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The Simple Past tense expresses an action that is already COMPLETED at the present time.
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I would drop the last four words in defining the Simple Past, and I would say "an action that HAPPENED in the past (deliberately not using COMPLETED, because that's "aspect".)
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Ok, but...
Given that definition, how would we explain the use of the Simple Past and the Present Perfect in the sentences below?
Cas3. I ate. (finished, over, ended)
Cas4. I have eaten. (finished, over, ended)
'ate' is an action that HAPPENED in the past
"action" has got to go.
Cas :)