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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. When Lakunle calls Sidi, "My Ruth, my Rachel, Esther, Bathsheba," (20), whom is he comparing Sidi to?

2. In the opening of "Noon," what is Sidi doing while Sadiku tries to talk to her?

3. In "Noon," what example of Baroka's corruption does Lakunle give?

4. What is happening onstage while Lakunle tells the story of Baroka's corruption?

5. To whom does Sadiku pray on Sidi's behalf?

Short Essay Questions

1. When the scene in "Noon" shifts to Baroka's bedroom, what is his favorite wife doing, and how does she use this task to communicate her feelings?

2. What evidence is there in "Noon" that there might be genuine affection between Baroka and Sadiku?

3. Explain how Baroka diverted the railroad, and why.

4. Describe Baroka's bedroom.

5. When Sidi says, "The stranger took my beauty/and placed it in my hands" (20), what claim is she making for the power of the photographs?

6. When Sadiku conveys Sidi's refusal to Baroka, what is his first reaction, and what changes his feelings?

7. What argument does Sadiku present to Sidi for marrying Baroka?

8. What is Sidi's reasoning for turning down the proposal that Baroka sends to her through Sadiku?

9. When Lakunle tells the story of Baroka's corruption, what conflicting emotions does he display?

10. When, in the beginning of "Noon," Lakunle compares Sidi to women in the Bible, what message is he trying to send, and what is Sidi's response?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Choose one of the traditional Nigerian sayings from the play and do some research into its meaning. Write an essay in which you explain the meaning of the saying and then show how it relates not only to the action but to the meaning of the play. Be sure to offer textual support for your ideas and cite your sources in MLA format.

Essay Topic 2

Research the role of music and dance in Western theater. Then write a comparison and contrast essay in which you show how Soyinka's use of music and dance have both commonalities and differences with the tradition of music and dance in Western plays. Be sure to offer textual support for your ideas and cite your sources in MLA format.

Essay Topic 3

Write an essay in which you make a claim about what The Lion and the Jewel is saying about loyalty and betrayal. Which characters are loyal, and what are they loyal to? In what ways do the characters betray others and themselves? Use textual support to provide evidence for your claims.

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