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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. Why does Oscar Wilde go to Paris?

2. Who is Oscar Wilde's primary love interest at Oxford?

3. Who moves to London after Oscar Wilde graduates from Oxford?

4. Why does Oscar Wilde shy away from marriage?

5. Who cables Oscar Wilde with an invitation to lecture?

Short Essay Questions

1. Did Oscar Wilde's feelings about outdoor sports change any when he went to Oxford?

2. Where does Oscar Wilde move after graduating from Oxford?

3. Why was Oscar Wilde's personality so well-suited to be parodied in the theatre?

4. Describe the history and premier of Oscar Wilde's play "Vera."

5. What did Oscar Wilde regret when his father died?

6. What was Oscar Wilde's primary challenge in his fourth year at Oxford, and how did he meet it?

7. Where does Oscar Wilde try to find work after graduating from Oxford?

8. Why does Oscar Wilde skip his Baltimore speaking engagement?

9. Why does Oxford extend Oscar Wilde's Demyship?

10. Where does Oscar Wilde live after returning to Europe from America?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Oscar Wilde spent a considerable amount of time in Paris. Describe how he was treated differently in Paris than in England. Where was he most at home? Where were his ideas most accepted? How were England and France different for Wilde? What could he do in France that he could not do in England?

Essay Topic 2

Oscar Wilde was always extravagant with his money. How does his extravagance fit with his brief, epigrammatic literary style? Is there an aesthetic that unites these two aspects of his personality, or are they simply different sides of the writer's life?

Essay Topic 3

Describe Oscar Wilde's role as an art critic. What did he see as the critic's role in the art world? How did he perform that role himself? Was he consistent with his own prescription?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 625 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample