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

Multiple Choice Questions

1. What is the title Oscar Wilde gave to "The Duchess of Padua" when he produced it anonymously?
(a) "The Critic as Artist."
(b) "Guido Ferranti."
(c) "The Importance of Being Earnest."
(d) "Lady Windermere's Fan."

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

3. What was the possible maximum sentence for the crime Oscar Wilde was arrested for?
(a) Two years.
(b) Life imprisonment.
(c) Five years.
(d) Ten years.

4. How common was homosexuality in late-Victorian London?
(a) It was so common that no one seemed to care that he was homosexual.
(b) Not common enough that Oscar Wilde had an easy time finding partners.
(c) Not common at all, and Oscar Wilde was a pariah for being homosexual.
(d) Common enough that Oscar Wilde had no trouble finding partners.

5. 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.

Short Answer Questions

1. Who is Colonel Isaacson?

2. Who brings Oscar Wilde out of his artistic doldrums after he is released from Reading jail?

3. How did Oscar Wilde escape from being prosecuted for homosexuality?

4. What was the punishment for homosexuality in England in the late 1800s?

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

Short Essay Questions

1. How did the English see the crime of sodomy?

2. How is "Lady Windermere's Fan" received when it premieres in London?

3. How does Lord Alfred Douglas try to help Oscar Wilde while Wilde is in prison?

4. How do Oscar Wilde's aesthetics develop during his time in Paris in 1891?

5. Why did Lord Alfred Douglas' parents refuse to press charges against Oscar Wilde?

6. Where does Oscar Wilde go after he is released from prison?

7. What relationships does Oscar Wilde resume after leaving prison?

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

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

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

(see the answer keys)

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