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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. Ferdinand believes the Duchess's reputation is ruined because:

2. What is the Duchess supposed to do with the item Ferdinand gives her?

3. Why is Antonio afraid when the Duchess leaves so quickly after eating the fruit Bosola gave her?

4. What does Bosola do upon finding Antonio's dropped item outside of the Duchess's door?

5. What does Delio tell Antonio about Ferdinand's anger over his sister's situation?

Short Essay Questions

1. What is Ferdinand's reaction to finding out about the Duchess's baby?

2. Was the fruit Bosola gave the Duchess really poisoned?

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

4. How do the pilgrims respond to the news of the Duchess's marriage to Antonio, and their consequent banishment?

5. In Act 3, is Ferdinand still angry about the Duchess's children after all of these years?

6. After she is strangled, the Duchess regains consciousness for a few brief moments. What does Bosola tell her during that time, and why?

7. 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?

8. Because the Duchess did, in fact, disobey Ferdinand and the Cardinal, how does Ferdinand decide to punish her?

9. Once Ferdinand has descended into madness, the Cardinal makes up a lie about why Ferdinand has gone mad. Why does he do this?

10. Does the Duchess trust Bosola in Act 2, Scene 1 or not?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Did the Duchess have any choice about remarrying and doing what she did? Keeping in mind the social context of the time, what other options may she have had, if any? Could she have followed her brother's wishes and still pursued her own happiness? In what ways?

Essay Topic 2

Pick a character from the list below. Examine 3 major choices the character made in the play, and state whether you would have made the same choices he or she did.

1) The Duchess

2) Antonio

3) Ferdinand

4) Bosola

Essay Topic 3

Throughout the play, some characters are (1) admired but not respected, (2) respected but not admired, and (3) admired and respected. Choose one character for each description, and state who admires and/or respects them and why.

(see the answer keys)

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