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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. Which character officially swears in Mowbray and Bolingbroke at the duel?

2. Who tells of Bolingbroke's arrival in England?

3. Who of the following is not a character in Act 2, Scene 3?

4. "My comfort is that heaven will take our souls and plague injustice with the pains of hell." Who says this?

5. Where is Gaunt to go after Act 1, Scene 2?

Short Essay Questions

1. What is the major revelation of Act 1, Scene 4?

2. What happens at the end of Act 5, Scene 1? What does this say of York?

3. Why is the Duke of York not supportive of Bolingbroke's revolution?

4. When is it apparent in the play that Richard will be succeeded?

5. How is Richard's kingship represented in Act 1, Scene 1?

6. What does Bushy announce in Act 1, Scene 4 and how does Richard react?

7. Are Richard and the Queen allowed to be together? Where are they being sent?

8. What does Exton say Bolingbroke spoke twice in Act 5, Scene 4?

9. What is the overall mood of Act 2, Scene 2?

10. How does Richard respond immediately after learning of Gaunt's death? Who responds the harshest to this news, and what does he say to Richard?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

How is reading a play a different experience than reading a novel? Which aspects of "Richard II" were most helpful for you to visualize the events? How would this have been different should "Richard II" have been a novel?

Essay Topic 2

Richard and Bolingbroke exuded an "opposite parallelism" throughout the entire play. When Richard was powerful, Bolingbroke was not, and vice versa. The degrees of this parallelism seemed to correlate with one another throughout the story as well. Discuss this connection using examples from the play and what it meant for the story.

Essay Topic 3

In the first scene, we see Richard behaving quite fairly and just as a leader. In the second, we are given reason to question his righteousness. By the third scene, we witness Richard banish Bolingbroke for a particularly unclear reason. Describe your experience trusting Richard, and mark the point in the play when you completely understood he was untrustworthy.

(see the answer keys)

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