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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 was Shakespeare's contribution to "Two Noble Kinsmen"?

2. What character flaw does Bloom say runs through Othello?

3. What does Bloom say T. S. Eliot says about "Hamlet"?

4. What does Bloom say Thebes in "Two Noble Kinsmen" refers to?

5. For whom did Cressida betray Troilus?

Short Essay Questions

1. What does Bloom say was Shakespeare's role in "Two Noble Kinsmen"?

2. How does Bloom characterize the play "Pericles"?

3. What does Bloom say is the heart of "The Tempest"?

4. What does Bloom say is the moral of "All's Well That Ends Well"?

5. What does Bloom say makes "Hamlet" so fascinating?

6. What purpose does Bloom say "The Merry Wives of Windsor" serves among Shakespeare's plays?

7. What view does Bloom take on Iago's character?

8. What does Bloom say is the political subtext of "Troilus and Cressida"?

9. What is the role of love in "King Lear", according to Bloom?

10. Why does Bloom say "Timon of Athens" was not performed in Shakespeare's lifetime?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Evaluate your own reading of "Shakespeare: The Invention of the Human"--did you resist it, or were you compelled by the story? What does your reading tell you about yourself and your interests? Use specific examples from the book to describe yourself as a reader.

Essay Topic 2

How useful is the categorical breakdown Bloom uses--histories, comedies, tragedies, problem plays, etc.? Is there too much overlap between plays for these terms to be useful? What use does this schema of categorization have?

Essay Topic 3

Describe Bloom's critical perspective. What matters to him, and what parts of Shakespeare's plays, and the commentary on them, is uninteresting? How does he justify his focus?

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