Aphra Behn

Study question Aphra Behn

Facts about Aphra Behn

➾ Aphra Behn, the author, was born in 1640 (approximately) in either Harbledown or Kent, England, but her origin is debated.

➾ Behn’s birth origin remains a mystery, suggesting she may have deliberately obscured details of her early life.

➾ She became the first Englishwoman known to successfully earn her living entirely by writing prose and plays.

➾ One tradition states she travelled to Suriname, then an English possession, with a couple named Amis.

➾ Aphra Behn was more likely the daughter of a barber named Bartholomew Johnson, according to one account.

➾ She married a merchant named Behn in 1664; he died or they separated shortly after.

➾ King Charles II employed the witty and talented Aphra Behn for secret service work in the Netherlands.

➾ She was unrewarded for her government service and briefly imprisoned due to accruing debt before writing.

➾ Though she wrote a sole tragedy, Abdelazer, she increasingly turned toward writing light comedy and farce.

➾ Behn claimed acquaintance with the enslaved African prince, Oroonoko, the central subject of her short 1688 novel.

➾ Her relative freedom as a professional writer, plus the subject matter, made her the object of public scandal.

➾ Her play, The Emperor of the Moon (1687), interestingly presaged the harlequinade, leading to English pantomime.

Afra Behn MCQs

1. When was Aphra Behn born?

A. Sixteen forty
B. Sixteen sixty
C. Sixteen eighty
D. Seventeen oh-five

A. Sixteen forty
Aphra Behn’s birth year is approximately 1640, though a precise date and location are not completely certain.

2. Where was Aphra Behn most likely born?

A. Harbledown, Kent
B. London, England
C. Naples, Italy
D. Suriname, Caribbean

A. Harbledown, Kent
She was born in Harbledown, Kent, England, although the exact location and time remain part of an enduring mystery.

3. In what year did Aphra Behn pass away?

A. Sixteen seventy
B. Sixteen eighty-nine
C. Seventeen oh-three
D. Seventeen eighteen

B. Sixteen eighty-nine
Aphra Behn died in London on April 16, 1689, concluding her impactful and financially successful career as a writer.

4. Where did Aphra Behn die?

A. Naples
B. Madrid
C. London
D. Kent

C. London
Aphra Behn died in the city of London on April 16, 1689, having lived and worked there professionally.

5. What is Aphra Behn famous for being first to do?

A. Write poetry
B. Earn a living by writing
C. Travel to Suriname
D. Write a comedy

B. Earn a living by writing
She is recognised as the first known Englishwoman who successfully earned her living solely through writing.

6. What was Behn’s first play produced?

A. The Rover
B. The Emperor
C. The Forced Marriage
D. Oroonoko

C. The Forced Marriage
Her inaugural play, The Forc’d Marriage, a tragicomedy in verse, was first produced for the stage in 1670.

7. Which short novel, addressing slavery and race, was published in 1688?

A. Love-Letters
B. The Fair Jilt
C. Oroonoko
D. The Rover

C. Oroonoko
The short novel Oroonoko, published in 1688, became her best-known work by the turn of the 21st century.

8. Which literary genre draws the most current interest regarding Behn’s work?

A. Verse tragedy
B. Her fiction
C. Early pantomime
D. Secret Service files

B. Her fiction
Although she wrote many plays, her fiction, especially Oroonoko, currently attracts significantly more academic interest.

