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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. Who claims he has been blind for seven years on the stand at Lear's trial?

2. Who is NOT present in Act 1, Scene 3?

3. Which of the following is one of Lear's daughters?

4. What weapons do the rebel soldiers carry?

5. What does the Gravedigger's Boy tell Lear that the soldiers are doing?

Short Essay Questions

1. Why does Carpenter refuse to untie the prisoners once he has captured the soldiers in Act 2?

2. What does Lear offer to the strangers who arrive at the house? What is Thomas's reaction?

3. What does Lear go to do at the Wall in the final scene? Why?

4. Why is the Farmer and his family leaving the land?

5. Why has Lear chosen to erect the wall? How long has it been in construction?

6. What is the significance of the image of Bodice and Fontanelle as children in Lear's cell?

7. Describe how Lear is blinded in the prison scene. Why is he blinded?

8. Describe Lear's reaction to the mirror in the court scene.

9. Describe the character of Warrington. What is his position? To whom is he loyal?

10. Why has Lear written to Cordelia? What does he hope to achieve?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Compare and contrast the characters of Lear and Cornelia. How do these characters change in the course of the play? How do their interests diverge from one another?

Essay Topic 2

Compare Edward Bond's Lear and Shakespeare's Lear. Why did Bond choose to adapt and essentially rewrite elements of Shakespeare's play? What elements of action and character did he alter? Why?

Essay Topic 3

What is the primary motif in Lear? What is the definition of the term "motif"? How does Bond employ this motif as a means to further illustrate his theme?

(see the answer keys)

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