| King Lear was written in approximately..a. 1505-1506b. 1405-1406c. 1605-1606d. 1705-1706 | c. 1605-1606 |
| Shakespeare wrote King Lear between which two major plays?a. Romeo and Juliet and Othellob. Othello and Macbethc. Macbeth and Hamletd. Julius Caesar and Macbeth | b. Othello and Macbeth |
| King Lear is seta. in the 8th century B.C.E. b. in the 1600’sc. during Shakespeare’s lifetime.d. during the reign of King James I of England. | a. in the 8th century B.C.E. |
| The figure of Lear comes froma. Roman mythologyb. Greek mythologyc. British mythologyd. Scottish mythology | c. British mythology |
| Which of the following writers was the first to recount the integrated story of Lear and his daughters?a. William Shakespeare b. Geoffrey of Monmouthc. Sir Phillip Sydneyd. Raphael Holinshed | b. Geoffrey of Monmouth |
| All of the following are true about the Druids EXPECT:a. They were all but wiped out by the Romans.b. They worshiped naturec. They posed a threat to Christianity.d. Some people believe that they are responsible for Stonehenge | c. They posed a threat to Christianity |
| Which of the following rulers reigned in England when King Lear was written?a. James Ib. Elizabeth Ic. Charlesd. John | a. James I |
| One of the issues of concern for the English people during the time of the writing of Lear was ___________.This concern is manifest in the play.a. The issues of legitimate birth.b. The issue of land division.c. The issue of divine justice.d. The issue of legitimate succession. | d. The issue of legitimate succession |
| All of the following are examples of anachronisms in Lear EXCEPT:a. The calling upon Roman gods to curse characters in the play.b. Gloucester’s need for spectacles.c. The calling upon Celtic gods to curse characters in the play.d. The use of the title “duke”. | c. The calling upon Celtic gods to curse characters in the play. |
| Lear’s hamartia is a. his rashness.b. his boldness.c. his ambition.d. his madness. | a. his rashness |
| Which of the following best illustrates the theme of “reconciliation” in the play?a. Edmund, upon his death, deciding to try to save Lear and Cordelia.b. Goneril’s agreeing to allow Lear to stay at her house without his entourage.c. Cordelia’s response of “no cause, no cause” to her father when he suggests that she give him poison. d. Lear’s wanting to live a happy life in prison with Cordelia. | c. Cordelia’s response of “no cause, no cause” to her father when he suggests that she give him poison. |
| Power is exercised by which of the following characters?a. Gonerilb. Learc. Edmundd. All of the above | d. All of the above |
| One of the major symbols in KL is the storm. It serves to symbolize all of the following EXCEPT:a. Lear’s growing frustration with Cordelia for not confessing her love for him.b. The inner turmoil that Lear is going through as a result of his actions.c. The inner turmoil that Britain is going through as a result of Lear’s actions.d. Divine justice. | a. Lear’s growing frustration with Cordelia for not confessing her love for him. |
| As the play opens, what are Gloucester and Kent discussing?a. Lear’s growing senility b. Edmund’s illegitimacyc. Cordelia’s suitorsd. Both B and C | d. both B and C |
| What is the “darker purpose” that Lear refers to for calling everyone together at the play’s beginning?a. He is referring to the division of his kingdom among his daughters.b. He is referring to the banishment of Cordelia.c. He is referring to choosing between Cordelia’s suitors.d. He is referring to the banishment of Kent. | a. He is referring to the division of his kingdom among his daughters. |
| To whose house does Lear go first after banishing Cordelia?a. Regan’sb. Goneril’s c. Kent’s d. Gloucester | b. Goneril’s |
| In I, v, the Foll offers Cauis (Kent) his coxcomb because he a. has recognized that this common fellow is Kent in disguise.b. is inferring that this common fellow may either be a coward or a knave.c. feels that this fellow is a fool to offer service to the landless Lear.d. is implying that the fellow’s brain has grown soft and needs warming up. | c. feels that this fellow is a fool to offer service to the landless Lear. |
| Who orders the death of Cordelia and Lear?a. Cornwallb. Albanyc. Edmundd. Edgar | c. Edmund |
