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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 Oscar Wilde resolve the conflict between progress and authority in his reading?

2. When does Oscar Wilde marry?

3. Which American writer found Oscar Wilde to be contemptuous?

4. What was Oscar Wilde's primary challenge in his fourth year at Oxford?

5. Why does Oscar Wilde go to Paris?

Short Essay Questions

1. Describe Oscar Wilde's marriage to Constance Lloyd.

2. Describe Oscar Wilde's relationship with Rennell Rodd.

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

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

5. Describe Oscar Wilde's financial situation while he was courting Constance Lloyd.

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

7. What was Oscar Wilde's relationship with Robert Harborough Sherard?

8. What is Wilde's experience in Paris?

9. How did Oscar Wilde feel about his studies at Oxford?

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

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Oscar Wilde was not only homosexual, but openly, even flagrantly homosexual. What explains his openness? What did he gain by it? How did it hurt him personally? How did it affect his career?

Essay Topic 2

Oscar Wilde stated that the work of art requires the destruction of previous works of art. How did he practice this theory in his own art? Can his public persona be considered the work of art that destroyed his plays and poems and his novel?

Essay Topic 3

Describe Oscar Wilde as a lecturer. What were his themes? What was his style? Where did he derive his authority from? What drew crowds to hear him speak? How did Wilde generate the 'buzz' that brought audiences? How was he received? Were audiences coming to see a public personality or to hear Wilde's thoughts on aesthetics and art?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 649 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample