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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 were prison conditions like at Reading jail?
(a) Unbearable.
(b) Comfortable.
(c) Destitute.
(d) Harsh.

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

3. How did prison affect Oscar Wilde's view of human nature?
(a) He learned to appreciate acts of cruelty.
(b) He lost his compassion for human suffering.
(c) He saw people's limitations as prison-like.
(d) He learned that violence is more powerful than wit.

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

5. What did Oscar Wilde's lover do to change Wilde's mind before the first trial?
(a) He shed tears.
(b) He blackmailed Wilde.
(c) He offered to give Wilde the help he needed.
(d) He threatened Wilde with scandal.

Short Answer Questions

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

2. What caused Oscar Wilde to stop writing?

3. What is the title Oscar Wilde gave to "The Duchess of Padua" when he produced it anonymously?

4. How did Lord Alfred Douglas remain part of Oscar Wilde's life?

5. To whom did the Marquis of Queensberry leave a large inheritance?

Short Essay Questions

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

2. Why was Oscar Wilde's play "Salome" censored?

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

4. What was the outcome of Oscar Wilde's lawsuit against his lover's father, Lord Queensberry?

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

6. Why does Oscar Wilde refuse to flee from England to Paris?

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

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

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

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

(see the answer keys)

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