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This test consists of 5 multiple choice questions, 5 short answer questions, and 10 short essay questions.

Multiple Choice Questions

1. In a poem given to Lincoln by his teacher in the first scene, life is compared to what?
(a) A fairy tale, a legend, a lie.
(b) A dream, a vision, a phantom.
(c) A nightmare, a hallucination, a ghost.
(d) A river, a meadow, the wide horizon.

2. What is the weather, as the Greens sit in their parlor, waiting for Abe to return from Ann Rutledge's home?
(a) It is storming, windy and rainy.
(b) The sun is shining brightly.
(c) A gentle breeze ruffles the leaves of autumn trees.
(d) A blizzard is going on.

3. What happens at the end of Act 2, Scene 4 that proves Lincoln's claim that he is a social success?
(a) Ninian Edwards invites Lincoln home for dinner.
(b) Nancy Green accepts a job as his social secretary to keep track of his dates.
(c) Josh Speed introduces Lincoln to his sister.
(d) Mary Todd sends Lincoln a thank-you note for a pleasant evening the previous week.

4. Who wrote the poem that Lincoln's teacher gives him to read?
(a) John Lennon.
(b) John Brown.
(c) John Keats.
(d) John Singer Sargeant.

5. What is Billy Herndon's reaction to Lincoln's reasons for breaking off the engagement?
(a) He is stunned and speechless. He finishes off the bottle in his pocket.
(b) Herndon agrees that Mary Todd is a witch and says he's glad Lincoln changed his mind.
(c) He is gobsmacked, but he helps Lincoln write another letter.
(d) Herndon says Lincoln is really trying to escape his own failure to serve the country.

Short Answer Questions

1. What excuse does Ninian Edwards give for getting himself and his wife out of the parlor so Lincoln can be alone with Mary Todd?

2. Who is with Lincoln at the beginning of Act 2, Scene 6?

3. Ninian Andrews arrives at Lincoln's office and learns about a sad event. What is it?

4. What characteristics make Mary Todd a good catch in the eyes of most people?

5. Who is Billy Herndon?

Short Essay Questions

1. What is Webster reacting or responding to in the speech Lincoln reads in Act 1, Scene 1?

2. Josh Speed arrives to visit with Abe at the Greens' house. When Lincoln isn't there, Speed fills them in on Lincoln's activities in the State Assembly. What has Lincoln accomplished in the year since he's been elected?

3. What is Ann Rutledge's mood when she enters to clear the glasses of the men who have left the tavern in Act 1, Scene 2? Why is she feeling that way?

4. Describe the setting in Act 2, Scene 5 (the parlor of the Edwards' home) and explain what the setting is meant to tell the audience.

5. Nancy Green and Bowling Green have a disagreement about whether Ann Rutledge is good for Lincoln. What are their respective opinions?

6. By Act 2, Scene 4, it is clear that Lincoln's friendship with Ninian Edwards (the governor's son) has advanced. What evidence does Lincoln offer of his popularity?

7. Why is it that debt is always heavy on Lincoln's mind during his early adulthood, covered by Act 1, Scene 1?

8. William Herndon reacts vehemently to Lincoln's denunciation of Mary Todd's ambitions for Lincoln. What does Herndon, who is somewhat drunk, tell Lincoln?

9. In Act 2, Scene 5, Elizabeth Edwards and her sister, Mary Todd, have a spirited discussion about Abraham Lincoln and whether he would be a good match for Mary Todd. What does their argument tell the audience about the sisters' personalities?

10. Does Lincoln appear to be emotionally stable just after he announces the death of Ann Rutledge?

(see the answer keys)

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