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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. What does Tamburlaine the Great contain that impacted Will’s own writing?

2. In what country is Stratford located?

3. Where did Will meet his future wife?

4. Which is a likely description of Will’s marriage?

5. In which of Will’s plays do characters get married because of an unhealthy obsession?

Short Essay Questions

1. In what language was Will’s education conducted? Was this common?

2. Why might Will have engaged in deer poaching? Were there social implications for this activity?

3. Who was Will’s wife? What was her financial standing? What religious preference did she likely have?

4. It is interesting to note that Will had an aversion to producing signed documents. Why was this the case?

5. Describe the prevalent attitude of theater owners during this time. What was their primary concern?

6. What types of things would Will have needed to learn in order to be a successful actor in his day?

7. What was the character of John Shakespeare? Was he an upstanding citizen?

8. Describe the school environment in which Will was educated. What things were unique about his education?

9. Did Will and his wife have a happy, fulfilling marriage? Discuss evidences to support your answer.

10. List 3 popular forms of entertainment in London during Will’s time.

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Describe the author’s opinion of Will throughout the book. Would you say that Greenblatt is a fan of Will and his work? What opinion does Greenblatt seem to have of Will’s decisions throughout his life? Does Greenblatt’s opinion of Will change your own opinion of Will?

Essay Topic 2

Describe Will’s own religious preferences. What faith did Will espouse? Did he have sympathy for those of other faiths, or was he intolerant? How was religion presented in his theatrical works? Was there something other than religion that was of utmost importance to Will? How do you know this?

Essay Topic 3

Discuss Will’s move to London. What might have provoked his move to London? Why was this move important to his career? What are two specific things that happened in London that had a major impact on Will’s career as a playwright?

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