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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. What does Madame de Rosemonde warn Madame de Tourvel about in letter 126?

2. What is Madame de Tourvel's reaction upon being left alone in her room with Valmont?

3. By letter 148, whom has Danceny taken as a lover?

4. How does Prévan get into Merteuil's room on the night of his apparent victory?

5. What is Madame de Tourvel's mindset in letter 161?

Short Essay Questions

1. Describe Valmont's response to Merteuil's affair with Danceny.

2. Summarize the content of the "letter" that Merteuil dictates to Valmont about his apparent love of Madame de Tourvel.

3. How does Valmont thwart Merteuil with regards to Danceny?

4. Summarize the problem Madame de Tourvel sees preventing her and Valmont from having a relationship, and how Valmont circumvents her hesitation.

5. What subterfuge does Valmont suggest to Cécile in order to get Danceny's letters to her?

6. Describe what Valmont does when he gets the key to Cécile's room.

7. How does Valmont manipulate Cécile and Danceny's relationship?

8. What does Valmont vow about his seduction of Madame de Tourvel, and how does he plan to carry out his plan?

9. Describe Merteuil's warning to Valmont about his reputation in Paris.

10. Describe Madame de Tourvel's dictated, unaddressed letter which Madame de Volanges sends to Madame de Rosemonde.

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Examine the uses of irony throughout the novel. Your discussion may include: instances of satire, for instance of contemporary literary works or public figures; anything from the sarcastic tone often taken by Merteuil and Valmont in their letters to each other; the many instances of figurative language in the text such as puns and double entendres; the instances of certain characters' hypocrisy or denial; or the dramatic irony through which the reader or character knows something that another character does not. How does Laclos achieve irony? What language, tone, and style of writing indicate irony in the text? How do certain situations where characters find themselves tend toward the ironic?

Essay Topic 2

What are Merteuil and Valmont's "ethics" of seduction? How do they plan their seductions? What motivates them to seduce and ruin others? What rules of letter writing, evidence gathering, and record-keeping do they have for themselves and for others? Do you see any ironic or hypocritical behavior in Valmont or Merteuil? Why do they constantly write to each other of their own plans, offer their criticisms or praises of each others plans, tell stories of seductions past, and warn each other of potential dangers?

Essay Topic 3

Compare and contrast the Publisher's Note and Editor's Preface. What is their significance to the work? What messages are they each trying to get across? What is the tone of each? How do they try to influence the readers of the novel? In which ways do they define the work? Why does Laclos include them both? After reading the novel, do you read them or understand them in a different way? How do they compare to typical prefatory material in other works? Is the Publisher's Note after the last letter related in any way to Laclos' introductions?

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