9. What description characterised Aphra Behn’s personality, according to sources?

A. Reserved and shy
B. Charm and generosity
C. Cynical and distant
D. Wealthy and powerful

B. Charm and generosity
Her charm and generosity were noted traits that helped her win a wide circle of devoted friends.

10. What profession is one tradition suggesting Behn’s father held?

A. A dramatist
B. A merchant
C. A barber
D. A spy

C. A barber
One tradition identifies Behn as the daughter of Bartholomew Johnson, who worked as a barber.

11. What was the name of the couple Behn allegedly travelled with to Suriname?

A. The Johnsons
B. The Amis
C. The Stuarts
D. The Roves

B. The Amis
One tradition suggests she travelled to Suriname in the 1650s with a couple known only as Amis.

12. In what decade did Behn potentially travel to Suriname?

A. The 1640s
B. The 1650s
C. The 1660s
D. The 1680s

B. The 1650s
According to one tradition, the child known as Aphra travelled to Suriname sometime during the 1650s.

13. What English possession did Behn travel to in the 1650s or 1663?

A. Naples
B. London
C. Kent
D. Suriname

D. Suriname
Behn travelled with her family, or possibly the Amis couple, to the English possession of Suriname.

14. When did Behn return to England from her travels abroad?

A. Sixteen sixty-three
B. Sixteen sixty-four
C. Sixteen sixty-six
D. Sixteen seventy

B. Sixteen sixty-four
She returned to England in 1664, shortly thereafter marrying a merchant named Behn.

15. What status did Behn’s husband hold?

A. A barber
B. A dramatist
C. A merchant
D. A king’s spy

C. A merchant
After returning to England, she married a man named Behn, identified in the source as a merchant.

16. Who employed Aphra Behn in secret service in the 1660s?

A. King George I
B. King Charles II
C. Queen Anne
D. Lord Protector

B. King Charles II
Due to her recognised talent and wit, she was hired for secret service work by King Charles II.

17. In which country did Behn serve as a spy for the English Crown?

A. France
B. The Netherlands
C. Spain
D. Italy

B. The Netherlands
King Charles II employed Behn for secret service duties carried out in the Netherlands in 1666.

18. Why did Behn begin writing professionally?

A. Personal passion
B. To gain fame
C. To support herself
D. King’s orders

C. To support herself
Unrewarded for her spy work and briefly imprisoned for debt, she turned to writing to earn a living.

19. What happened to Behn immediately before she began writing?

A. She travelled
B. She was imprisoned
C. She married
D. She published

B. She was imprisoned
Behn was briefly imprisoned for debt after her secret service work, before she started supporting herself by writing.

20. What is known about Behn’s early life origin?

A. It is clear
B. It is well-documented
C. It is a mystery
D. It is highly simple

C. It is a mystery
Behn may have intentionally obscured her background, leading to the lasting mystery surrounding her early life.

21. What was the name of the potential father, a barber, mentioned in one tradition?

A. Bartholomew Johnson
B. Charles Behn
C. Prince Oroonoko
D. Amis Bartholomew

A. Bartholomew Johnson
One tradition suggests she was the daughter of a barber named Bartholomew Johnson, though the account is disputed.

22. What description led to Behn being employed by the King?

A. Her great beauty
B. Her great wealth
C. Her wit and talent
D. Her noble birth

C. Her wit and talent
Her recognised wit and talent led to her employment in the secret service by King Charles II in 1666.

23. What primary dramatic form characterised Behn’s initial works?

A. High tragedy
B. Satirical poems
C. Tragicomedies in verse
D. Epistolary novels

C. Tragicomedies in verse
Behn’s early dramatic works, including her first play, were generally structured as tragicomedies presented in verse format.

24. What type of work was Behn’s play Abdelazer?

A. A light comedy
B. A verse tragedy
C. A short novel
D. A tragicomedy

B. A verse tragedy
Abdelazer, staged in 1676, stands out as Behn’s sole known tragedy among her dramatic and vast output.

25. When was Behn’s single tragedy, Abdelazer, staged?

A. Sixteen seventy
B. Sixteen seventy-six
C. Sixteen seventy-seven
D. Sixteen eighty-one

B. Sixteen seventy-six
Behn’s only tragedy, Abdelazer, was performed for the first time on stage in 1676.

26. What was The Amorous Prince, produced in 1671?

A. A tragedy
B. A farce
C. An early play
D. A poem

C. An early play
The Amorous Prince followed her first play, The Forc’d Marriage, being successfully produced on stage in 1671.

27. What category did Behn increasingly focus on during the 1670s?

A. Sole tragedy
B. Light comedy/farce
C. Epistolary novels
D. Historical fiction

B. Light comedy/farce
Over the 1670s, Behn shifted her dramatic attention toward the commercially popular genres of light comedy and farce.

