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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 Romeo want to take with him?

2. What kind of cheese does Constance eat?

3. What does the person who delivers the monologue do before speaking?

4. What is Constance doing in her office?

5. What does Nurse tell Juliet to do?

Short Essay Questions

1. What is the effect of Nurse's blank verse musings?

2. Several times Constance bemoans the fact that there is no fool in either of Shakespeare's plays OTHELLO nor ROMEO AND JULIET. Who supplies the role of fool in this scene?

3. Briefly describe the interaction between Constance and Professor Night and evaluate the interaction.

4. How does Othello reward Constance and how does his reward symbolically represent Constance's real life?

5. What happens as Constance is reading OTHELLO from her complete works of Shakespeare?

6. What happens in the third vignette of the Dumbshow?

7. How does Othello punish Iago and is the punishment fitting?

8. What information does the monologue deliver and what literary technique might this be?

9. Describe the interaction between Desdemona and Constance after Othello has dragged Iago off the stage.

10. What is the function of The Chorus?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

The idea of authorship is an obvious theme in the play GOODNIGHT DESDEMONA. Choose one of the following questions and write a well-organized essay using detailed examples from the text, your research and personal experience to support your statements.

1. What is the issue of authorship in the play? Give examples to illustrate your statements. Is this issue resolved?

2. Professor Night thanks Constance for her ghost writing much of his academic publications and allowing him to take credit for her contributions. Do you think this is honest on the Professor's part? Do you think he would be out of a job if his taking advantage of Constance were revealed? How often do you think Professors take credit for work done by their research assistants? Is this fair, considering the Professor is the one taking the time to supervise a graduate student? Would you be willing to ghost write for someone else and not receive credit for your work? What if you were well paid for doing so--would that make a difference?

3. Authorship is a broader issue in the play as several characters in a sense re-write their lives--particularly Desdemona, Juliet, and Constance. How do you think you author your own life? Are you writing your story the way you want it to play out? Can you change your story? Would you?

Essay Topic 2

GOODNIGHT DESDEMONA belongs to the genre of drama. Answer the following questions in a well-developed essay using examples from the book as well as personal experience:

1. What do you think is the definition of drama? Write out your definition and then look up the definition in a literary dictionary. How similar are the two definitions?

2. Drama is written with the intention that it will be performed. How do you think this influences the manner in which the plot unfolds, the dialogue, the set complexity, the number of characters, and the length?

3. Compare GOODNIGHT DESDEMONA to a short story. What are the differences? The similarities? Which do you enjoy reading the most?

Essay Topic 3

Another figurative "alchemical process" takes place as Constance attempts to turn Shakespearean tragedies into farcical comedies. Choose one of the following questions and write a well-organized essay using detailed examples from the text, your research and personal experience to support your statements.

1. Define tragedy and comedy as it relates to the genre of drama. What are their similarities and differences? Do tragedies have a different purpose from comedies? What? Do you prefer to watch a tragedy or comedy? Explain why.

2. Where does Constance first mention the possibility of the tragedies becoming comedies? Do you as a reader think she is right? Why would she want to change the nature of the plays? Do you think Othello and Romeo and Juliet are more interesting as tragedies or comedies? Why?

3. What is the means that Constance thinks will change the tragedies of ROMEO AND JULIET and OTHELLO into a comedy? Do you think she is successful in her attempt? Give specific examples. Does Constance herself think she is successful? Why or why not.

(see the answer keys)

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