Plutarch's Essay

On Listening to Lectures

1. See the last line of the very last paragraph: What do you think Plutarch means by that last line or two?

2. In section 2 what might Plutarch be referring to when he says "speech contains both injuries and benefits in the largest number?" Can you think of examples of what he might mean?

3. See the first two lines in section 5: What do you think Plutarch means by these lines?

4. See toward the end of section 6: "... and this is what Plato actually did for the discourse of Lysias." Plutarch is referring here to the Phaedrus. What does he mean?

5. Explain what Plutarch means by the first 12 lines in section 7.

6. See the last 17 lines in section 8: paraphrase what Plutarch is saying.

7. What is Plutarch saying in the second paragraph of section 17?

8. See the second to last paragraph of the whole essay, the last 12 lines in that paragraph. What is Plutarch saying here?

9. What (if anything) is particularly interesting to you about this essay?

10. What point(s) in the essay seem like they might be useful for you to remember?