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This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. In what season does Mrs. Cheveley say people are either hunting for husbands or hiding from them?

2. In Act 1, Part 3, what does Goring call the item Mabel finds?

3. According to Lady Markby, what's better than light intellectual pressure?

4. During the Chiltern's dinner party, where does Mrs. Cheveley say she will be the next night at half past eleven?

5. To what flower does the author compare Mrs. Cheveley?

Short Essay Questions

1. What strange request does Goring make of Mabel regarding the brooch Mabel finds?

2. What characteristic does Goring say Sir Robert's denunciation of the Argentine Canal scheme show?

3. What conclusion did Sir Robert jump to when he found Mrs. Cheveley at Goring's house?

4. Why does Sir Robert say he is skeptical of the Argentine Canal scheme?

5. What is Goring's reaction to Mabel's revelation in Act 1, Part 1, that she does not like Mrs. Cheveley?

6. Why does Goring tell Lady Chiltern that no one is incapable of foolish actions in Act 2, Part 2?

7. What about Sir Robert does Lady Chiltern say makes him different from other men?

8. When Goring comments that Mrs. Cheveley is just as willful as she used to be, why does Mrs. Cheveley say she has actually improved?

9. What does Goring tell Mrs. Cheveley is the drawback of stealing something?

10. What does Mrs. Cheveley tell Sir Robert is the difference between scandals in the old days and scandals in the present?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

When Goring finally proposes to Mabel she accepts even though the proposal didn't occur in quite the way she hoped it would. Why do you think Goring's proposal is finally satisfactory with her even though it didn't quite meet her expectations? What does her acceptance of this less than ideal proposal say about her change in attitude toward marriage and all its trappings?

Essay Topic 2

Wilde takes several jabs at politicians and the political world in this play. What can we infer about Wilde's own political opinions from this play? How does he feel about politicians and politics in general? Provide evidence from the play to support your answer.

Essay Topic 3

How does Wilde use foreshadowing in An Ideal Husband? Name some instances of foreshadowing and what events or elements of the play they foreshadow. What purpose does Wilde's use of foreshadowing serve?

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This section contains 657 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample