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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 did Oscar Wilde escape from being prosecuted for homosexuality?

2. What is Oscar Wilde's relationship with Major Nelson?

3. How was "A Woman of No Importance" received?

4. How did Oscar Wilde describe homosexuality in court?

5. What was the cause of Oscar Wilde's death?

Short Essay Questions

1. How is "The Picture of Dorian Gray" seen as a work about homosexuality?

2. What disturbing incidents does Oscar Wilde witness before leaving prison?

3. Why did Lord Alfred Douglas' parents refuse to press charges against Oscar Wilde?

4. How do Oscar Wilde's aesthetics develop during his time in Paris in 1891?

5. How do conditions change for Oscar Wilde when Major Nelson takes over at Reading jail?

6. What is the plot of Oscar Wilde's novel, "The Picture of Dorian Gray"?

7. Where does Oscar Wilde go after he is released from prison?

8. What was the outcome of Oscar Wilde's lawsuit against his lover's father, Lord Queensberry?

9. Describe the conditions under which Oscar Wilde was writing "The Importance of Being Earnest."

10. What happens to Oscar Wilde when he goes to prison?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

More than one of Oscar Wilde's plays was not produced on the stage. What effect do these failures have on his career? How does he compensate for failing to produce the plays? What does he learn from the experiences? Does he benefit in any way from the plays not being produced?

Essay Topic 2

Did dying change anything about Oscar Wilde? Did he look at his life with regrets? Did he look back with pride on his work and his actions? Was he proud of his legacy?

Essay Topic 3

Oscar Wilde wrote only one novel, "The Picture of Dorian Gray." How is this novel different from his plays and poems? What part of his personality does he express that is not expressed elsewhere? How does his novel resemble his plays and poems? How is it different?

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