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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 Bel-Imperia drop after her visit with Balthazar in Act 1, Scene 4?

2. Once Villuppo tells the viceroy what happened to Balthazar, what does the viceroy say?

3. Which of the following characters is not present when a general reports to progress of Spain's war with Portugal in Act 1, Scene 2?

4. Why is Andrea told he is brought back from the underworld?

5. In what language do Hieronimo and Isabella speak a dirge as they carry Horatio's body away?

Short Essay Questions

1. Summarize how the general describes the events on the battlefield to the Spanish king and his men.

2. What is difference between the imagery of heaven in Act 3, Scene 8, and earlier references of the afterlife in the play?

3. Who is Pedringano and how does Lorenzo persuade him to help in the plot against Horatio?

4. When the Portuguese ask Hieronimo to lead them to Lorenzo, where does Hieronimo say Lorenzo is?

5. How is Balthazar greeted as a prisoner by the king and how does Balthazar respond?

6. Describe how Horatio is killed and what is done to Bel-Imperia.

7. What does Hieronimo start doing in front of the king to cause the king to ask what is wrong with him?

8. Describe Bel-Imperia and Balthazar's first meeting after she is released by Lorenzo.

9. Who does Pedringano reveal to Lorenzo as an object of Bel-Imperia's love and how does he know that she loves him?

10. When Isabella's thoughts return to the men who killed her son in Act 3, Scene 8, what does she do?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

In Act 2, Scene 3, the king tells Castile to convince Bel-Imperia to open her heart to Balthazar. Write an essay exploring how the hierarchy of power within the play affects the audience interpretation of events in this and other instances.

Essay Topic 2

Isabella considers taking herbal remedies but decides that they will not be effective. Evaluate the role of healing and medicine in the novel, writing an essay showing how these themes play out in the context of "The Spanish Tragedy."

Essay Topic 3

Write an essay exploring how Hieronimo's play and Lorenzo's actions are similar. Consider whether both these characters can be considered directors and what the idea of a director or playwright means in the context of "The Spanish Tragedy."

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