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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. Who interrupts Nano's tale of Valpone's soul with a knock at the door?

2. When is the only time Celia is allowed to leave the house?

3. What does Jonson say is the reason why he wants to write a play?

4. How does Corvino respond to the disguised men hanging around his home?

5. What is Valpone lying about to the Venetian businessmen who have befriended him?

Short Essay Questions

1. What type of boasting does Jonson express in his Prologue of the play?

2. What deductions about Sir Political Would-Be's character does Peregrine make during their conversation about travel?

3. What is the reaction of the legacy hunters when they hear that Mosca has been named as Valpone's heir?

4. How does Valpone respond to the news that Voltoro has come to pay him a visit?

5. What happens when Bonario snubs Mosca on the streets?

6. What case does Voltore draw against Celia?

7. What role does Valpone play in his own court case?

8. How does Valpone feel about his accrued wealth?

9. What gifts does Corbaccio bring to Valpone when he visits?

10. How does Mosca react to the news that Valpone has been found out as a liar?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Throughout the play, the audience almost always knows more than the characters on stage. Give two examples of times when the audience knows more about the plot of the play than the characters involved, and then explain what kind of relationship is created with the audience when most of the characters in the play are ignorant to the events happening around them.

Essay Topic 2

Valpone spends most of the time in the play pretending to be ill. Give examples of three ways that Valpone pretends to be ill and what the reaction to his devices are. Why is it important to Valpone's plan that the legacy hunters believe that he is really ill?

Essay Topic 3

Many of the characters in this play are characterized by their greed, although it is not always a greed of money. Create a list of three things that characters in this play are greedy for, and then choose one character that you think best exemplifies this type of greed and explain why.

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