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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. Ferdinand believes the Duchess's reputation is ruined because:
(a) She has had so many children so young.
(b) Antonio has been stealing from her, and she never figured it out.
(c) She is out of money.
(d) No one knows she is married, so it doesn't matter if she's secretly married or not.

2. What rumor is going around the castle and being told by the servants?
(a) That the Duchess has killed herself.
(b) That Bosola and the Duchess have secretly married.
(c) That a Swiss man was caught in the Duchess's chamber.
(d) That the Duchess has run away with a secret lover.

3. Ferdinand's behavior upon hearing the news foreshadows:
(a) His coming madness
(b) His repentance.
(c) His death from the plague.
(d) His financial ruin.

4. At the beginning of the play, we learn that the Duchess:
(a) Is a young widow
(b) Is engaged to be married
(c) Is married with 3 children
(d) Is too old to ever get married

5. What sound was supposedly heard from the Duchess's room that caused Bosola to be suspicious?
(a) Lots of women's laughter
(b) Music
(c) A cry from someone asking to be set free
(d) A shriek

Short Answer Questions

1. How does Bosola treat the Old Lady when he catches her in a hurry?

2. What key information does Bosola still not understand by the end of Act 2, Scene 3?

3. What confirmed information does Bosola have in Act 2, Scene 2, that he didn't have before?

4. What does Ferdinand promise to do upon hearing the news?

5. What does Delio pledge to Antonio before he departs for abroad?

Short Essay Questions

1. Delio thinks there is still a small chance that the Cardinal will find compassion and reconcile with Antonio in Act 5, scene 3. What does Delio think might prompt this change?

2. If Delio, Antonio's closest friend, is working closely with Ferdinand, has he betrayed Antonio and the Duchess?

3. Both Ferdinand and the Cardinal react strongly to the news of their sister's baby. Who reacts in a more gruesome manner? Please refer to the text in your answer.

4. What can a reader learn about Antonio in just the first scene?

5. Why are there so many rumors flying around the palace in Act 2, Scene 2?

6. What does Bosola tell a servant to do with Antonio's body? Why might he have given these instructions?

7. Is the Cardinal well respected by Bosola? Why or why not?

8. How does Ferdinand react when Bosola tells him that the Duchess has been murdered?

9. Why doesn't anyone intervene with Ferdinand and the Cardinal's plans to punish the Duchess?

10. What reasons does Antonio have to be suspicious of Bosola?

(see the answer keys)

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