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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. What does Emperor Jones tell himself at the beginning of the third forest scene?

2. Who does Emperor Jones see after he talks to himself when he enters in Act 1, Scene 4?

3. What does Smithers tell Emperor Jones to look out for when Jones is leaving the palace?

4. Emperor Jones sees figures in the forest. What do they seem to know?

5. Where did Emperor Jones learn the ways of the white man?

Short Essay Questions

1. How well prepared is Emperor Jones for the experience of fleeing the palace?

2. What happens between the prison guard and Emperor Jones?

3. Describe the setting for the first scene of the play.

4. Describe Emperor Jones' appearance in the first scene.

5. Describe Emperor Jones' appearance in the second forest scene.

6. Describe the apparition Emperor Jones sees in the fourth forest scene.

7. How does the tom-tom drumming change during the course of the fourth forest scene?

8. Describe the irony in the natives' method for killing Emperor Jones.

9. What is the significance of Emperor Jones' clothing in the fifth forest scene?

10. Why was Emperor Jones foolish to fire his gun at the formless fears?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Research essay. How has this play been staged in the past? Taking what you can from past reviews, describe the physical properties of professional productions.

Essay Topic 2

Emperor Jones is almost offered up as a sacrifice to the crocodile. What else is sacrificed in the play? Describe three sacrifices. What is given up? What does the sacrificer hope to obtain in return?

Essay Topic 3

Emperor Jones uses violence to solve certain problems in his life, but he is brought down by an act of violence himself. Compare and contrast his murder of Jeff and his murder by the natives. How are they similar? How are they different? Is one act of violence equivalent to another? Is one more or less just than the other?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 731 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample