Study Questions for Boethius, The Consolation of Philosophy, bks 1-3
The Consolation of Philosophy is divided into five Books, and each Book is composed of a poem section and a prose section.
- What are the dates of Boethius's life? What two charges against him landed him in prison and eventually resulted in his execution?
Book 1
- Prose 1 What do the two letters on Lady Philosophy's robe stand for? Why does she attack the Muses of Poetry? Compare this with Augustine's attack in Confessions on the poetry he studied as a young man.
- Poem 1 and Prose IV: What are Boethius' present troubles? What complaints does he make to the Lady Philosophy who has come to visit him?
- Beginning of Prose 5--who does Lady Philosophy say has driven Boethius in to exile from his former understanding?
- End of Prose 5, end of Prose 6--compare Lady Philosophy's approach of preparing the way for ber medicines with milder ones to Lucretius's idea of "sweetening the rim of the cup with honey". What is the ber medicine?
- Prose 6 On page 167, Lady Philosophy finds that Boethius still believes God governs the world. But on page 169, there are three questions she asks which he cannot answer. What are they? (It is these three questions which all the rest of the Consolation is concerned to answer.)
- Bottom page 169, top 171, she tells him what his inability to answer these three things results in. What are the three results?
- Page 171, what is the "best kindler of his health"?
Book 2
- Prose 1 Page 177, top. What does Lady Philosophy say here is the milder medicine?
- Prose 1 and 2 What is the nature of Fortune?
- Prose 4, Pages 195-197 Where does Lady Philosophy say real happiness is found?
- Prose 8 Why is bad fortune more beneficial than good fortune?
Book 3
- Prose 2, Page 233 What is the definition of "the good"?
- Concerning the five things which men most commonly pursue in their mistaken attempts to find the good, or happiness, why does each of them not bring happiness? (Prose 3--wealth, Prose 4--honor, Prose 5--power, Prose 6--fame, Prose 7--bodily pleasure)
- Prose 9 What is the *fundamental* reason that none of these things can cause happiness? What is true and perfect happiness?
- Poem 9 In this most famous philosophical poem, what is God's relationship to creation?
- Prose 11 What is it that all things desire? And where is this to be found?
- Prose 12 How has Lady Philosophy now answered the question "how is the universe governed"? (Page 305 contains a complete summary of the argument of the second half of Book 3, on the relationship of God, the good, happiness, and unity)
- Poem 12 How does the story of Orpheus illustrate Lady Philosophy's point?
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