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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. At the beginning of the scene, Mortimer Junior brings news that what country is invading Normandy?

2. What noble rank has Gaveston been given by Scene 2?

3. Which of the following outrages is not one that his befallen the Bishop of Coventry?

4. Who do Lancaster and Mortimer say no longer inhabits the court?

5. According to Mortimer Junior, what do the Mortimers never do?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does Mortimer Junior convince the other nobles that Gaveston should be recalled?

2. Why is Isabella distraught in Scene 2?

3. What promises does Edward make to Isabella when she gives him the good news regarding Gaveston?

4. In what precarious situation are Spencer Junior and Baldock in Act 2, Scene 1?

5. How do Edward and Gaveston react to Isabella's entrance in Scene 4?

6. Describe the relationship between Leicester and Edward.

7. How does Edward react to giving up his crown?

8. Who is captured in the victory against Edward?

9. Describe the space where Edward is kept in Scene 5.

10. What fears do the nobles have regarding Kent in Scene 3?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Write an essay on the representation of evil in Edward II. Begin with the character of Lightborn as Marlowe's demonic creation; then examine some of the more subtle and ambiguous forms of evil in the story. Are there any major players that are completely malevolent? Does almost every major figure display some capacity for evil deeds? What is Marlowe saying about human nature with this cast of characters?

Essay Topic 2

In Marlowe's medieval England, murder is a carefully chosen and strategically effective means for altering the political dynamics of the realm. Write an essay about the key murders of the play and their effects in three parts:

Part 1) What are the noble's essential issues with Gaveston, and what other tactics do they attempt before murdering him? What is the final straw for the nobles, and what do they achieve with Gaveston's murder?

Part 2) Who decides that Kent must die, and how does he go about accomplishing this end? What is Kent's role in the political world of Edward II, and how does his removal change the dynamic?

Part 3) The murder of a king i s a major decision, rife with awful possibilities. Why do Isabella and Mortimer Junior decide to have Edward II killed after he is deposed? What do they hope to achieve? What is the ultimate result of this murder?

Essay Topic 3

Marlowe adeptly connects the larger, international crises of Edward II's England to the private and domestic quarrels the are the centerpiece of the plot. Write an essay, focusing on the two foreign armies that plague England throughout the play. How does Edward react to news of their success? How do major victories for them affect his relationship with the nobles? How are certain of these defeats the result of poor decisions Edward makes throughout the play?

Part 1) France.

Part 2) Scotland.

(see the answer keys)

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