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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. Charles Kinbote writes a brief play about what event?
(a) The Shades' vacation.
(b) Hazel Shade's seance.
(c) King Charles' escape.
(d) John Shade's birthday.

2. According to Kinbote, what does "Ex" stand for?
(a) Formers.
(b) Ex-lover.
(c) Extraterrestrial.
(d) Exton.

3. According to Kinbote what is the only real name used in the poem, "Pale Fire?"
(a) Hazel.
(b) Starover Blue.
(c) Lolita.
(d) Gradus.

4. According to Kinbote, what is the best part of Canto Four?
(a) The opening.
(b) The part about Zembla.
(c) The rhymes.
(d) The last line.

5. Gradus visits Oswin Bretwit in order to find information on King Charles' location. What is Oswin Bretwit's profession?
(a) A spy.
(b) A reporter.
(c) A Zemblan diplomat.
(d) A member of the Shadows.

Short Answer Questions

1. Kinbote criticizes the passage in which Shade alternates between the story of his daughter's death, and what he and his wife are doing at the time. What is his major criticism of this passage?

2. What does Gradus bring Oswin Bretwit?

3. Where are the Shades' planning to go on vacation?

4. Kinbote has an auditory hallucination of John Shade's voice telling him to do what?

5. When Gradus attempts to visit Joseph S. Lavender, Lavender asks Gradus if he is a/an ______?

Short Essay Questions

1. What do you think of Kinbote's disregard for psychoanalysis?

2. What does Kinbote do when he runs into Shade on the way to the doctor's office?

3. Comment on a few similarities between Charles Kinbote and King Charles.

4. How does Gradus learn the location of the king?

5. When does Kinbote finally merge with King Charles as written in the Commentary?

6. What is odd about the way Kinbote tells the story of Gradus?

7. Briefly summarize the conversation Kinbote overhears between Shade and Mrs. Hurley, and its relevance to "Pale Fire."

8. Why does Kinbote insist on meeting Shade on July 19th?

9. What does Kinbote relate to the death of Hazel?

10. Briefly recount Gradus' experience on the day he killed Shade, as told by Kinbote.

(see the answer keys)

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