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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 Comedy of Errors, how can a merchant from Syracuse avoid death in Ephesus?

2. What disguise does the Duke maintain while Angelo is in power in Measure for Measure?

3. How does Romeo kill himself?

4. In Taming of the Shrew, why does Petruchio say Katharine should not eat on their wedding night?

5. Where does Bertram live in Italy?

Short Essay Questions

1. What are the marriages that end Measure for Measure?

2. How does Helena trick Bertram out of his ring in All's Well That Ends Well?

3. Describe Romeo and Juliet's meeting and courtship.

4. In Pericles, how does Marina become a slave?

5. How does Pericles reunite with his daughter and wife at the end of the story?

6. Why can Orsino not woo Olivia successfully in Twelfth Night?

7. How did Aegeon's family come together and get separated in a matter of days?

8. How does Helena become betrothed to Bertram in the beginning of All's Well That Ends Well?

9. What wager is involved in the final part of Taming of the Shrew?

10. How does Timon of Athens lose faith in mankind?

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

Love is a frequent theme of Shakespeare's narratives, but love in his comedies is markedly different from love in his tragedies. Write an essay comparing the way couples interact in Shakespearean comedy and tragedy. What does the courtship - provided it is shown - look like? Is deception involved? In comedies, why does Shakespeare always end after the marriage? What occurs after the marriage in Shakespeare's tragedies? What does this say about Shakespeare's attitude toward the institution of marriage?

Essay Topic 3

The tragic figure of Shakespeare's stories suffer because they make rash decisions without considering the full ramifications of their actions. Write an essay discussing three tragic figures from the collection and the decisions they make. What drives the most destructive of these choices? What does the character want to accomplish, and what does he or she not consider regarding the ramifications of these choices? How do these choices undo this character, and what is Shakespeare saying about the human condition with this reversal?

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