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This test consists of 5 multiple choice questions, 5 short answer questions, and 10 short essay questions.

Multiple Choice Questions

1. The relationship that Will had with what person enabled him to gain more knowledge and have greater access to books?
(a) Robert Greene
(b) Edmund Campion
(c) Richard Field
(d) Christopher Marlowe

2. What object did Will finally obtain that was a status symbol for his family?
(a) A large carriage
(b) A large flock of sheep
(c) A coat of arms
(d) An engraved silver sword

3. Which theme in Will’s later works likely stemmed from his family life?
(a) Loss of status and its restoration
(b) Criminal activity
(c) Political activism
(d) Maintaining a good marriage

4. In which of Will’s plays are there characters of unequal mental or spiritual status?
(a) Hamlet
(b) As You Like It
(c) Romeo and Juliet
(d) Othello

5. What activity did Will try to avoid while living in London?
(a) Stealing money
(b) Drinking alcohol
(c) Writing any plays that would call attention to his illegal dealings
(d) Writing incriminating documents signed with his name

Short Answer Questions

1. On whose estate did Will engage in illegal activity?

2. In his plays, Will defined love as…

3. What illegal activity was Will possibly involved in?

4. Chapter 5 ends with a discussion of…

5. What was Will licensed for during the time that he lived in Stratford?

Short Essay Questions

1. What are some possible reasons for Will’s leaving Stratford and going to London?

2. Describe the relationship between Brutus and Portia in Will’s play Julius Caesar. Is this relationship healthy or unhealthy? Why is it an important indicator of how Will depicted marriage in his plays?

3. It is interesting to note that Will had an aversion to producing signed documents. Why was this the case?

4. Why did John Shakespeare try to purchase a coat of arms for his family? Was he successful?

5. What influence did Will’s education have on his later work as a playwright?

6. Who was Will’s wife? What was her financial standing? What religious preference did she likely have?

7. Why would John Shakespeare’s fall into disrepute have been bothersome to Will?

8. Who was Edmund Campion? What faith was he devoted to?

9. Did Will and his wife have a happy, fulfilling marriage? Discuss evidences to support your answer.

10. In what language was Will’s education conducted? Was this common?

(see the answer keys)

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