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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. How are the vignettes displayed?

2. What will heal Constance's mind?

3. What saddens Juliet?

4. Who delivers a monologue?

5. Who enters Contance's office?

Short Essay Questions

1. How do Othello and Desdemona first react to Constance?

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

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

4. What is the content of Constance's monologue at the end of this scene? Do you think she is setting herself up as a fool intentionally or unintentionally?

5. 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?

6. What happens in the first vignette of the Dumbshow and from where do you think this scene is derived?

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

8. What is happening as Constance arrives in Verona and what does she do about it?

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

10. What does the Chorus do after delivering the monologue?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

An in-depth understanding of GOODNIGHT DESDEMONA partly hinges on understanding the corresponding characters from Shakespeare's plays Romeo and Juliet and Othello. Choose one of the following questions and write a well-organized essay using detailed examples from the text and your research to support your statements.

1. Compare and contrast the character of Desdemona from the plays GOODNIGHT DESDEMONA by MacDonald and OTHELLO by Shakespeare. Add a concluding paragraph as to which character from the plays is more interesting and has more depth.

2. Compare and contrast the character of Juliet from the plays GOODNIGHT DESDEMONA by MacDonald and ROMEO AND JULIET by Shakespeare. Add a concluding paragraph as to which character from the plays is more interesting and has more depth.

3. Compare and contrast the character of Romeo from the plays GOODNIGHT DESDEMONA by MacDonald and ROMEO AND JULIET by Shakespeare. Add a concluding paragraph as to which character from the plays is more interesting and has more depth.

Essay Topic 2

In Act 1, Scene 1, a love triangle among Constance, Professor Night, and Ramona is revealed, which in and of itself serves more to foreshadow the love triangle in future acts among Constance, Romeo, and Juliet. 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. Compare and contrast the love triangles that exist in the play GOODNIGHT DESDEMONA.

2. Research and discuss two or three famous love triangles (for example: Richard Burton, Elizabeth Taylor, and Eddie Fisher or Lady Diana, Prince Charles and Camilla Parker Bowles). Include why you think love triangles develop, whether they are harmful to the participants and if they ever work out well.

3. Answer the following in an essay: Could you ever see yourself caught in a love triangle? How would you respond if that did happen to you? Do you think a mutually-agreed-upon love triangle can work? Why or why not.

Essay Topic 3

In Act 3, Scene 7, Juliet admits she does not know the name of the author and determines to commit suicide in shame. . 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. Write an essay and include responses to the following questions: How many times does Juliet either threaten or attempt suicide? Is she ever serious? What is different about Juliet's suicidal tendencies in Goodnight Desdemona compared to Juliet's actual suicide in Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet? Why do you think the author focuses so much on Juliet's apparent fascination with suicide? How does this thread contribute to the plot? Does Juliet's suicidal tendencies in GOODNIGHT DESDEMONA help make the play a comedy versus her suicide in Romeo and Juliet which contributes to that play being a tragedy?

2. Suicide is the second-leading cause of death for children ages 10-17; only car accidents claim more lives in that age range. Discuss why you think this may be true and what you think needs to or could be done to help change this statistic. Be sure to be specific and include any situations of which you have personal knowledge if you are comfortable doing so.

3. In Goodnight Desdemona, most readers would not expect Romeo to kill himself over any of his "true loves" (Juliet, Constance, or Desdemona). Discuss why this is true, giving examples, and what this reveals about Romeo's character in GOODNIGHT DESDEMONA.

(see the answer keys)

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