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This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. When was Oscar Wilde first released from prison?

2. How did Oscar Wilde come across at his first trial?

3. How was Oscar Wilde's novel, "The Picture of Dorian Gray," received?

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

5. How did Oscar Wilde protect himself from the cruelty of those around him?

Short Essay Questions

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

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

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

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

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 relationships does Oscar Wilde resume after leaving prison?

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

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

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

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Oscar Wilde was always extravagant with his money. How does his extravagance fit with his brief, epigrammatic literary style? Is there an aesthetic that unites these two aspects of his personality, or are they simply different sides of the writer's life?

Essay Topic 2

More than one of Oscar Wilde's plays was not produced on the stage. What effect do these failures have on his career? How does he compensate for failing to produce the plays? What does he learn from the experiences? Does he benefit in any way from the plays not being produced?

Essay Topic 3

What were the social conditions surrounding homosexuality in Oscar Wilde's times? What did his fellow students feel about homosexuality? What did the school authorities feel? What did society feel? Were there different groups among whom homosexuality was more acceptable?

(see the answer keys)

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