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

Multiple Choice Questions

1. What was the punishment for homosexuality in England in the late 1800s?
(a) Hanging.
(b) Fines.
(c) Flogging.
(d) Imprisonment.

2. How did Lord Alfred Douglas remain part of Oscar Wilde's life?
(a) He threatened and cajoled Wilde into staying in touch.
(b) He used extreme behavior to manipulate Wilde.
(c) He promised to change and take care of Wilde better.
(d) He blackmailed Wilde.

3. Which of Oscar Wilde's friends tried to discount Wilde's importance?
(a) Marie Prescott.
(b) Rennell Rodd.
(c) James McNeill Whistler.
(d) Robert Harborough Sherard.

4. What did the public think of "Lady Windermere's Fan"?
(a) They hated it.
(b) They stopped seeing it after a few weeks.
(c) They loved it.
(d) They did not understand it.

5. What did Oscar Wilde write about his personal experience in prison?
(a) Long, detailed letters to his lover.
(b) Nothing.
(c) He describes his longing for his wife.
(d) "The Ballad of Reading Gaol."

6. How was Oscar Wilde's novel, "The Picture of Dorian Gray," received?
(a) It was celebrated for its open homosexuality.
(b) It was not noticed until late in Wilde's life.
(c) It was noticed by some literary critics, but it did not sell in large numbers.
(d) It was almost banned for homosexuality.

7. What is the name of the town where Oscar Wilde stayed after leaving Reading jail?
(a) Chamonix.
(b) Bernaval.
(c) Dieppe.
(d) Nancy.

8. What was Oscar Wilde's state of mind in the months after his release from Reading jail?
(a) He was humbled and grateful to be free.
(b) He was gleeful in his ability to exact revenge.
(c) He was suicidal because of people's poisonous gossip.
(d) He was bored in his uninteresting surroundings.

9. Who is Colonel Isaacson?
(a) A friend of Oscar Wilde's in London.
(b) Oscar Wilde's lover.
(c) Oscar Wilde's barrister.
(d) A strict disciplinarian at Reading jail.

10. How did Oscar Wilde describe Christ's life?
(a) As the greatest of poems.
(b) As a tragic drama.
(c) As a moving song.
(d) As an iconic sculpture.

11. How much did Oscar Wilde earn from the production of "Lady Windermere's Fan"?
(a) 5,000 pounds.
(b) 3,000 poounds.
(c) 7,000 pounds.
(d) 1,200 pounds.

12. What happened as a consequence of Oscar Wilde's move to Naples?
(a) He wrote his last great work.
(b) He was disinherited by his mother.
(c) He was imprisoned for homosexuality.
(d) He was restored to health and fame.

13. How did Oscar Wilde escape from being prosecuted for homosexuality?
(a) He bought his way out of the investigation by paying off influential barristers.
(b) Oscar Wilde broke up with his lover before the authorities could gather any evidence against them.
(c) He struck a deal with the lead prosecutor to abstain from homosexual acts.
(d) His lover's parents refused to press charges when they realized that their son would have to be imprisoned as well.

14. What privilege does Oscar Wilde eventually obtain in prison?
(a) Exemption from work detail.
(b) Ordering books for the prison library.
(c) Eating meals with the prison officers.
(d) Freedom to spend his days writing.

15. What is Oscar Wilde's relationship with Major Nelson?
(a) Nelson was a warden who came to like Wilde.
(b) Nelson was the judge who sentenced Wilde to prison.
(c) Nelson was Wilde's lover.
(d) Nelson was the first publisher to print Wilde's plays.

Short Answer Questions

1. What was Oscar Wilde's clothing like in prison?

2. What did Oscar Wilde say about disciples?

3. Who is Lord Alfred Douglas?

4. Where does Oscar Wilde go after his first trial?

5. What was Oscar Wilde's daily routine in prison?

(see the answer keys)

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