Purple is the Noblest Shroud

When Theodora declares, “My lords, the present occasion is too serious to allow me to follow the convention that a woman should not speak in a man’s council,” she is primarily using which rhetorical appeal?

• Logos

• Ehtos

• Pathos

• Allusion

In the statement “flight is not the right course, even if it should bring us to safety,” Theodora is using which rhetorical appeal?

• Ethos

• Pathos

• Logos

• Repetition

The repetition of the word “never” in “May I never be deprived of this purple robe, and may I never see the day when those who meet me do not call me empress” primarily emphasizes:

• Her fear of death

• Her unwavering commitment to her royal status

• Her desire to escape danger

• Her confusion about the situation

The phrase “the royal purple is the noblest shroud” is an example of which figurative device?

• Simile

• Metaphor

• Hyperbole

• Alliteration

By comparing the royal purple to a shroud, Theodora is suggesting that:

• She is afraid of death

• Dying with honor is preferable to living in disgrace

• Only the dead can wear purple

• Her robe is more important than her life

When Theodora states, “it is impossible for a person, having been born into this world, not to die,” she is appealing primarily to:

• Ethos

• Pathos

• Logos

• Allusion

The clear organization of her argument—first addressing societal expectations and then refuting the idea of fleeing—is an example of:

• Juxtaposition

• Logical Sequencing (structure)

• Repetition

• Cadence

The overall tone of Theodora’s speech is best described as:

• Hesitant and uncertain

• Authoritative and resolute

• Indifferent and detached

• Light-hearted and humorous

The statement “a woman should not speak in a man’s council” is an example of an allusion to:

• Traditional customs and societal norms

• A personal anecdote

• A humorous exaggeration

• A scientific fact

The use of archaic word choices such as “over there” and “yonder” in “We are rich; over there is the sea, and yonder are the ships” primarily demonstrates:

• A casual, modern tone

• A formal, historical style

• An appeal to pathos

• A deliberate use of repetition