| In this tragedy, what does Gloucester lose?a. His earldomb. His sightc. His lifed. All of the above | d. All of the above |
| Who kills Oswald?a. Edgarb. Edmundc. Kentd. Lear | a. Edgar |
| Why does the Duke of Burgundy refuse to marry Cordelia?a. He finds her unattractive.b. He believes she is unchaste c. He prefers younger women.d. He refuses to marry a dowerless princess | d. He refuses to marry a dowerless princess |
| Characters who assume disguises in the play are:a. Kent and the Foolb. Kent and Learc. Kent and Edgard. Edgar and Albany | c. Kent and Edgar |
| Which characters come to realize that poverty stricken people need attention. a. Lear and Gloucester b. Kent and Albanyc. Cornwall and Gonerild. Oswald and Edmund | a. Lear and Gloucester |
| Who disappears from the play without explanation?a. Reganb. King of Francec. The Foold. Cornwall | c. The Fool |
| As he descends into madness, Lear decorates himself witha. a golden crownb. lavish garmentsc. flowersd. jewels | c. flowers |
| What does Lear do to the servant that is hanging Cordelia?a. Nothingb. He strangles the servantc. He beats the servant.d. He hangs the servant. | d. He hangs the servant. |
| “But I have a son, sir, by order of law, some year elder than this, who is no dearer in my account.”a. Kentb. Learc. Gloucesterd. Goneril | c. Gloucester |
| “I find she names my very deed of love; Only she comes too short, that I profess/ Myself and enemy to all other joys…”a. Reganb. Gonerilc. Cordeliad. Kent | a. Regan |
| “Let it be so. Thy truth, then, be thy dower…”a. Cordeliab. Gloucesterc. Leard. Edmund | c. Lear |
| “Thou, Nature, art my goddess. To thy law/My services are bound. Wherefore should I/Stand in the plague of custom, and permit/ The curiosity of nations to deprive me…”a. Edgarb. Reganc. Gonerild. Edmund | d. Edmund |
| “By night and day he wrongs me. Every hour/He flashes into one gross crime or other/ That sets us all at odds. I’ll not endure it.”a. Foolb. Gonerilc. Regand. Gloucester | b. Goneril |
| “All thy other titles thou has given away. That thou was born with.”a. Learb. Cornwallc. Gonerild. Fool | d. Fool |
| “As flies to wanton boys are we to th’ gods; They kill us for their sport.”a. Learb. Kentc. Foold. Gloucester | d. Gloucester |
| “Thus ________, O princes, bids you all adieu. He/ll shape is old course in a country new.”a. Kentb. Gloucesterc. Leard. King of France | a. Kent |
| “Go thrust him out at gates, and let him smell/ His way to Dover.”a. Gonerilb. Albanyc. Regand. Cornwall | c. Regan |
| All of the following are true about ancient Greek plays EXCEPT: a. They were performed for entertainment purposes only. b. They were originally all choral. c. They were held to honor the goddess Dionysius. d. All parts were performed by males. | a. They were performed for entertainment purposes only. |
| All of the following are true about the story pattern of Greek plays EXCEPT: a. The protagonist was a powerful figure.b. The lesser characters generally approved of the protagonist’s actions.c. The suffering endured by the protagonist was generally brought about by his own actions. d. The protagonist was wiser at the end of the play as a result of his suffering. | b. The lesser characters generally approved of the protagonist’s actions. |
| A dithyramb in ancient Greek theater was a. a choral poem.b. a song sung only by males.c. a song sung to honor the Goddess Dionysus. d. All of the above. | d. All of the above |
| Satyr plays in ancient Greek theater werea. usually crude and bawdy. b. usually performed at night. c. performed by an all-female cast.d. None of the above. | b. usually performed at night. |
| ______________ is known as the father of Greek tragedy. a. Thespisb. Euripides c. Sophocles d. Aeschylus | d. Aeschylus |
| Greek audiences typically knew what would happen in plays because the plays often derived from well-known myths. They were anxious to see how the events would unfold. This is called: a. dramatic sequencing. b. dynamic irony.c. redundant irony.d. dramatic irony. | d. dramatic irony |
| Aristotle believed that a true tragedya. should evoke pity from the audience.b. should evoke fear from the audience.c. ends in the death of the protagonist. d. Both a and b. e. Both a and c. | d. Both A and B |
