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

Multiple Choice Questions

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

2. How did Oscar Wilde's first trial turn out?
(a) The trial allowed Wilde's lover's father to turn the tables and expose Wilde's homosexuality.
(b) The trial bankrupted Wilde, but it made him famous.
(c) The trial caused Wilde to be expelled from the country.
(d) The trial resulted in a victory for Wilde and vindication of his personality.

3. What magazine published "The Picture of Dorian Gray"?
(a) Harper's Bazaar.
(b) Lippincott's.
(c) Pall Mall Gazette.
(d) Women's World.

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

5. What was the consequence of Oscar Wilde's first trial?
(a) Supporters rushed to protect Wilde.
(b) People rejoiced at Wilde's fall.
(c) Wilde's lover's father publicly apologized.
(d) The court supported Wilde.

6. How did Robert Ross help Oscar Wilde?
(a) He persuaded Wilde's mother to reinstate Wilde's allowance.
(b) He gave Wilde money for food.
(c) He introduced Wilde to willing supporters.
(d) He published Wilde's last work.

7. What actions led to prosecution of homosexuals in England?
(a) Agitation by Oxford students to legitimize homosexuality.
(b) Anti-homosexual protests and riots.
(c) The election of a more conservative government.
(d) The scandalous case of the Marquis of Queensberry.

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

9. How did Oscar Wilde describe homosexuality in court?
(a) As a crime against nature.
(b) As the perfection of love.
(c) As the ideal art.
(d) As the love that dare not speak its name.

10. Who is Lord Alfred Douglas?
(a) Oscar Wilde's lawyer.
(b) Oscar Wilde's publisher.
(c) The father of Wilde's lover.
(d) Oscar Wilde's primary lover.

11. What was the subject of much of Oscar Wilde's correspondence in the period when he was writing the Ballad of Reading Gaol?
(a) His reunion with his lover.
(b) Executing his wife's parents' estate.
(c) His finances.
(d) The fate of his illegitimate children.

12. Why was "Salome" not performed?
(a) Oscar Wilde had differences of opinion with his director.
(b) Bible stories were banned from the stage by British law.
(c) The theatre could not come up with money for a production.
(d) The play was banned for obscenity.

13. Who brings Oscar Wilde out of his artistic doldrums after he is released from Reading jail?
(a) His mother.
(b) Douglas.
(c) The Marquis of Queensberry.
(d) Major Nelson.

14. What caused Oscar Wilde to stop writing?
(a) His health declined.
(b) He became ill and did not have the strength to write.
(c) He had headaches that blinded him.
(d) He began to lose his memory.

15. Where did Oscar Wilde travel after he was released from Reading jail?
(a) America.
(b) France.
(c) Germany.
(d) Ireland.

Short Answer Questions

1. What landmark essay did Oscar Wilde publish in 1890?

2. What is the name of the town where Oscar Wilde stayed after leaving Reading jail?

3. What did the public think of "Lady Windermere's Fan"?

4. How was Oscar Wilde released from prison for the first time?

5. What was Oscar Wilde's state of mind in the months after his release from Reading jail?

(see the answer keys)

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