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This test consists of 15 multiple choice questions and 5 short answer questions.

Multiple Choice Questions

1. How does Bloom characterize the love affair between Antony and Cleopatra?
(a) As the summit of hopeless romanticism.
(b) As a literary philosophy.
(c) As a nihilistic act.
(d) As a political act.

2. M. C. Bradbrook describes "Pericles" as half spectacle and half what?
(a) Farce.
(b) Tragedy.
(c) Satyr play.
(d) Prophetic vision.

3. What gives "Winter's Tale" its supernatural quality, according to Bloom?
(a) Leontes' madness.
(b) Polixenes' ubiquity.
(c) Hermione's resurrection.
(d) Leontes' visions.

4. Why does Janet Adelman say that Cordelia had to be murdered in "King Lear"?
(a) To preserve the play's philosophy consistently.
(b) To prevent love from being triumphant.
(c) To counter the demise of Regan and Goneril.
(d) To protect the masculinity of the play.

5. In what way does Bloom say "The Merry Wives of Windsor" could be considered funny?
(a) As an existential comedy.
(b) As a comedy of errors.
(c) As a sadomasochistic exercise.
(d) As slapstick.

6. What does Bloom say Thebes in "Two Noble Kinsmen" refers to?
(a) Athens in 431.
(b) London in 1609.
(c) London in 1613.
(d) Paris in 1599.

7. What pleased Ben Jonson about Shakespeare's "Henry VIII"?
(a) Its improvement on history.
(b) Its praise of the royal line.
(c) Its departure from historical facts.
(d) Its exposure of royal corruption.

8. Whose philosophy does Bloom say Iago embodies?
(a) Nietzsche's.
(b) Hegel's.
(c) Aristotle's.
(d) Plato's.

9. Why does Bloom say "Timon of Athens" was never performed?
(a) Shakespeare's patron was offended by the play.
(b) Shakespeare used the play to denounce contemporary London.
(c) Shakespeare felt the play was too personal.
(d) Shakespeare died before he finished it.

10. How does Bloom characterize the match between Helena and Bertram in "All's Well That Ends Well"?
(a) Typical mismatch.
(b) As a rare, normal marriage.
(c) As one of many marriages that plays games with gender roles.
(d) As a rare exception to the rule that love is generally destructive.

11. What objection does Dr. Johnson make about "Cymbeline"?
(a) The character's motivations are not clear.
(b) There are too many sudden shifts.
(c) The action is unbelievable.
(d) The villain's motives are not explicit.

12. What character does Bloom say follows Shakespeare's "Pericles"?
(a) Melville's Ahab.
(b) Hawthorne's Hester Prynne.
(c) Milton's Adam.
(d) Milton's Satan.

13. What character flaw does Bloom say runs through Othello?
(a) His susceptibility to Iago seems out of place for a military leaders.
(b) His passivity with Desdemona seems to be out of sync with his military prowess.
(c) His expressiveness seems to be out of sync with his blind rages.
(d) His jealousy seems out of sync with his love for Desdemona.

14. How does Auden describe Iago?
(a) As karmic vengeance.
(b) As the subterranean soul of Western culture.
(c) As a devil.
(d) As a practical joker.

15. How does Thersites avoid being killed?
(a) By cowardliness.
(b) By intrigue.
(c) By cunning.
(d) By undignified begging.

Short Answer Questions

1. What does Bloom say love causes in "King Lear"?

2. What does Bloom say is the moral of "All's Well That Ends Well"?

3. How does Bloom say Macbeth allows himself to pursue the crown?

4. Whom does Bloom say Iachino in "Cymbeline" resembles?

5. What does Iachino want from Imogen?

(see the answer keys)

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