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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 is the most logical definition of the word "fair" in the context of line 1083, "Having no fair to lose, you need not fear"?

2. What is the most reasonable interpretation of what Venus means when she asks "Where did I leave?” and Adonis replies “No matter where" (line 715)?

3. What critique does the speaker offer of Venus's song?

4. In the context of the comparison of Adonis's departure to the departure of a friend onboard ship, which of the following words functions as a pun?

5. What is making the sounds referred to in lines 847 and 848, "For who hath she to spend the night withal,/ But idle sounds resembling parasites"?

Short Essay Questions

1. What happens to Venus's eyes when she first sees Adonis's dead body?

2. What does Venus say about death when she thinks that Adonis has died?

3. Why does Venus say that nature should be convicted of treason, and what is Cynthia's plan to thwart what nature has done?

4. What happens to Adonis's body at the end of the poem, and how does Venus respond?

5. How does the construction of line 832, "Passion on passion deeply is redoubled," mimic the sense of what is happening in this passage?

6. How does Adonis contrast love and lust?

7. What does Venus suggest Adonis do if he insists on hunting on the following day?

8. How does Venus contrast the behavior of fish and birds with the behavior of the boar?

9. What is the meaning of Venus's comments about veils and bonnets after Adonis's death?

10. After Adonis's death, what does Venus predict about love?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Choose one element of the poem that seems to you to be particularly aimed at creating a broad appeal and might therefore have factored into the poem's commercial success. You might focus on the poem's humor, its relatability, its eroticism, or some other factor not yet discussed in this context--such as the Elizabethan interest in Ancient Greece and Rome, for instance. Write an essay that focuses on your chosen element: offer evidence from throughout Venus and Adonis to support your claim that this element is a notable feature of the poem, and then offer historical and literary evidence that demonstrates why this element was likely to have appealed to a wide audience. Support your arguments with both quoted and paraphrased evidence from throughout the poem, making sure to cite any quoted language and outside sources in MLA format.

Essay Topic 2

Venus and Adonis is notable for its reliance on dialogue, especially long monologues by Venus. Choose one of Venus's monologues to analyze. Write an essay in which you first explicate the meaning of the monologue--including the ideas conveyed in any figurative language--and then contextualize the monologue by analyzing its place in the overall poem. Discuss what this monologue conveys about Venus's character, the relationship between her and Adonis, and the values the poem either endorses or condemns. Support your explication and analysis with both quoted and paraphrased evidence from your chosen monologue. Be sure to cite any quoted material in MLA format.

Essay Topic 3

What is the theme of Venus and Adonis? What is the poem saying about lust, love, power, virtue, and mortality? Consider symbolism, the speaker's tone, the characterizations of both Venus and Adonis, the action of the poem, and the choices Shakespeare made in adapting the original story to his own uses as you craft your position on the meaning of this poem. Write an essay that makes and defends a claim about the theme of Venus and Adonis. Support your arguments with both quoted and paraphrased evidence drawn from throughout the poem, and be sure to cite any quoted language in MLA format.

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