Logical reasoning PrepTest 154 · Section 1 · Question 20

Correct. Argument or Facts:
Argument

Valid or Flawed:
Flawed

Question Type:
Bizarro Strengthen

Stimulus Summary:
Shakespeare based a play on a Greek one, but he didn't speak Greek, so he most likely read that play in a Latin translation.

Answer Anticipation:
Accepting that Shakespeare was aware of Alcestis, the argument here rules out one possible way for him to have become aware of the details of the play (reading it in Greek) and then concludes another method. However, it doesn't establish that these are the only two methods by which Shakespeare could have become aware of Alcestis. Or, for that matter, that a Latin translation is even possible! Maybe Shakespeare didn't speak Latin, or maybe a Latin translation wasn't even available.

This argument settles on one explanation after ruling out only one alternative and not even establishing that the explanation is possible. Any answer establishing the possibility of the given explanation or the unlikelihood of an alternative explanation will strengthen this argument (and thus should be ruled out).

Answer Explanation:
This answer is trying to get you to think it strengthens the argument by suggesting Shakespeare could at least understand Latin, but since those phrases were widely used in England, he could understand the phrase without knowing the language. (To highlight this, plenty of people today know what quid pro quo means, but very few actually speak Latin.) Since this answer doesn't have any effect on the argument, it's correct.

Key Takeaway:
When one explanation is settled on without ruling out alternatives, evidence against those alternatives will strengthen the argument. When no reason is given to think that a given explanation is correct except for the ruling out of alternatives, then evidence that the given explanation is possibly correct will also strengthen that argument.

Incorrect. One alternative explanation is that Shakespeare read an English, not Latin, translation. However, if the only English translation had very different details from the original that didn't make it into Shakespeare's play, then it's unlikely that it served as the basis for Shakespeare's knowledge of Alcestis.

Incorrect. This answer establishes that there was a Latin translation available to Shakespeare at the time, thus strengthening the possibility that it was his source.

Incorrect. This answer establishes the likelihood that Shakespeare knew Latin, establishing a necessary condition for a Latin translation to be his source and thus strengthening the argument.

Incorrect. This answer not only establishes that Shakespeare could read Latin, but also that he had a pattern of using Latin translations of Greek plays, thus increasing the likelihood that he used a Latin translation of this Greek play.