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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 "The Merry Wives of Windsor" might have been designed to do?

2. How does Bloom say Ben Jonson saw Thersites?

3. Whose skepticism does Bloom describe behind Hamlet's philosophizing?

4. What was Wilkins' role in "Pericles"?

5. Whose greatness does "Henry VIII" prophecy?

Short Essay Questions

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

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

3. What does Bloom say is the difference between 'Othello' "Cymbeline"?

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

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

6. What insight does Bloom say "All's Well That Ends Well" gives us into marriage?

7. What does Bloom say is the heart of "Macbeth"?

8. What does Bloom say makes "Hamlet" so fascinating?

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?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

How useful is the categorical breakdown Bloom uses--histories, comedies, tragedies, problem plays, etc.? Is there too much overlap between plays for these terms to be useful? What use does this schema of categorization have?

Essay Topic 2

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 3

Describe Bloom's critical perspective. What matters to him, and what parts of Shakespeare's plays, and the commentary on them, is uninteresting? How does he justify his focus?

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