Beaumont and Fletcher

Study question Beaumont and Fletcher

Facts about Beaumont and Fletcher

➾ Beaumont’s critical reputation suggests that he might have been a better playwright than William Shakespeare.

➾ Beaumont was only the third poet interred in Westminster Abbey’s famous Poet’s Corner since its inception.

➾ According to one account, Beaumont and Fletcher oddly shared their dwelling, clothing, and even a “wench”.

➾ Beaumont’s successful dramatic collaboration with Fletcher immediately ceased upon his marriage to an heiress.

➾ Beaumont tragically suffered a stroke and died in 1616, leaving his wife expecting their second unborn child.

➾ John Fletcher’s father gained notoriety for fiercely harassing Mary, Queen of Scots, upon the scaffold.

➾ Fletcher, who did not pursue a church career, had worked previously as a Bible clerk at Cambridge University.

➾ Their play A King and No King features a man lusting for his sister, relieved by learning he is a commoner.

➾ The playwright John Fletcher succeeded William Shakespeare, becoming the principal writer for the King’s Men company.

➾ Fletcher often drew influence from Spanish drama, making him unique among contemporary English playwrights.

➾ After a prolific career collaborating with others, John Fletcher eventually died from the devastating London plague

Beaumont and Fletcher MCQs

1. When was Francis Beaumont born?

A. c. 1579
B. c. 1584
C. c. 1588
D. c. 1591

B. c. 1584.
Francis Beaumont, the English playwright, was born circa 1584.

2. Where was Francis Beaumont born?

A. London, England
B. Rye, Sussex, England
C. Cambridge, England
D. Grace-Dieu, England

D. Grace-Dieu, England.
Beaumont was born in Grace-Dieu, Leicestershire, England.

3. When did Francis Beaumont die?

A. August 1, 1625
B. March 6, 1616
C. February 8, 1587
D. December 1, 1579

B. March 6, 1616.
Beaumont died on March 6, 1616.

4. Where was Francis Beaumont buried?

A. St Saviour’s, Southwark
B. Poet’s Corner, Westminster
C. Grace-Dieu, Leicestershire
D. Inner Temple, London

B. Poet’s Corner, Westminster.
He was the third poet buried in Poet’s Corner in Westminster Abbey.

5. Who preceded Beaumont in burial at Poet’s Corner?

A. Jonson and Dryden
B. Shakespeare and Jonson
C. Chaucer and Spenser
D. Spenser and Marlowe

C. Chaucer and Spenser.
Beaumont was preceded in Poet’s Corner only by Geoffrey Chaucer and Edmund Spenser.

6. What was Francis Beaumont’s father’s profession?

A. Theatrical manager
B. Anglican Bishop
C. Court physician
D. Judge Francis Beaumont

D. Judge Francis Beaumont.
Francis Beaumont was one of four children born to Judge Francis Beaumont.

7. Where was Beaumont educated before 1598?

A. Cambridge University
B. Oxford University
C. The Globe Theatre
D. Blackfriars Theatre

B. Oxford University.
Beaumont was educated at Oxford until 1598.

8. What legal society did Beaumont enter in 1600?

A. Gray’s Inn
B. Lincoln’s Inn
C. Inner Temple
D. Middle Temple

C. Inner Temple.
Following family tradition, he entered the Inner Temple in 1600.

9. What was Beaumont’s first published work?

A. The Woman Hater
B. Hero and Leander
C. Salmacis and Hermaphroditus
D. The London Merchant

C. Salmacis and Hermaphroditus.
In 1602, he published Salmacis and Hermaphroditus, a mythological poem.

10. Which author’s work influenced Beaumont’s first poem?

A. William Shakespeare
B. Ben Jonson
C. John Dryden
D. Christopher Marlowe

D. Christopher Marlowe.
Salmacis and Hermaphroditus was a mythological poem in the vein of Christopher Marlowe’s Hero and Leander.

