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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. Unto whom does Pembroke entrust Gaveston at the end of Scene 4?

2. Who is the first noble that Edward publicly forgives after Gaveston is repealed in Scene 4?

3. Which noble does Isabella enlist to be her advocate among the others in Scene 4?

4. At the beginning of the scene, Mortimer Junior brings news that what country is invading Normandy?

5. What new honor does Edward give Mortimer Junior in thanks for Gaveston's return?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does Gaveston die?

2. How does Mortimer Junior convince the other nobles that Gaveston should be recalled?

3. Describe the space where Edward is kept in Scene 5.

4. What fears do the nobles have regarding Kent in Scene 3?

5. What revenge does Gaveston have on the Bishop of Coventry, and why?

6. Describe Lightborn.

7. How does Edward discover Mortimer's whereabouts?

8. How do the nobles respond to Gaveston's advancement?

9. What is Warwick's plan at the end of Scene 5?

10. Describe Edward and Gaveston's parting in Scene 4.

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Unlike many Elizabethan histories, Edward II does not feature a cast of royals with well defined aims and objectives. Write an essay on the haphazard strategies of the princes and nobles of the play, focusing on three parts:

Part 1) Edward II, from the beginning of the play, is unable to articulate why he should be king. What, for the first half of the narrative, are his objectives and reasons for going to war? At what point does governance and the crown become important to him?

Part 2) Mortimer Junior seems at times to be a conscientious man concerned with England. At other times he seems and ambitious rogue. What does Mortimer want throughout the play? In what ways and why does he so often reverse his own decisions?

Part 3) Kent is the everyman of Edward II. Why does he stand by the king long after most other peers have left? What is the final straw for him? Why does he try to make peace with Edward II?

Essay Topic 2

The idea of love - personal, genuine love - is ambiguous and somewhat dangerous element in Marlowe's play. Write an essay about the precarious, perverse ends that love brings in three parts:

Part 1) The most all-consuming love in Edward II is that between the King and Gaveston. Why is Edward so consumed by his love with Gaveston? What does he sacrifice for it? What are the end results of this love for both men?

Part 2) Lady Margaret genuinely loves Gaveston and longs to be his wife. How do Baldock and Spencer Junior use this love as something strategic? What advancement can they gain from it?

Part 3) Isabella genuinely loves Edward, who does not reciprocate it. Write a chronicle of the different reactions Isabella has to these snubs. How does she eventually avail herself of this unrequited love?

Essay Topic 3

Queen Isabella is perhaps the most dynamic character in the play, moving from wronged woman to warrior to conniver. Write an essay charting this progress and focusing on these three manifestations. What does she want from Edward II at the beginning of the play, and at what point does she give up on this hope? What does her relationship with Mortimer Junior say about her position in the conflict between Edward and the nobles? How does her personality change in the final two acts?

(see the answer keys)

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