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This test consists of 15 multiple choice questions and 5 short answer questions.

Multiple Choice Questions

1. What does the grand inquisitor say happened in the wilderness?
(a) The prisoner got lost.
(b) There was a mighty storm.
(c) Jesus was tempted.
(d) He learned to survive.

2. According to Ivan, what do the characters Our Lady and God discuss in "The Wanderings of Our Lady through Hell"?
(a) Forgiveness for "Our Lady."
(b) The life of Jesus.
(c) Mercy for all those in hell.
(d) The history of the world.

3. What is the grand inquisitor's manner with Jesus?
(a) Aplogetic.
(b) Authoritative.
(c) Puzzled.
(d) Loving.

4. What is the first thing the visitor does when entering the prisoner's cell?
(a) Gazes at him for a long time.
(b) Asks him his identity.
(c) Walks toward him.
(d) Introduces himself.

5. In the Inquisition, who controlled penances?
(a) Jesus.
(b) God.
(c) The cardinal.
(d) A jury.

6. Why does the crowd tremble in obedience to the cardinal?
(a) They know he is powerful.
(b) He tells the guards to arrest them.
(c) They hope he will reward them.
(d) He orders them on their knees.

7. What do the people do when they first do when they recognize Jesus?
(a) Fall at his feet.
(b) Crowd around him.
(c) Ask him to heal them.
(d) Run away.

8. What is the cardinal wearing when he witnesses the crowd?
(a) Gorgeous cardinal's robes.
(b) An old monk's cassock.
(c) A funeral suit.
(d) Uniform of the "holy guard."

9. What is a "Literary Preface," in the case of this story?
(a) A preface explaining what literature is.
(b) An introduction referencing stories with similar aspects.
(c) A well-written introduction.
(d) A introduction explaining why the subsequent story is literature.

10. What doesn't the crowd do when they see Jesus perform two miracles?
(a) Throws flowers at his feet.
(b) Elects him cardinal.
(c) Asks him for healing.
(d) Cries, "it is He."

11. Who is Ivan talking about when he says, "He comes on the scene in my poem, but He says nothing, only appears and passes on"?
(a) Archangel Michael.
(b) Alyosha.
(c) God.
(d) Jesus.

12. What religious character used as a character in fiction does Ivan NOT reference in his "Literary" Preface?
(a) The Archangel Michael.
(b) Abraham.
(c) Virgin Mary.
(d) God.

13. According to Ivan, how does God explain his treatment of sinners in "The Wanderings of Our Lady through Hell"?
(a) He says sinners are evil and deserve punishment.
(b) He asks what she would do if she were him.
(c) He explains how punishment teachers people to do good.
(d) He asks how it would be possible to forgive his son's tormentors.

14. How does the blind man get Jesus to heal him?
(a) He touches Jesus clothes.
(b) He grabs Jesus hand.
(c) He asks Jesus.
(d) Jesus presses is hand to his eyes.

15. When does Ivan say religiously themed plays, chiefly from the Old Testament, stopped being performed in Moscow?
(a) At the start of WWII.
(b) At the start of the Spanish Inquisition.
(c) Before the time of Peter the Great.
(d) Upon the return of Jesus.

Short Answer Questions

1. Where does Jesus stop to meet the mother of the dead child?

2. How do the people react to the guards seizing the prisoner from their midst?

3. Why does Ivan say the character "Our Lady" falls before the throne of God and beg?

4. What do the guards do with the prisoner?

5. Why does Ivan say that Jesus appears in his tale?

(see the answer keys)

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