11. Around what year did Beaumont begin writing professionally?

A. 1600
B. 1602
C. 1606
D. 1612

C. 1606.
Beaumont began to write professionally around 1606, possibly needing to make a living.

12. For how many years did Beaumont and Fletcher collaborate closely?

A. Six years
B. Nine years
C. Three years
D. Thirteen years

A. Six years.
They composed approximately thirteen plays together from 1606 until 1612.

13. What non-professional aspect did Beaumont and Fletcher share?

A. Their income
B. A theatre company
C. A house and clothes
D. Family lineage

C. A house and clothes.
According to John Aubrey, they shared a house, their clothes, and a “wench”.

14. What ended the collaboration between Beaumont and Fletcher in 1613?

A. Financial ruin
B. Beaumont’s stroke
C. Beaumont’s marriage
D. Fletcher’s departure

C. Beaumont’s marriage.
The collaboration ended in 1613 when Beaumont married Ursula Isley, the heiress.

15. What genre did Beaumont and Fletcher usually employ?

A. Pastoral plays
B. Pure comedy
C. Tragedy
D. Tragicomedy

D. Tragicomedy.
The genre they usually employed in their plays was tragicomedy.

16. What play predicts the nature of their later work?

A. Philaster
B. The Woman Hater
C. Cupid’s Revenge
D. A King and No King

B. The Woman Hater.
The Woman Hater is described as the first play in the canon, predicting their later work.

17. Which of Beaumont’s plays is called the “best burlesque in English”?

A. The Woman Hater
B. The Coxcomb
C. The Knight of the Burning Pestle
D. The Maid’s Tragedy

C. The Knight of the Burning Pestle.
The Knight of the Burning Pestle is sometimes called the best burlesque in English.

18. Which play was Beaumont and Fletcher’s first undisputed success?

A. Cupid’s Revenge
B. The Woman Hater
C. Philaster
D. The Coxcomb

C. Philaster.
Philaster was Beaumont and Fletcher’s first undisputed success.

19. What play features a character who fears he lusted after his sister?

A. Philaster
B. The Maid’s Tragedy
C. A King and No King
D. The Woman Hater

C. A King and No King.
A King and No King features King Arbaces, who lusted after his sister Panthea.

20. Which character did Dryden call the “best characterization” of their work?

A. Arathusa
B. Bellario
C. Amintor
D. King Arbaces

D. King Arbaces.
Dryden called Arbaces, from A King and No King, their best characterization.

21. What is the only tragedy among their collaborations listed?

A. The Maid’s Tragedy
B. The Woman Hater
C. Cupid’s Revenge
D. A King and No King

A. The Maid’s Tragedy.
The Maid’s Tragedy is specified as their only tragedy.

22. What did Neander/Dryden think of Beaumont’s plays compared to Shakespeare’s?

A. Inferior in plot
B. More classical
C. More perfect
D. Less popular

C. More perfect.
John Dryden’s mouthpiece Neander thought Beaumont’s plays were more perfect than William Shakespeare’s.

23. What reason did critics give for their loss of popularity post-Romantic era?

A. Lack of tragedy
B. Superficial psychology
C. Focus on politics
D. Too lengthy

B. Superficial psychology.
Their loss of popularity may relate to their superficial examination of abnormal psychology.

24. What modern playwright attested to the value of their work?

A. William Jonson
B. Luigi Pirandello
C. Philip Massinger
D. Thomas Middleton

B. Luigi Pirandello.
The absurdist playwright Luigi Pirandello appreciated their exploration of identity and role playing.

25. What status did Beaumont’s reputation achieve at his death?

A. Second to Jonson
B. Rivaled that of Shakespeare
C. Highly obscure
D. A minor poet

B. Rivaled that of Shakespeare.
When Beaumont died in 1616, he left behind a reputation that rivaled that of Shakespeare.