28. Which of Behn’s comedies was commercially successful and produced in two parts?

A. The Amorous Prince
B. Abdelazer
C. The Rover
D. The Fair Jilt

C. The Rover
The witty and vivacious comedy The Rover was highly successful, staged in two distinct parts.

29. In what years were the two parts of The Rover produced?

A. 1670 and 1671
B. 1677 and 1681
C. 1684 and 1687
D. 1688 and 1689

B. 1677 and 1681
The two commercially successful parts of The Rover were staged four years apart, in 1677 and 1681.

30. Who were the main characters whose adventures The Rover depicts?

A. Enslaved Africans
B. English Cavaliers
C. Dutch merchants
D. French aristocrats

B. English Cavaliers
The Rover follows the lively adventures of a small group of English Cavaliers during their period of political exile.

31. In which European cities do the events of The Rover take place?

A. London and Paris
B. Amsterdam and Dover
C. Madrid and Naples
D. Rome and Venice

C. Madrid and Naples
The story of The Rover is set in Madrid and Naples while the English Cavaliers are in exile.

32. The Emperor of the Moon presaged the development of what form of comic theatre?

A. Harlequinade
B. Burlesque
C. Opera
D. Masque

A. Harlequinade
The Emperor of the Moon, first staged in 1687, foreshadowed the emerging comic theatre form known as the harlequinade.

33. What did the harlequinade later evolve into in England?

A. English opera
B. English tragedy
C. English pantomime
D. English satire

C. English pantomime
The harlequinade, anticipated by Behn’s work, later evolved into the popular form of English pantomime.

34. How were Behn’s comedies successful?

A. Long and dull
B. Witty and vivacious
C. Dark and mysterious
D. Traditional and plain

B. Witty and vivacious
Her commercially successful light comedies, like The Rover, are described specifically as both witty and very vivacious.

35. What is the subject of the plot of Behn’s novel Oroonoko?

A. A wealthy king
B. An enslaved prince
C. A Dutch spy
D. A London barber

B. An enslaved prince
Oroonoko recounts the story of an enslaved African prince whom Behn claimed to have personally known.

36. When was Behn’s short novel Oroonoko published?

A. Sixteen seventy-six
B. Sixteen eighty-four
C. Sixteen eighty-eight
D. Sixteen eighty-nine

C. Sixteen eighty-eight
The novel Oroonoko, which focuses on themes of slavery and race, was published in 1688.

37. What themes does Oroonoko engage with that make it relevant today?

A. Theatre and exile
B. Debt and spying
C. Slavery and race
D. Religion and faith

C. Slavery and race
Oroonoko’s engagement with themes like slavery, race, and gender contributed significantly to its enduring fame.

38. What helped make Oroonoko her best-known work by the 21st century?

A. Its use of farce
B. Its plot influence
C. Its development of novel
D. Its financial success

C. Its development of novel
Its influence on the development of the English novel contributed significantly to its ongoing critical recognition.

39. What form of novel is Love-Letters Between a Nobleman and His Sister?

A. A short novel
B. A tragicomedy
C. An epistolary novel
D. A verse narrative

C. An epistolary novel
Love-Letters Between a Nobleman and His Sister is described as a multipart novel written in the epistolary format.

40. Over what years was Love-Letters Between a Nobleman and His Sister published?

A. 1677–1681
B. 1684–1687
C. 1688–1689
D. 1666–1670

B. 1684–1687
This multipart epistolary novel, Love-Letters, was published serially from 1684 to 1687.

41. The Fair Jilt (1688) falls under which category of Behn’s work?

A. Poetry
B. Fiction
C. Tragedy
D. Secret Service

B. Fiction
The Fair Jilt is listed among Behn’s other notable popular fiction works, published in 1688.

42. Where did Behn claim to have met the enslaved Prince Oroonoko?

A. London society
B. South America
C. The Netherlands
D. Spain

B. South America
Behn claimed that she had personally known Prince Oroonoko during her time in South America.

43. Which genre, besides plays, became the source of Behn’s greatest modern interest?

A. Poetry
B. Fiction
C. Letters
D. Adaptations

B. Fiction
Today, Behn’s fiction, such as Oroonoko, is considered more interesting and influential than her many plays.

44. What was notable about Behn’s professional freedom as a writer?

A. It was restricted
B. It was complete
C. It was relative
D. It was forbidden

C. It was relative
Her relative freedom as a professional writer, alongside her subject matter, contributed to her public scandal.

45. The bulk of Behn’s poetry was collected in which publication?

A. The Rover
B. Lycidus
C. Poems upon Occasions
D. Love-Letters

C. Poems upon Occasions
The majority of her poetry output was collected together in the volume Poems upon Several Occasions.

46. What year was the collection Poems upon Several Occasions published?

A. 1670
B. 1684
C. 1687
D. 1688

B. 1684
The poetry collection, Poems upon Several Occasions, which included A Voyage to the Island of Love, appeared in 1684.

47. Lycidus; or, The Lover in Fashion was a collection of poetry published in which year?

A. 1677
B. 1684
C. 1688
D. 1689

C. 1688
Lycidus; or, The Lover in Fashion, one of Behn’s later poetry collections, was published in the year 1688.

48. Behn’s output was described as being what?

A. Focused
B. Immense
C. Sparse
D. Traditional

B. Immense
Behn’s overall output of plays, fiction, and poetry is specifically described in the sources as immense.

49. Which factor, besides her freedom, made Behn the object of scandal?

A. Her wealth
B. Her travels
C. Her subject matter
D. Her political ties

C. Her subject matter
The often provocative subject matter of her varied literary works contributed significantly to the existing scandal.

50. Besides original work, what else did Behn often do regarding drama?

A. Adapted older dramatists
B. Translated French plays
C. Wrote long treatises
D. Designed costumes

A. Adapted older dramatists
Her versatility included frequently adapting the plays of various older dramatists.

The False Count MCQs

1. Who snatches Julia from Carlos’s arms?

A. Old buffoon
B. Rich miser
C. Ill-bred Francisco
D. Beastly fool

C. Ill-bred Francisco.
Carlos complains that Julia was taken by Francisco, who is described as an ill-bred, ridiculous buffoon, past pleasure.

2. Why did Carlos originally keep his love for Julia secret?

A. Father’s fear
B. Julia’s wish
C. Raging lovers
D. Sacred vows

A. Father’s fear.
Carlos feared his father, the late Governor, would not consent to his passionate relationship with Julia.

3. How did Julia warn Carlos about her forced marriage?

A. Secret meeting
B. Dropped letter
C. Father’s curse
D. Silent tears

B. Dropped letter.
Julia informed Carlos about her impending marriage the night before by dropping a letter from her window.

4. How does Francisco treat Julia after their marriage?

A. Beloved queen
B. Close prisoner
C. Dear companion
D. Reluctant wife

B. Close prisoner.
Francisco keeps Julia confined strictly, treating her more like a close prisoner than a loving wife.

5. What is Antonio’s social position compared to Carlos’s?

A. Below quality
B. High honour
C. Spanish Grandee
D. Title birth

A. Below quality.
Antonio acknowledges Carlos is a person much above him in title and birth, recognising his own lower status.

6. What was Francisco’s original trade in his youth?

A. Merchant Cordwinder
B. Leather seller
C. Rich banker
D. Spanish Grandee

A. Merchant Cordwinder.
Francisco began his career as an English Cordwinder (shoemaker), which he later improved upon to become a Merchant.

7. Why does Isabella look down on Antonio?

A. Sawcy fellow
B. Lacks money
C. Base mechanic
D. Loves Clara

C. Base mechanic.
Isabella calls Antonio a “base Mechanick” and a “little Cit” because he works as a Merchant.

8. Who does Antonio actually love?

A. Julia’s sister
B. Proud Isabella
C. Young beauty
D. Don Carlos

A. Julia’s sister.
Antonio is secretly in love with Clara, Julia’s young sister, and is only pretending to court Isabella.

9. What revenge does Antonio plan for Isabella’s scorn?

A. Duel challenge
B. Dire revenge
C. Marriage refusal
D. Secret plot

B. Dire revenge.
Antonio is so vexed by Isabella’s pride that he resolves to invent some “dire Revenge” against her.

10. What was the occupation of the man Carlos chose for the plot?

A. Country farrier
B. Chimney Sweeper
C. Noble Lord
D. Cobler Jackson

B. Chimney Sweeper.
Carlos and Antonio hire a quick-witted fellow named Guilion, who works as a Chimney Sweeper in Cadez.