| Which of the following situations would be a good starting point for a tragedy according to Aristotle? a. A rich man buys a house in California which gets destroyed in a major earthquake. b. A poor man decides to marry a woman he believes to be rich only to find out after they marry that she is penniless. c. A wealthy woman gives birth to a child only to find out that the child has a rare blood disease. d. A high-ranking politician loses his bid for re-election because people find out that he has been unfaithful to his wife. e. Both b and d.f. Both a and c. | d. A high-ranking politician loses his bid for re-election because people find out that he has been unfaithful to his wife. |
| Thespis’ claim to fame is that a. he was the first playwright to pull one actor from out of the chorus. b. he was the first playwright to pull two actors from out of the chorus. c. he was the first actor to develop imagery and scenery.d. None of the above. | a. He was the first playwright to pull one actor from out of the chorus. |
| Authentic Greek tragedy has six parts. The most important part is a. plot. b. characters.c. diction. d. song. | a. plot |
| Authentic Greek tragedies were self-contained with incidents bound together by internal necessity. This is called: a. Plot structureb. Plot unityc. Unity of action d. Action sequencing | c. unity of action |
| There could be no outside intervention that “saves the day” in authentic Greek tragedy. The Latin phrase for such a convention in the theater is called: a. Deus ex stella. b. Deus ex supra. c. Deus ex caelum. d. Deus ex machine. | d. Des ex machine. |
| Which sequence is correct with regard to short stories and Greek tragedies? a. Exposition – rising action – denoument – climax. b. Exposition – denoument – rising action – climax. c. Exposition – rising action – climax – denoument. d. Exposition – climax – rising action – denoument. | c. Exposition – rising action – climax – denoument. |
| The moment of enlightenment when the tragic hero realizes the consequences of his actions is called a. peripeteia. b. tragic moment. c. the lusis. d. anagnorisis. | d. anagnorisis. |
| Oedipus was born a. in Corinth. b. in Thebes. c. in Athens. d. in the Greek isles | a. in Corinth. |
| The oracle at Delphi prophesied that a. Oedipus would die. b. Oedipus would kill his father and marry his mother. c. Laius would kill his son. d. Laius would be killed by his son. | b. Oedipus would kill his father and marry his mother. |
| Oedipus saved which of the following cities form the Sphinx? a. Thebes b. Athensc. Corinthd. Rome | a. Thebes |
| Antigone defied her uncle’s decree regardinga. the burial of her sister.b. the burial of her brother.c. the burial of Oedipus.d. the burial of Jocasta. | b. the burial of her brother. |
| Polybus was a. Laius’ brother.b. Laius’ father.c. Oedipus’ step father.d. None of the above | c. Oedipus’ step father. |
| The play ends with a. Oedipus’ death.b. Oedipus’ exile. c. Oedipus’ blindness. d. both b and c. | d. both b and c. |
| “I pity you, children. You have come full of longing, but I have known the story before you too well.” | Oedipus |
| “My Lord, before you piloted this state we had a king called Laius.” | Creon |
| “Teiresias, you are versed in everything, things teachable and things not to be spoken, things of the heaven and earth-creeping things….You have no eyes but in your mind you know with a plague our city is afflicted.” | Oedipus |
| “Let me go home. It will be easier for both of us to bear our several destinies to the end if you will follow my advice.” | Teiresias |
| “You would provoke a stone! Tell us, you villain, tell us and do not stand there quietly unmoved and balking at the issue.” | Oedipus |
| “I say you are the murderer of the king whose murderer you seek.” | Teiresias |
| “Citizens, I have come because I heard deadly words spread about me, that the king accuses me.” | Creon |
| “Do not concern yourself with this matter; listen to me and learn that human beings have no part in the craft of prophecy.” | Jocasta |
| “As to your mother’s marriage bed – don’t fear it. Before this, in dreams too, as well as oracles, many a man has lain with his own mother.” | Oedipus |
| “O, O, O, they all will come out clearly. Light of the sun, let me look upon you no more after today.” | Oedipus |
King Lear Test – AP Lit
July 4, 2019