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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 does Figaro say he was talking to on the street?

2. What do the Count and Figaro discover about the song?

3. What does Bazile tell Bartholo to start?

4. What does Rosine angrily ask, regarding her feelings about Bartholo?

5. For what does the Count long?

Short Essay Questions

1. What happens as the Count comes in, disguised as a soldier and pretending to be drunk? What is he trying to do the Bartholo to distract him? Is he successful?

2. How does Rosine react when she hears she is to be married? What does Figaro promise? Will he be able to keep his promise? Why or why not?

3. Why do the servants say that they did not stop Figaro from coming in? How will Bartholo treat Figaro from now on? Why?

4. What is Figaro's plan? Do you believe this plan will work? Why or why not?

5. What do the various characters do to keep Bazile from telling Bartholo this is all a ruse? How is Bazile's support finally won? How does this satisfy the audience of a commedia?

6. What strategy does Rosine use after she has switched the letters? How is her strategy even better than the Count's?

7. What does the Count want Figaro to call him? Why? What might be Figaro's thoughts on this?

8. What does Bartholo shout, as he storms into the room? Does Bartholo believe that Rosine dropped the song by accident, out of her window? How do you know this?

9. What does Rosine do when she hears Bartholo coming? How might she handle him on his return?

10. What is comedic in this scene, regarding Rosine's singing? How is this a display of commedia?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Rosine stands at her window holing a paper.

Part 1) What is on this paper? What does she do with this paper?

Part 2) What is significant about papers, letters, and notes in commedia?

Part 3) how are letters and other papers used to add excitement, confusion, and humor in this play?

Essay Topic 2

The phrase "futile precaution" is mentioned several times.

Part 1) What does it mean?

Part 2) When is it used?

Part 3) How does this phrase add to Figaro's cleverness and skill?

Essay Topic 3

Figaro and the Count's plan to free Rosine at midnight is thwarted.

Part 1) How so? Why does the playwright throw a wrench in the works?

Part 2) How is their plan changed? How does this plan draw in the viewer?

Part 3) Is this plan successful? How?

(see the answer keys)

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