View a FREE sample

This test consists of 5 short answer questions and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. Who overhears Celia's pleadings with her husband, but does nothing to intervene?

2. Which court official is sent out into the streets to search for Mosca?

3. How does Mosca feel about Voltore's defense of Valpone in the court room?

4. When Mosca is addressing the audience after meeting with Corvino, how many times is he interrupted by other characters?

5. According to the rumors, to which country was Sir Politic planning on selling Venice to?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

At the end of the play, Valpone pleads with the audience to learn from the mistakes of the characters in the play. Explain what Valpone meant by this statement and give examples of two characters whose lessons could be learned. Finally, explain whether or not it was effective for Valpone to plead with the audience at the end of the play, and why.

Essay Topic 2

Many of the characters in the novel spend much time trying to make another character look like a fool. This act is called "gulling". Choose two examples of gulling as they appear in the text, and explain what the outcomes of these intentions were. In the end, which characters are made to look like the biggest fools of all?

Essay Topic 3

Venice is the setting of the entire play, and a setting that holds a lot of symbolic value in the text. Briefly describe the setting of Venice and the lifestyle that Venice affords to the characters in the play. Explain whether or not you believe Venice to be an appropriate setting for Valpone's tale, and why.

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 307 words (approx. 2 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample