View a FREE sample

This test consists of 5 multiple choice questions, 5 short answer questions, and 10 short essay questions.

Multiple Choice Questions

1. How did Oscar Wilde come across at his first trial?
(a) As a victim.
(b) As a corrupter of youth.
(c) As a hero.
(d) As an elitist.

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

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

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

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

Short Answer Questions

1. How did Oscar Wilde set the stage for his own prosecution?

2. How did Oscar Wilde describe Christ's life?

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

4. How was "A Woman of No Importance" received?

5. What was the possible maximum sentence for the crime Oscar Wilde was arrested for?

Short Essay Questions

1. What happens to Oscar Wilde when he goes to prison?

2. Why does it become impossible for Oscar Wilde to write after he writes "The Ballad of Reading Gaol"?

3. How do the people of Paris receive Oscar Wilde in 1891?

4. What disturbing incidents does Oscar Wilde witness before leaving prison?

5. Describe the conditions under which Oscar Wilde was writing "The Importance of Being Earnest."

6. What is the plot of Oscar Wilde's novel, "The Picture of Dorian Gray"?

7. How is "The Picture of Dorian Gray" seen as a work about homosexuality?

8. Were Oscar Wilde and his lover, Lord Alfred Douglas, faithful to each other?

9. How did Lord Alfred Douglas' father feel about his son's relationship with Oscar Wilde?

10. How do conditions change for Oscar Wilde when Major Nelson takes over at Reading jail?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 787 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample