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

Multiple Choice Questions

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

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

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

4. Who is the central character in Oscar Wilde's play "Salome"?
(a) Herod.
(b) Salome.
(c) Christ.
(d) John the Baptist.

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

6. Who was Lord Alfred Douglas' father?
(a) The Earl of Kent.
(b) The Duke of Gloucester.
(c) The Marquis of Queensberry.
(d) Bishop Manning.

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

8. What was the cause of Oscar Wilde's death?
(a) Heart troubles from hard labor in prison.
(b) Infections from syphilis.
(c) A fight over his honor.
(d) Old age.

9. When did Oscar Wilde return to Paris?
(a) 1890.
(b) 1888.
(c) 1889.
(d) 1891.

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

11. What did Oscar Wilde discover that his lover was trying to do to him?
(a) Get revenge for the lawsuit against his father.
(b) Expose him out of love.
(c) Increase his fame by publishing his plays.
(d) Blackmail him by threatening to publish their letters.

12. What landmark essay did Oscar Wilde publish in 1890?
(a) "The Critic as Artist."
(b) "The House Beautiful."
(c) "Personal Impressions of America."
(d) "The Importance of Being Earnest."

13. What did Oscar Wilde do in Naples?
(a) Live with his lover.
(b) Write his last play.
(c) Write his memoirs.
(d) Die.

14. What was Oscar Wilde's daily routine in prison?
(a) Solitary confinement and starvation rations.
(b) Long days writing.
(c) Hard work with meager rations.
(d) Long talks with fellow prisoners.

15. How was "A Woman of No Importance" received?
(a) It was panned by the critics, but audiences loved it.
(b) It was a critical success, and it established Wilde's name as a playwright.
(c) It was not a hit, but it made him 100 pounds a week.
(d) It was banned after two performances.

Short Answer Questions

1. Oscar Wilde said that men resemble which celestial body?

2. What brought about Oscar Wilde's first trial?

3. What is the plot of "The Picture of Dorian Gray"?

4. When did Oscar Wilde publish "Salome"?

5. What actions led to prosecution of homosexuals in England?

(see the answer keys)

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