11. What titles do Carlos and Antonio decide to give Guilion?

A. English Lord
B. French Count
C. Either specified
D. Dùmb Ambassador

C. Either specified.
Carlos tells Antonio they will furnish Guilion to pretend to be either an “English Lord, or a French Count”.

12. Where is Guilion usually found seeking employment?

A. Church wall
B. City streets
C. Carlos’s lodgings
D. Spanish Inn

A. Church wall.
Guzman confirms that the Chimney Sweeper Guilion always stands seeking work under Saint Jago’s Church-wall.

13. What sin does Jacinta suggest Heaven would forgive Julia?

A. Adultery love
B. Secret vows
C. Breaking heart
D. Marrying Francisco

A. Adultery love.
Jacinta argues that since Julia’s marriage to Francisco was not Heaven-made, the sin of adultery might be forgiven.

14. Why does Julia hate her life and want Carlos dead?

A. He is false
B. Carlos loves
C. She is jealous
D. Father’s fault

C. She is jealous.
Julia is so intensely jealous that she vows to kill herself the night Carlos marries her sister, Clara.

15. What quality of Francisco’s person does he boast about?

A. Civil behaviour
B. Comly personage
C. Exact judgment
D. Sole master

B. Comly personage.
Francisco believes Baltazar gave him Julia because he deserved her for his civil behaviour and his “Comly Personage”.

16. What fear causes Francisco to want to leave Cadez quickly?

A. Wedding expense
B. Young gallants
C. Wife’s family
D. Rude thing

B. Young gallants.
Francisco fears the presence of young Gallants like Carlos, believing they endanger his wife’s honour, so he wishes to leave.

17. What physical manifestation does Francisco claim jealousy causes?

A. Raging fits
B. Swollen face
C. Bump forehead
D. Lost wits

C. Bump forehead.
Francisco claims that worrying about his wife’s conversation with young men has already raised a “Bump in my forehead”.

18. Why does Francisco object to Julia visiting the Governor?

A. Old stories
B. Rude honour
C. Kindred mixture
D. Wife’s civility

C. Kindred mixture.
Francisco fears that due to the complicated relationships, a confusing mixture of family titles (brother, uncle, aunt) will arise.

19. What does Francisco claim is due to men of Carlos’s rank?

A. No honor
B. Slave’s service
C. Due honour
D. Keep rank

D. Keep rank.
Francisco tells Baltazer he does not care for Carlos’s rank, insisting his wife is his “slave” and Carlos should “keep his Rank”.

20. Who informs Francisco of Carlos’s great friendship?

A. Guzman’s servant
B. Jacinta maid
C. Baltazer’s father
D. Julia’s wife

A. Guzman’s servant.
Guzman approaches Francisco to deliver Carlos’s message, proclaiming his master’s “more than ordinary Friendship”.

21. How does Francisco describe his wife’s health condition?

A. Ague fit
B. Lonely silence
C. New disorder
D. Palsey shook

A. Ague fit.
Francisco lies to Guzman, saying that the Cadez air does not agree with his wife, and that she has already caught an “Ague already”.

22. How does Guzman manage to deliver the letter to Julia?

A. Secret whisper
B. Over shoulder
C. In private
D. During the fight

B. Over the shoulder.
Guzman pretends to whisper a secret to Francisco while passing the letter to Julia over his shoulder.

23. What action does Julia take immediately after Francisco leaves?

A. Writes the answer
B. Meets Carlos
C. Packs tools
D. Studies plot

A. Write the answer.
Julia quickly goes to her chamber, intending to write an answer to Carlos’s “dear Letter”.

24. What type of literature does Isabella despise Antonio for reading?

A. Base commodities
B. Dirty money
C. Pen and Ink
D. Traffick trade

C. Pen and Ink.
Isabella accuses Antonio of only understanding his “Pen and Ink” to count his money and deal with base commodities.

