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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. What does Emperor Jones do after he shoots at the apparition in the third forest scene?

2. Which answer describes Jeff's movements?

3. How does Emperor Jones say he killed Jeff?

4. Which literary term describes the structure of the first three forest scenes?

5. Why was Emperor Jones foolish to have fired his gun in the forest?

Short Essay Questions

1. Describe the setting for the first scene of the play.

2. Describe Emperor Jones' appearance in the first scene.

3. What progress, if any, has Emperor Jones made in the fifth forest scene?

4. In what way is Emperor Jones' situation ironic?

5. Contrast Emperor Jones' status in the first scene with his status at the end of the sixth forest scene.

6. How have the natives prepared to kill Emperor Jones?

7. Explain how Emperor Jones attained his authority over the natives.

8. Which characters talk about Jones in the final scene? What do they say?

9. What effect do the formless fears have on Emperor Jones?

10. How does Emperor Jones' appearance change in the third forest scene?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Emperor Jones uses violence to solve certain problems in his life, but he is brought down by an act of violence himself. Compare and contrast his murder of Jeff and his murder by the natives. How are they similar? How are they different? Is one act of violence equivalent to another? Is one more or less just than the other?

Essay Topic 2

What is the moral of Emperor Jones? Does the play teach a moral? If you think it does, describe how that lesson is presented. If you think that it does not, what does it teach us, if not a moral?

Essay Topic 3

How does the action of the play affect you as a viewer? Are you sympathetic to Emperor Jones' situation or does he seem like a villain? Do you want him to escape, or do you want him to be caught and killed? How does the play manipulate your sympathies and expectations? Do you feel relieved at the conclusion? Do you feel that justice has been done?

(see the answer keys)

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