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This quiz consists of 5 multiple choice and 5 short answer questions through Commentary, Line 469: his gun through Line 493: She took her poor young life.

Multiple Choice Questions

1. In the commentary to Line 137, what phrase, used by John Shade in "Pale Fire", does Kinbote claim has no real meaning?
(a) Waxing slain.
(b) caramen.
(c) unicrursal.
(d) lemniscate.

2. Kinbote leaves his blinds open to give him a better view of what?
(a) The library.
(b) The gardener.
(c) Garden Avenue.
(d) The Shade's living room.

3. Of the following, what do John Shade and the assassin have in common?
(a) They were both born in Russia.
(b) They both had aunts who were put in an asylum.
(c) They both were orphaned.
(d) They were both Zemblan kings.

4. "Pale Fire" is broken up into how many cantos?
(a) 166.
(b) 80.
(c) 334.
(d) 4.

5. Charles Kinbote thinks John Shade enjoyed more "creative freedom" during the composition of which Canto?
(a) Canto Two.
(b) Canto One.
(c) Canto Three.
(d) Canto Four.

Short Answer Questions

1. Where did Kinbote and Shade meet?

2. How old was Shade when he wrote Canto Two?

3. According to Kinbote, where did Sybil Shade relocate to upon John Shade's death?

4. Who is King Charles' grandfather?

5. Which pair best describe the prominent motifs of the first Canto?

(see the answer key)

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