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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. Who is President of the United States at the time Edwards visits New Salem to meet Lincoln?

2. How old is Abe Lincoln at the time of Act 2, Scene 4 in his Springfield law office?

3. What piece of advice does Ninian Andrews give Lincoln concerning Mary Todd in Act 2, Scene 6?

4. In a poem given to Lincoln by his teacher in the first scene, life is compared to what?

5. What are the five indicative moods, as Lincoln knows them?

Short Essay Questions

1. What is Lincoln's feeling about his career prospects as a young adult studying English in New Salem?

2. At the beginning of Act 2, Scene 5, Elizabeth Edwards is responding to a bit of news which surprises her--even though she might have seen it coming. What is the news and who brought it to her attention?

3. Lincoln is reluctant to consider running for State Assembly. What is his main objection?

4. 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?

5. According to Act 1, Scene 3, what is the relationship of Lincoln to Nancy and Bowling Green?

6. What is Josh Speed's opinion of Lincoln's personality and prospects, now that Lincoln is in the State Assembly?

7. 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?

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

9. 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?

10. How desperate is Lincoln and what is the event that seems to have caused his emotional outbreak?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

If one of the themes of the play is Lincoln's duty to serve his country, how does the playwright use symbols throughout the play to reinforce that theme?

Essay Topic 2

From the opening scene, Lincoln is preoccupied with the specter of premature death. Even as he bids farewell to the people of Springfield, he seems melancholy and doubtful that he will ever return to the town. Trace the line of Lincoln's fatalism through the play. Explain its origins and describe what effect, if any, it had on Lincoln's initial reluctance to take a step onto the national stage.

Essay Topic 3

The opening scene of the play features just two characters, Mentor Graham and Abe Lincoln. The scene ranges across a number of topics, touching on national politics, Lincoln's feeling that death might be imminent, and his career prospects.

Using examples from the scene, what does the audience (or reader) learn about Lincoln's personality? Is he outgoing or introverted? Is he optimistic or pessimistic? Does he look at the world from a vantage point of confidence? Does the audience get a sense of his political views? If so, how are they conveyed?

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