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

Short Answer Questions

1. Whose entreaty finally convinces Edward to relinquish his crown?

2. To whom does Edward say he will complain of the malefactions of Mortimer and Isabella?

3. Where does Kent intend to travel in Scene 1?

4. What is the function of the room in Killingworth where Edward II is kept in Scene 5?

5. Into what does Edward will heaven turn his crown before he give it to Mortimer?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Betrayal is a constant driver of plot in Edward II. Power players of medieval England make vows to each other which they break quickly for political advancement or due to lack of resolve. Write an essay about betrayal in the play, in three parts:

Part 1) Mortimer Junior vows to his fellow peers that he cannot allow Gaveston to remain in England, but he relents soon thereafter. How is he so easily swayed to change his mind? How does this put the other nobles in danger? Does it display a weakness that will later destroy him?

Part 2) Isabella constantly swears fidelity and love to Edward, but by Act 4, he is championing the cause of Mortimer Junior. Why is this? Do you buy the justification of her betrayal? How does she pay for it in the final scene of the play?

Part 3) Kent twice betrays the side to whom he has sworn fidelity. How are these two betrayals the most understandable to the audience? Are they the result of conscience rather than ambition?

Essay Topic 2

In Marlowe's medieval England, murder is a carefully chosen and strategically effective means for altering the political dynamics of the realm. Write an essay about the key murders of the play and their effects in three parts:

Part 1) What are the noble's essential issues with Gaveston, and what other tactics do they attempt before murdering him? What is the final straw for the nobles, and what do they achieve with Gaveston's murder?

Part 2) Who decides that Kent must die, and how does he go about accomplishing this end? What is Kent's role in the political world of Edward II, and how does his removal change the dynamic?

Part 3) The murder of a king i s a major decision, rife with awful possibilities. Why do Isabella and Mortimer Junior decide to have Edward II killed after he is deposed? What do they hope to achieve? What is the ultimate result of this murder?

Essay Topic 3

For the first half of Edward II, the nobles - though incensed - are clearly wary of openly defying the King with arms. Write an essay, charting the progress from verbal protest to all-out rebellion. What other tactic does the nobility of England use to express its collective displeasure to Edward? How does he react? how does the situation escalate?

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