Exam 2 English

The opening scene of Much Ado celebrates victory in a battle, who was fighting against whom?

Don John rebelled against his brother, Don Pedro

In Much Ado when Don John says "That young stat up hath all the glory of my overthrow," to whom is he referring?

Claudio

At the masked ball in Much Ado, name at least two characters who claim that Don Pedro has wooed Hero for himself?

Claudio, Benedict, Don Jon, and Borachio

Who says "Give not his rotten orange to your friend," and to whom does the "rotten orange" refer?

Claudio says this about Hero

In Much Ado who says "When I said I would be a bachelor, I did not think I should live till I were married?"

Benedick

In Much Ado who says "Against my will I am sen to bid you come to dinner," and to whom?

Beatrice says this to Benedict

In the opening acts of Much Ado, Shakespeare prepares us for the union of Beatrice and Benedick by all of the following EXCEPT - a) Beatrice's "aside" in which she reveals her desire to be married b) Beatrice and Benedick's verbal sparring c) Benedick's comparison of Hero to Beatrice d) the allusion to a prior flirtation

A. there is no such "aside"

What character in a Midsummer Night's Dream makes possible an insight similar to Dogberry?

Both Dogberry and Botton have real insights, their "betters" don't.

How has Falstaff "misused the King's press damnably" in 1 Henry VI?

he has hired men who buy their way out of service; he is left with a ragtag company, all of whom perish in the battle.

Give a brief example of how Shakespeare uses repetition for special effect in Much Ado.

Knowing/noting

In Much Ado what happens to the "old ornament of Benedick's check after being shaved"?

His beard became stuffing for tennis balls

To whom do the following lines in 1 Henry IV refer "A son who is the theme of honor's tongue/ Amongst the very straightest plant / Who is sweet Fortune's union and her pride"?

Hotspur

In 1 Henry IV who says "I'll so offend to make offensive a skill, "Redeeming time when men think least I will!" and what does he mean?

Prince Harry; he will some day seize the moment and amaze all with his transformation.

In 1 Henry IV who says and to whom "beware integral - the lion will not touch the true prince. Instinct is a great matter; I was now a coward on instinct."

Falstaff to Prince Hal

In Henry IV who thinks "The better part of valor is discretion."

Falstaff

what is the worst accusation that King Henry makes against his son in their private meeting that prompts the prince's emotional response that leads to their reconciliation?

he says that his son would fight against him if it ment money involved

At the end of 1 Henry IV the king of England is (a) the Prince of Wales (Henry V) (b) Henry IV (c) John of Lancaster (d) Richard II

b. Henry IV

At what battle does King Henry make his famous "band of brothers" speech in Shakespeare's Henry V?

Agincourt

What "trunk of treasure" do the French send to mock the young king in Henry V?

Tennis balls

With what does King Henry V threaten the French garrisons to force their surrender?

raping women, murdering the old men and spitting the babies on pikes.

In the opening scene of Henry V, what is the profession of the two characters who are involved in the Machiavellian intrigue?

both are high churchmen, the arch Bishop of Canterbury and the Bishop of Ely

How does Henry V display his fairness and sternness in confronting the Earl of Cambridge, Lord Scrope and Sir Thomas Grey at Southhampton before embarking for France?

he offers them the chance to be merciful to a commoner accuses of speaking against the king, then imposes a stern punishment when they show no mercy.

What is the not so subtle implication of the scene with Princess Catherine and Alice (in French) just after the scene before the gates of Harfluer?

Catherine's body is also "on offer" to the English in appeasement.

In the Prologue to Henry V, what issue does Shakespeare address through the first words of the Chorus. "O for a muse of fire, that would ascent/ The brightest heave of invention..."? That is, what is the solution to the problem?

He hopes for powerful inspiration to overcome the limitations of "this wooden O," the newly opened Globe, so must rely on the audience's imagination.

What happens to the King's old during companion Bardolph in Henry V and why?

Bardolph is hung for stealing form a church

Define dramatic irony using an example from Much Ado.

disparity between what a character knows (or does) and the audience's superior perspective; ex: when Benedick proclaims "This can be no trick!"

Explain the pun in the title of "Much Ado About Nothing".

"Nothing" would have been pronounced "noting" in Elizabethian English. This play is all about perceiving or "mis-noting" what goes on around us.

In Henry V with which of Shakespeare's contemporaries did the Chorus draw parallels to the English king in Act 5?

the Earl of Essex

What is the name of the star actor who left Shakespeare's company in 1599 (thus forcing Shakespeare from creating parts for this actor's style). What sort of roles did he normally play?

Will Kemp; he was a comic star whom jigs were also celebrated.

Who says Benedick will eventually fall in love with someone; "even the wildest beast can be made to bear a yoke"

Don Pedro

Don John wants to get revenge against who?

Claudio

Primogeniture

he inheritance network in the feudal system; that the eldest son inherits everything; doesn't split up land or property

How does Shakespeare use foils (i.e., contrasting characterizations) to great effect in 1 Henry IV? What does Shakespeare gain from using this dramatic device?

Shakespeare uses "foils" or dramatic contrast to great effect in this play. From the opening scene, Hotspur as the ideal son who wins a great victory and is the darling of Fortune is a "foil" to Prince Hal whose brow is stained with "riot and dishonor." The Prince knows he is being compared unfavorably to Hotspur and tells his father in their reconciliation scene that he will "redeem all this on Percy's head / And ... / Be bold to tell you that I am your son" (3.2.133-34). On the battlefield at Shrewsbury, he does just that, saving his father and the kingdom. In addition to their contrasting views on honor, Shakespeare uses other contrasts to show Prince Hal as a more balanced man: Falstaff is full of vitality but lacks a moral center and is also a coward; Hotspur is valiant but is too hot-tempered and at times vainglorious (too consumed with winning personal glory) Hotspur's personality is also a bit deformed in that he hates poetry and seems to haven time for anything in his world but war. These foils allow Shakespeare to illuminate and emphasize facets of his true hero, Prince Hal, by contrast.

How does Falstaff's conception of honor contrast with Hotspur's?

In one sense Falstaff is a parody of Hotspur: he is old, fat, preoccupied with sins of the flesh, and cowardly. Like Hotspur he is a "robber" who is foiled by the Prince (with Hotspur lying dead and Falstaff feigning death). But his very irresponsibility is enormously appealing to Hal. Falstaff's "catechism" on honor, though separates him from the Prince. Falstaff mingles truth with grim humor (as he did on the road to Coventry about the fate of his "pitiful rascals") but concludes that honor is a meaningless concept to him. Hotspur, on the other hand, is described as the "king of honor" and tells us himself he would undertake the most hazardous mission so long as he "might wear / Without corrival, all [honor's] dignities." That is, he is consumed with acquiring honor throughout the play. But his devotion to honor often clouds his judgment: he is so irate with the king's besmirching Mortimer's honor that his uncle cannot even tell him about the plot; he tells others about the conspiracy (against his uncle's advice), which leads to the king's discovering the plot, and he rushes into battle before all the rebel forces are assembled. By contrasting two extremes, Shakespeare prepares a context for Hal's notion of honor.

In the second scene of 1 Henry 4, how does Prince Harry undercut the contrast made between him and Hotspur in the opening scene?

Hotspur is used as a "foil" or contrast to Prince Hal throughout the play. In the opening scene Hotspur seems to be the ideal son: he wins a great victory at Holmedon; he is the pride and darling of Fortune. On the other hand, "riot and dishonor stain the brow" of the prince. Hotspur's very successes are "a conquest for a prince to boast of," as one courtier notes, which makes the king wish that some fairy would have exchanged his son for the valiant Harry Percy. The second scene seems to continue this comparison to Prince Hal's discredit since he seems far removed from the crisis now threatening England. Yet his first words to Falstaff suggests he knows the value of time (in contrast to Falstaff who seems oblivious to it). In every exchange with Falstaff, Shakespeare maintains some distance between the views of the two (e.g., when Falstaff tries to convince Hal to do away with executions, Hal tells him he will become the hangman). Finally, in his soliloquy at the end of the second scene, he reveals to the audience that he is merely biding his time with his low companions whom he will use to "foil" his own transformation into a political force.

How does Shakespeare in Much Ado challenge us to be more critical of how we "know" what we "know."

Interwoven with the story of two lovers being revealed to themselves is an exploration of the limits and method of knowing (which word recurs throughout the play often). The narrative is structured by a series of deceptions that help emphasize that judgment must temper what our senses seem to be telling us. The masked ball reveals that most of the character are deceived about what they think is happening: they "see" Don Pedro dancing with Hero then talking with her father, so they deduce he must be wooing her. Both Beatrice and Benedick think they can "see" clearly yet are easily deceived by their match-making friends. And Don John makes a mockery of the others with the window impersonation scene because he pre-conditions them to accept the scene he arranges for them to see. Only the Friar urges caution at the wedding when he recommends that what he knows of Hero's character through his experience of her commends her innocence—judgment must always be our guide.

Why are there so many deceptions in the opening two acts of Much Ado?

Shakespeare emphasizes the human capacity to misperceive events that happen around us. The discussion Claudio and Don Pedro have in the opening scene is overheard and misinterpreted by one of Antonio's servants, so Antonio tells Leonato that Don Pedro intends to woo Hero for himself. Borachio overhears the same conversation and reports to Don John that Don Pedro will woo Hero for himself then give her to Claudio (which is closer to the truth). At the masked ball more deception and misperception takes place: first of all, the men in masks are all pretending to be someone else. Then Don John recognizes Claudio, then calls him "Benedick" whom Claude then pretends to be. Nearly everyone (including Claudio and Benedick) sees Don Pedro dancing with Hero and speaking with Leonato and concludes that the prince is going to marry her. Shakespeare repeats this dramatic device early in the play to prepare us for the far more significant misperception/misnoting that will occur at the altar in the fourth act, where we will learn that judgment always must guide the senses in such matters.

How does the second scene of Henry V reveal the royal qualities of the young king?

The king faces a difficult situation: he decides to heed the advice of his father in healing a nation divided in civil war by facing a common enemy (2 Henry 4, 4.3.341-42). So he has made a claim for the French throne, though he is unsure of its legitimacy. We see him consulting the church for guidance and being wise in leaving enough troops at home to protect the north of England from its traditional threat, Scotland. Yet his character is shown to greatest advantage in his handling the insult conveyed by the French ambassador. His wit and resolve are both clearly displayed when he warns the French he will play a far more serious "game" of tennis against their countrymen. He does not lose his temper, yet makes his defiance of the vainglorious French quite clear. Thus the king can be political, spiritual, witty, and war-like at nearly the same time.