanation6% picked this

   Paul Buchanan’s 1539 Latin translation of Alcestis was faithful to the original and widely available

   This establishes a nice baseline of plausibility to the author's story: in order for Shakespeare to learn Alcestis from the Latin translation, he'd need access to it. This answer makes it clear that Shakespeare could have had access to a Latin translation that closely matched the original, since it was widely available during the 1600s.

   6%
4. D

   Helps Author's Explanation8% picked this

   Shakespeare’s father’s community standing makes it probable that Shakespeare attended grammar school, where Latin would have

   This helps add plausibility to the author's story by establishing that Shakespeare would have been able to read a Latin translation. The author ruled out the idea of Shakespeare using a Greek translation, because Shakes didn't know Greek. In concluding that Shakes probably used a Latin translation, the author is assuming a difference: that Shakespeare did know Latin. This answer validates that assumption.

   8%
5. E

   Helps Author's Explanation2% picked this

   There is strong evidence to suggest that Shakespeare relied on Latin translations of Greek plays as sources for

   This bolsters the plausibility of the author's story by making it seem like using a Latin translation is very compatible with Shakespeare's writing career, since there are other examples of him using Latin translations.

   2%