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This test consists of 5 multiple choice questions, 5 short answer questions, and 10 short essay questions.

Multiple Choice Questions

1. What does Lajos Egri define as being what a writer sets out to prove with his story?
(a) The truth.
(b) The laws of science.
(c) The premise.
(d) The plot.

2. The antagonist in a play or work of literature faces off against _____.
(a) The presentation.
(b) The narrator.
(c) The pivotal character.
(d) The forces of good.

3. The author undoubtedly wants his characters to be the play in order to express _____.
(a) The plot.
(b) The ending.
(c) The suspense.
(d) The premise.

4. When did Lajos Egri come to the United States?
(a) 1906.
(b) 1904.
(c) 1899.
(d) 1900.

5. Who hid Desdemona's handkerchief in Cassio's lodging in "Othello"?
(a) Bianca.
(b) Gratiano.
(c) Emilia.
(d) Iago.

Short Answer Questions

1. "Romeo and Juliet" begins with a feud between the Capulets and _____.

2. According to the author, every sensible invention must have _____.

3. It is the job of the character to prove what?

4. What Classic Greek philosopher claimed character was secondary to action?

5. What term refers to the social and cultural forces that shape the life of a person or a population?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does Egri relate the premise to the universal truth?

2. How does the author show the importance of character in "Oedipus Rex"?

3. What does the author assert about character development in Chapter 7: Characters Plotting Their Own Play?

4. What is the first step to fleshing out characters, according to the author?

5. What example does the author give for the use of dialectics in perceiving contradictions in Book II: Character, Chapter 3: The Dialectical Approach?

6. What does the author assert in Book II: Character, Chapter 5: Strength of Will in a Character about the need to fight?

7. What does the author assert of writers who decide to write of their own experiences?

8. How does Egri view the correlation between thinking and premise?

9. What is the author's premise in opening Book II: Character, Chapter 1?

10. Do all writers know their premise? What are the author's thoughts on this?

(see the answer keys)

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