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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. Mrs. Erlynne dances with Lord Windermere in order to:

2. The Duchess first heard the rumor about Lord Windemere from:

3. Why doesn't Lord Windemere explain his reasons for spending time with Mrs. Erlynne?

4. What does Lady Windemere believe about her mother?

5. Lady Windemere does not approve of Darlington's flattery because she believes he is:

Short Essay Questions

1. How does Lady Windemere describe her feelings now that she is at Darlington's house?

2. What do Dumby's opening remarks reveal about his character?

3. What concerns the Duchess about Hopper's proposal to her daughter?

4. What does the Windemere's conversation about men and women reveal about Lady Windemere's opinion of men?

5. What does Lady Windmere fear at the start of the scene?

6. Why does the Duchess claim to feel totally secure at the Windemeres' house?

7. Why do the men appear to admire Mrs. Erlynne?

8. What has Lady Windmere discovered about good and bad people?

9. Why does Lord Windemere insist that Mrs. Erlynne receive an invitation to the ball?

10. What do Mrs. Erlynne's exchanges with the male characters reveal about her character?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Write an essay in which you explore the nature of relationships in Wilde's play. Consider one of the following topics:

1) How do current couples compare in behavior and expectation to the couples in Wilde's play?

OR

2) Have marriage relationships and expectations changed since Wilde's play was first published? Why or Why not?

OR

3) How does the play reflect "present" attitudes about relationships between men and women in general?

Essay Topic 2

Consider the role gossip plays in the development of plot in Lady Windemere's Fan. Then write an essay in which you:

1) Discuss the significance of gossip to the events of the four acts, 2) Explore Wilde's message about gossip, referring to specific incidents in the play, or 3) Identify three examples of gossip in the play that directly relate to the development of the plot.

Essay Topic 3

Consider the development of character's motivations and attitudes over the course of the play. Write an essay in which you explore:

1) Lady Windemere as a dynamic character in the play, 2) Lady Windemere as a static character in the play, or 3) any two contrasting characters in the play, identifying one as static, the other as dynamic.

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 823 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample