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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 do Corvino and Mosca discuss, thinking that Valpone cannot hear them?

2. What are Sir Political Would-Be and Peregrine discussing as they sit outside Corvino's home?

3. How does Peregrine describe the local men who deal with medicine?

4. Which of the following adjectives best describes Sir Political Would-Be?

5. Who shows Voltore into Valpone's room?

Short Essay Questions

1. What gifts does Corbaccio bring to Valpone when he visits?

2. Why does Jonson lay out the entire plot of his play for the audience?

3. When Mosca converses with Corvino, what does he tell him has begun to cure Valpone's ailments?

4. How does Peregrine treat Sir Political Would-Be once he realizes that the man is gullible?

5. What confession does Valpone make to Voltore, and for what purpose?

6. How does Mosca react to the news that Valpone has been found out as a liar?

7. What con is Valpone pulling over the Venetian businessmen?

8. Who is Sir Political Would-Be?

9. What is Valpone's punishment for misleading the courts?

10. What role do Nano and Mosca play in Valpone's hopes of visiting with Celia?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Valpone spends most of the time in the play pretending to be ill. Give examples of three ways that Valpone pretends to be ill and what the reaction to his devices are. Why is it important to Valpone's plan that the legacy hunters believe that he is really ill?

Essay Topic 2

Historians have long struggled to classify "Valpone" as either a tragedy or a comedy. Briefly explain the characteristics of each genre and argue which category you believe "Valpone" belongs to, and why.

Essay Topic 3

There is a strict caste system in the world in which Valpone resides. Describe each of the levels of the caste system, who lives in each level, and how the levels can be identified by the audience, either through reading the text or watching a production of the play on stage.

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This section contains 773 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample