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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. Whose skepticism does Bloom describe behind Hamlet's philosophizing?
(a) Socrates'.
(b) Diogenes'.
(c) Plato's.
(d) Montaigne's.

2. What does Bloom say he prefers for representations of Caliban?
(a) A half-human beast.
(b) A black slave.
(c) A pygmy.
(d) A Native American.

3. Whose greatness does "Henry VIII" prophecy?
(a) Queen Elizabeth I.
(b) Joan of Arc.
(c) Anne Boleyn.
(d) Queen Victoria.

4. What does Bloom say he suspects Shakespeare of, in "Henry V"?
(a) Fear for his own safety.
(b) Patriotism.
(c) Disloyalty.
(d) Irony.

5. What does Nietzsche say Hamlet's problem was?
(a) Thinking too well.
(b) Emasculation.
(c) Madness.
(d) Fear.

Short Answer Questions

1. What aspect of Nietzsche's philosophy does Iago embody, according to Bloom?

2. What does Iago triumph over, in Bloom's interpretation?

3. What pleased Ben Jonson about Shakespeare's "Henry VIII"?

4. What does Theseus give away in "Two Noble Kinsmen"?

5. What character flaw does Bloom say runs through Othello?

Short Essay Questions

1. What is the moral of "Measure for Measure", in Bloom's account?

2. What does Bloom say is the political subtext of "Troilus and Cressida"?

3. What does Bloom say is the focus of "Antony and Cleopatra"?

4. What view does Bloom take on Iago's character?

5. What parallel does Bloom describe between characters Henry V and Alexander the Great?

6. What is the role of love in "King Lear", according to Bloom?

7. What does Bloom say is the flaw of "Coriolanus"?

8. Where does Bloom see comedy in "Antony and Cleopatra"?

9. What purpose does Bloom say "The Merry Wives of Windsor" serves among Shakespeare's plays?

10. Where does Bloom say "Winter's Tale" sits in Shakespeare's folio?

(see the answer keys)

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