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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. What does Bloom say characterizes the play "Julius Caesar"?

2. How does Bloom characterize Richard II's metaphors?

3. How does "Taming of the Shrew" begin?

4. What does Bloom say makes Caesar fascinating?

5. Which term describes Kate's speech about the proper behavior of a wife toward a husband?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does Bloom characterize Richard III?

2. What aspect of Nietzsche's philosophy is present in "Richard II", in Bloom's interpretation?

3. How does Bloom characterize "Twelfth Night"?

4. What is Marlowe's influence on "Titus Andronicus"?

5. What similarity does Bloom say there is between "Twelfth Night" and a Ben Jonson play?

6. What step does Bloom say Shakespeare took, with "The Merchant of Venice", beyond Marlowe's style?

7. What is it about Falstaff that Bloom likes so much?

8. What does Bloom say is the main action of "Two Gentlemen of Verona"?

9. What are the main themes of "King John", in Bloom's interpretation?

10. What is the cause of the comedy in "Love's Labor's Lost", according to Bloom?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

What does Bloom say is Shakespeare's relationship with Christopher Marlow? How is that relation borne out? Where does Bloom see evidence of it?

Essay Topic 2

Evaluate your own reading of "Shakespeare: The Invention of the Human"--did you resist it, or were you compelled by the story? What does your reading tell you about yourself and your interests? Use specific examples from the book to describe yourself as a reader.

Essay Topic 3

Write an evaluative review of "Shakespeare: The Invention of the Human". What is this book's place in culture? What are its uses? Who is its audience? What are its limitations?

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