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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. In As You Like It, what is Orlando doing the first time Rosalind sees him?

2. How is Silvia related to the Duke of Milan?

3. What do the robbers in Two Gentlemen of Verona request of Valentine?

4. What is Edmund's brother's name?

5. What two dangerous animals does Orlando save Oliver from in As You Like It?

Short Essay Questions

1. In A Midsummer Night's Dream, how does Oberon change the hearts of the Athenian youths?

2. How does Proteus betray his friend Valentine in Two Gentlemen of Verona?

3. How do Antonio and Shylock lend money differently in Merchant of Venice?

4. How does Oliver try to kill Orlando in As You Like It?

5. Describe the interaction between Prospero and his enemies on the island at the end of The Tempest.

6. How does Lady Macbeth convince Macbeth to kill Duncan?

7. How does Valentine becomes the leader of bandits in Two Gentlemen of Verona?

8. How does Posthumus return to Britain at the end of Cymbeline?

9. How is Paulita saved from death at a young age in The Winter's Tale?

10. Why does Kent have to disguise himself to follow King Lear?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

The role of women in Shakespeare's work is remarkably ambiguous, particularly in his comedies. Choose three heroines from his comedies - Katharine, Beatrice, Helena, etc - and chart their arc over the course of the narrative. Are their objectives relatively constant throughout? Do they take their courtship into their own hands over the course of the narrative? Are they dynamic character, changing over the course of the narrative? If so, what changes them? Is it self- or society-imposed?

Essay Topic 2

In his stories, Shakespeare deals with individuals that hurt and betray their fellow man. These characters have many disparate reasons for doing this. Discuss three such malefactors and their motivations in an essay:

Part 1) Why does Macbeth choose to kill Duncan, his king? What external forces impel him to commit this evil act, and why does he acquiesce to them? Discuss how Macbeth makes progressively more evil choices to protect himself. What is Shakespeare saying about the way evil men are made?

Part 2) What drives Shylock to insist upon a pound of flesh as payment from his rival Antonio? What does his place in Venetian society have to do with this? To what extent does Antonio represent this marginalized place?

Part 3) How is Iago different from the other villains in Shakespeare's stories? What drives him to destroy Othello, Cassio, and Desdemona? Does he hold a grievance against all of them? To what extent does Shakespeare present Iago as a portrait of pure evil?

Essay Topic 3

In much of Shakespeare's writing, the natural and the supernatural interact, with mysticism coloring and driving the course of human events. Write an essay about three such instances, discussing the function and form of supernatural events:

Part 1) What is the story of A Midsummer Night's Dream before the introduction of the fairy world? How do the fairies affect the human world? Is this effect intentional or incidental to their business? Discuss how the events of this fairy world color the events of the Athenian youths.

Part 2) How does the realm of magic come into play in The Tempest? Who is reacting and fighting against magic, and who is controlling it? Discuss the way magic is used in the narrative as a driver of story. What magical figures are central to this story, and what specific actions do they undertake?

Part 3) What do the witches of Macbeth represent? How are they catalysts for the action, driving human interaction and rash action? Chart their appearances throughout the story. What promises do they make to the main character, and how do these promises prove false in the end?

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