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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 disturbing scene does Oscar Wilde witness before leaving Reading jail?
(a) A soldier went insane after a flogging.
(b) A mob of prisoners were beaten by guards.
(c) One prisoner beat another prisoner to death.
(d) Prisoners were executed for rioting.

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

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

4. How did prison affect Oscar Wilde's health?
(a) Wilde was pampered by prison guards.
(b) Wilde's health deteriorated rapidly.
(c) Wilde lost weight and got in shape.
(d) Wilde nearly died when his illness was not treated.

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

Short Answer Questions

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

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

3. What play was Oscar Wilde writing in 1894?

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

5. When did Oscar Wilde publish "Salome"?

Short Essay Questions

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

8. What happened when Oscar Wilde sued his lover's father, Lord Queensberry, for libel?

9. What happens to Oscar Wilde's allowance from his mother after he leaves prison?

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

(see the answer keys)

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