View a FREE sample

This test consists of 5 short answer questions and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. What kind of plot are the men planning when Act 3, Scene 3 first opens?

2. When the Duchess sees the fake scene, what does she express?

3. Who is the Duke of Malfi?

4. What is the Duchess's last statement before she dies?

5. How do Antonio and Delio decide to test the Cardinal's offer of reconciliation?

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

Poison, and poisoned objects, make an appearance several times throughout the play. Citing three examples, how do you think Webster is using poison as a literary device? What is poison supposed to symbolize, and what message is Webster trying to convey with it?

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)

This section contains 308 words (approx. 2 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample