View a FREE sample

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

Short Answer Questions

1. What information about Isabella does Kent reveal in his soliloquy in Scene 5?

2. How does Leicester recommend Edward view Killingworth Castle at the beginning of the scene?

3. What does the Mower request in the last moment of the scene?

4. From whom is the letter that Edward receives in Scene 3?

5. In Edward's pained lamenting in Scene 3, who among his executed friends does he not mention?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

The relationship between Gaveston and Edward II is both intense and ambiguous. Write an essay about it, dissecting its purpose within the plot. Does Gaveston ever make mention of his social advancement through Edward? What are the nobles' concerns regarding him? Does Marlowe ever make explicit reference to homosexuality in the play? What does Edward's passionate attachment to Gaveston represent in the world of the play?

Essay Topic 2

Write an essay on the representation of evil in Edward II. Begin with the character of Lightborn as Marlowe's demonic creation; then examine some of the more subtle and ambiguous forms of evil in the story. Are there any major players that are completely malevolent? Does almost every major figure display some capacity for evil deeds? What is Marlowe saying about human nature with this cast of characters?

Essay Topic 3

The play of Edward II focuses on the scripture of the English class system, in which people are born into their station and social mobility is looked upon with disdain. Focusing on three characters, write an essay on social mobility in the play. How does each character view himself in the pecking order? How does he seek to improve his station? What is his attitude toward the system as a whole?

Part 1) Gaveston

Part 2) Mortimer Junior

Part 3) Spencer Junior and Baldock

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 344 words (approx. 2 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample