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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. On what day is Jack leaving town?

2. Where does Algernon suggest dining instead of the Savoy?

3. What type of sandwich does Algernon take from Lane?

4. What political affiliation does Jack claim?

5. How often does does Algernon suggest one should check on one's relations?

Short Essay Questions

1. Who is Bunbury?

2. What does Gwendolen love so much about the name Ernest?

3. Why doe Jack go by the name of Ernest in London?

4. What is Jack Worthing's business in London?

5. Why does Algernon discreetly write down Jack's country address on his cuff?

6. Name a few of Lady Bracknell's requirements for a suitable bachelor.

7. Why does Jack intend to "kill" Ernest?

8. Why do Algernon and Jack have such difficulty choosing a place to have dinner?

9. How did Cecily become Jack's ward?

10. What is Algernon's stated opinion of love and marriage in Act I?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Choose one of the following to write about:

1.) What do you think is Oscar Wilde's opinion of the English upper class? Do you consider his portraits of landed English gentry is loving or caustic? Cite examples from the text.

2.) Compare, in three paragraphs, three servant characters and three aristocrats in the play. Which are the more clever and worldly? How much do the upper class characters rely on the servants?

3.) Do you think there is greater personal freedom in being part of the servant class in the Victorian era or being in the Upper class. Cite examples from the text and historical background to justify your stance.

Essay Topic 2

What is Oscar Wilde saying in the play about the power of wit and ingenuity? Does Wilde view this a central skill in overcoming social position. Use Jack Worthing a model in defense of your thesis.

Essay Topic 3

Choose one of the following three options to write about:

1.) To what extent has Cecily always been at the beck and call of authority figures fro Thomas Cardew to Miss Prism. Write three paragraphs about her subjugation to three separate masters and how her diary undermines this control.

2.) Do you think that Gwendolen is an inherently rebellious character or a generally subservient character that acts against her nature in the story? Cite examples from the text to defend your answer.

3.) What is Miss Prism's motivation in the play? What is she running from and why has she decided that she will not marry?

(see the answer keys)

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