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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. How does Mortimer Junior characterize Gaveston in Scene 4?

2. With what does Edward threaten Mortimer Junior after the brawl of Scene 2?

3. Who is the first noble that Edward publicly forgives after Gaveston is repealed in Scene 4?

4. Where is Isabella headed when Mortimer halts her in Scene 2?

5. What land's ship do the nobles take to pursue Gaveston at the end of Scene 3?

Short Essay Questions

1. What are the fates of Edward, Spencer Junior and Baldock after they are discovered?

2. Why does Isabella appeal specifically to Mortimer in this scene?

3. What fate befalls the nobles in Scene 3?

4. To what extent is Mortimer's pride getting the best of him in Scene 4?

5. How does Edward reward Gaveston when the two are reunited?

6. How is Edward dealing with Mortimer's escape?

7. What revenge does Gaveston have on the Bishop of Coventry, and why?

8. How is Kent's attitude toward Mortimer and Isabella changing in this scene?

9. What is Baldock's attitude toward the court?

10. Who is captured in the victory against Edward?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

The relationship between Gaveston and Edward II is both intense and ambiguous. Write an essay about it, dissecting its purpose within the plot. Does Gaveston ever make mention of his social advancement through Edward? What are the nobles' concerns regarding him? Does Marlowe ever make explicit reference to homosexuality in the play? What does Edward's passionate attachment to Gaveston represent in the world of the play?

Essay Topic 2

Queen Isabella is perhaps the most dynamic character in the play, moving from wronged woman to warrior to conniver. Write an essay charting this progress and focusing on these three manifestations. What does she want from Edward II at the beginning of the play, and at what point does she give up on this hope? What does her relationship with Mortimer Junior say about her position in the conflict between Edward and the nobles? How does her personality change in the final two acts?

Essay Topic 3

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?

(see the answer keys)

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