25. What sound does Isabella find disagreeable coming from a Citizen?

A. Bargain Sale
B. Traffic trade
C. Sawcy Impertinent
D. Don name

D. Don name.
Isabella states that the word “Don” is disagreeable when spoken from the mouth of a “little Cit” (Citizen).

26. What allowed Julia and Carlos to meet for the first time?

A. Francisco’s exit
B. Jacinta’s call
C. Antonio’s wait
D. Clara’s help

A. Francisco’s exit.
Julia tells Carlos that Francisco’s unexpected exit was key, and he will return quickly.

27. What does Carlos consider a lesser sin than murder?

A. Adultery act
B. Robbing Julia
C. Coward lovers
D. Breaking vows

A. Adultery act.
Carlos decides against killing Francisco, concluding that “Adultery is a lesser sin than Murder”.

28. Why does Francisco think Julia is pretending to love him?

A. Wants him gone
B. Subtil Serpent
C. Wicked woman
D. Needs honour

A. Wants him gone.
Francisco becomes convinced Julia is trying to get rid of him quickly to receive a lover, calling her a “subtil Serpent”.

29. What threat do the Mutes use against Francisco?

A. Bow-string
B. Castriated honour
C. Dirty money
D. Strapado death

A. Bow-string.
When Francisco gets violent, the Mutes place a bow string around his neck to strangle him, silencing his rage.

30. What physical feature of Carlos does Julia praise when resisting him?

A. Fine hair
B. Blue eyes
C. Pretty mouth
D. Sprightly air

B. Blue eyes.
The disguised Carlos praises Julia’s “Heaven-blew and charming” eyes, white neck, and beautiful complexion.

31. What profession does Guilion suggest he should not want?

A. Witty Lord
B. Wise Lord
C. Knavish Lord
D. Foolish Lord

A. Witty Lord.
When planning his persona, Guilion quickly declines to play the Witty Lord, saying he defies that capacity.

32. What quality do clothes, garnish, points, and feathers impart?

A. Wit and sense
B. Noble breeding
C. Cavalier status
D. Good humour

C. Cavalier status.
Guilion asserts that clothes and fine accessories have the power to transform him into an “en Cavalier”.

33. How did Julia’s maid secure Lodwick’s escape in the morning?

A. Feigned sickness
B. Gave Cordial
C. Split him
D. Called Apothecary

A. Feigned sickness.
Jacinta explains that Julia feigned sickness at daybreak, creating a diversion for her lover to slip out.

34. Why does Francisco think he should fear the Lords near his wife?

A. Plaguie things
B. Look breeding
C. Dangerous sight
D. Need instruction

A. Plague things.
Francisco warns the women that Lords are “plaguie things to women” because gazing quickly leads to mischief.

35. How does Guilion demonstrate the rudeness expected of a Grandee?

A. Calls him
B. Overthrows Fran
C. Uses Signes
D. Reads letters

B. Overthrows Fran.
While detailing his fictional duel, Guilion “justles” Francisco and overthrows him to show his “great” manners.

36. Why does Guilion refuse to show the Ladies his wound?

A. Too odd
B. Sign of coward
C. Dirty spot
D. Spoiler dancing

B. Sign of a coward.
Guilion’s Page warns him that showing a wound in his back would make the ladies think he is a coward.

37. What does Guilion intend to purchase with Isabella’s dowry money?

A. Fine attire
B. Honour Pins
C. New Gally
D. Turkey treats

B. Honour Pins.
Isabella says her dowry money is trivial but will “serve to buy our Honour Pins” after their marriage.

38. What did Guilion compare all other women’s beauty to?

A. Soot to her
B. Full moon
C. Morning stars
D. Glorious titles

A. Soot to her.
Guilion, describing Isabella’s charm, tells Carlos that all other beauties are merely “Soot to her”.

39. What does Julia ask Francisco to let her do?

A. Make a visit
B. Go up
C. Fetch sister
D. Write a letter

A. Make visit.
Julia requests permission from Francisco to visit her Aunt, where her sister Clara is currently staying.

40. What prevents Francisco from being certain about Guilion’s rank?

A. Dirty letter
B. Bill’s thousands
C. Lack manners
D. Staring wife

D. Staring wife.
Francisco gets distracted from the financial bills because Guilion is staring so intensely at his wife, Julia.

