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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 the Doctor speak about in regards to the Prisoner?

2. What does Sigismund say about man, as Julian calls for the guards?

3. The Doctor that with each glance the Prisoner offers what?

4. Why are the Voivode late?

5. Julian appears, carrying a vial that contains what?

Short Essay Questions

1. Why does the King believe he must be listened to?

2. What is causing the banging noise? Why?

3. How does this scene begin?

4. How does Sigismund react when Juilan encourages him to take the power he is being offered?

5. What is the purpose of the sponge?

6. What does Olivier think he hears?

7. How does the play end?

8. Who enters with two noblemen?

9. What did the prophecy contain?

10. What does the King instruct the Monk to do?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

The play's secondary point is that the kind of spiritual life Sigismund leads is ideal.

Part 1) Describe Sigismund's spiritual life. Why might it be ideal?

Part 2) What does the author expect the audience to do with this knowledge? Use the text to support your response.

Part 3) How does Sigismund reveal to the audience what the author might expect from a leader in real life? Use the text for support.

Essay Topic 2

Act 3, Part 1 serves mostly to build suspense about what will happen when the King and Sigismund finally confront each other.

Part 1) How does this scene build suspense? What is the purpose of this?

Part 2) What role does the Confessor play in this scene? How does the King respond to the Confessor's advice? Why does he respond this way?

Part 3) What other Christ references are made in this chapter? What do they foreshadow? Why does the author use these as foreshadowing devices?

Essay Topic 3

The King is an intriguing character.

Part 1) Describe the King. Why is he intriguing?

Part 2) Why does he act the way he does? How does his medieval life reinforce his behavior?

Part 3) How does his behavior reflect society in 1930s Germany, when this play was written?

(see the answer keys)

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