41. How does Julia manage to retire with Carlos unseen?

A. Francisco’s anger
B. Guilion’s discourse
C. Antonio’s exit
D. Jacinta’s help

B. Guilion’s discourse.
Carlos instructs Guilion to hold Francisco in discourse while he retires with Julia for a brief, dear moment.

42. What does Francisco confess to Julia that he is afraid of?

A. Being killed
B. Losing honour
C. Strangulation fear
D. Being enslaved

C. Strangulation fear.
Francisco admits he will comply with the Turk’s demand because he shall “ne’er indure strangling neither”.

43. Why does Francisco call Julia a “fool” to her face?

A. To save
B. Stubborn virtue
C. Refusing Turk
D. Lack of grace

C. Refusing Turk.
Francisco calls Julia a “silly Fool” because her refusal of the Turk’s advances endangers his life.

44. How does Francisco attempt to convince Julia to submit to the Turk?

A. For charity
B. For pleasure
C. Against virtue
D. For freedom

A. For charity.
Francisco begs Julia, if not for love, then “for Charity” to allow herself to be Cuckolded to save his life.

45. What does Francisco propose to pay for his wife’s transgression?

A. Exchange no
B. Pay with money
C. Lost virtue
D. Round ransom

B. Pay with money.
Francisco notes the severity of the trick, stating that being Cuckolded is bad enough, but “the Lender to pay Use-money, is somewhat severe”.

46. What excuse does Julia use to explain her “mad” husband’s compliance?

A. Copy countenance
B. Real reformation
C. Bewitched man
D. Loss of wits

A. Copy countenance.
Julia claims her husband is mad and suggests his compliant behaviour is only a “copy of her countenance” (pretence).

47. How long does Guzman guarantee Francisco will be senseless?

A. Half an hour
B. One fortnight
C. A few days
D. Many months

B. One fortnight.
Guzman assures Carlos that Francisco is in a trance and will not be able to speak sense for “a play-day for so long at least” (one fortnight).

48. Who is revealed to be the Grand Signior (Great Turk)?

A. Antonio merchant
B. Don Carlos
C. Baltazer’s father
D. Guilion count

B. Don Carlos.
Francisco discovers the man he thought was the Great Turk is actually Don Carlos, the Governor of Cadez.

49. What does Francisco threaten to do regarding his daughter’s inheritance?

A. Disown her
B. Give nothing
C. Burn papers
D. Settle more

B. Give nothing.
Francisco is so angry about the deception that he vows he “will not give her a farthing”.

50. What trade was Francisco’s father before he grew rich?

A. Leather seller
B. Chimney sweeper
C. Fine Cavalier
D. Sivil Merchant

A. Leather seller.
Francisco states that his own father was a “Leather-seller” who grew rich, enabling Francisco to set up as a Merchant.

Brief Overview

The False Count, or A New Way to Play an Old Game, is a play by Aphra Behn. It was first performed in 1681 and published in 1682. This Restoration comedy examines themes of social class, love, and the corrupting influence of money and power.

The story centers on Old Francisco, a rich, jealous man married to the young Julia. Julia loves Don Carlos, the Governor. Francisco’s proud daughter, Isabella, hates the merchant her father wants her to marry, Antonio. Antonio loves Clara, Julia’s sister, and seeks revenge on Isabella for her scorn.

Carlos and Antonio plan a trick. They hire Guilion, a quick-witted chimney sweeper, to pretend to be a rich “Count”. Isabella, motivated by class vanity, immediately falls for this False Count. Francisco agrees that the Count can marry Isabella instead of Antonio.

The group takes a boat trip. Carlos and his servant, Guzman, stage a fake “Turkish” attack. Francisco is captured and believes he is a slave in Turkey. Carlos, dressed as the Great Turk, demands Julia. Terrified, Francisco begs Julia to submit to the Turk to save his life.

Antonio marries Clara, and Isabella marries the False Count. The trick is exposed. Francisco learns the “Turk” was Carlos, and he was safe near Cadez. Guilion reveals he is just the chimney sweeper, which completely embarrasses Isabella. Francisco accepts the marriages and is cured of his jealousy. Carlos claims Julia, who was already his true wife.