26. When was John Fletcher born?

A. c. 1584
B. December 1, 1579
C. August 1, 1625
D. October 15, 1591

B. December 1, 1579.
John Fletcher, the English playwright, was born on December 1, 1579.

27. Where was John Fletcher born?

A. London, England
B. Rye, Sussex, England
C. Grace-Dieu, England
D. Cambridge, England

B. Rye, Sussex, England.
Fletcher’s birthplace was Rye, Sussex, England.

28. When did John Fletcher die?

A. March 6, 1616
B. August 1, 1625
C. December 1, 1579
D. August 29, 1625

B. August 1, 1625.
John Fletcher died sometime in August of 1625.

29. What was the primary cause of John Fletcher’s death?

A. Stroke
B. Duel
C. The plague
D. Old age

C. The plague.
Sometime in August of 1625, Fletcher died of the plague.

30. Where was John Fletcher buried?

A. St Saviour’s, Southwark
B. Poet’s Corner, Westminster
C. Benet College Chapel
D. The Globe Theatre

A. St Saviour’s, Southwark.
He was buried in Saint Saviour’s, in Southwark, London.

31. What high position did Fletcher’s father attain in the church?

A. Dean of Peterborough
B. Bishop of London
C. Archbishop of York
D. Chaplain to King James

B. Bishop of London.
Fletcher’s father, Richard Fletcher, achieved the position of bishop of London.

32. What historical event did Fletcher’s father officiate?

A. Execution of Guy Fawkes
B. Execution of Mary, Queen of Scots
C. Coronation of Elizabeth I
D. Marriage of King James I

B. Execution of Mary, Queen of Scots.
Richard Fletcher officiated at the execution of Mary, Queen of Scots, on February 8, 1587.

33. Which university did John Fletcher attend?

A. Oxford University
B. University of London
C. Benet College, Cambridge
D. Inner Temple, London

C. Benet College, Cambridge.
Fletcher was accepted as a student at Benet College (Cambridge University) in 1591.

34. What London literary circle did Fletcher join?

A. The Mermaid Tavern
B. The Blackfriars Society
C. The Globe Company
D. The King’s Men

A. The Mermaid Tavern.
In London, Fletcher became part of the literary circle centered around the Mermaid Tavern.

35. In what year did Fletcher succeed Shakespeare as principal playwright?

A. 1607
B. 1611
C. 1613
D. 1620

C. 1613.
In 1613, Fletcher was selected as Shakespeare’s successor as the principal playwright for the King’s Men company.

36. What genre did Fletcher and Beaumont introduce to the stage?

A. Comedy of humours
B. Revenge tragedy
C. Pastoral drama
D. Tragicomedy

D. Tragicomedy.
Along with Beaumont, Fletcher introduced the genre of the tragicomedy.

37. What was Fletcher’s first publicly produced play as sole author?

A. The Woman Hater
B. The Faithful Shepherdess
C. Henry VIII
D. The Wild Goose Chase

B. The Faithful Shepherdess.
Possibly the first publicly produced work solely by Fletcher was the pastoral play The Faithful Shepherdess.

38. What key element defined Fletcher’s tragicomedies?

A. Rustic realism
B. Urban settings
C. Exòtic settings
D. Historical accuracy

C. Exòtic settings.
Beaumont and Fletcher’s tragicomedies featured exòtic settings.

39. What audience did the tragicomedies primarily appeal to?

A. The lower middle class
B. Lower-class patrons
C. The upper classes
D. Apprentices and servants

C. The upper classes.
The Blackfriars audience primarily consisted of the upper classes and highly educated individuals.

40. Which Blackfriars company performed Fletcher’s early plays?

A. Lord Chamberlain’s Men
B. The King’s Men
C. Children of the Queen’s Revels
D. The Admiral’s Men

C. Children of the Queen’s Revels.
The Faithful Shepherdess was probably performed by the Children of the Queen’s Revels.

41. Which collaborator was key to Fletcher’s final years?

A. Ben Jonson
B. Philip Massinger
C. William Shakespeare
D. John Ford

B. Philip Massinger.
Fletcher’s principal collaborator after Beaumont was Philip Massinger.

42. How many plays did Fletcher and Massinger compose together?

A. Around six
B. At least twelve
C. Exactly fifty
D. One single play

B. At least twelve.
Fletcher and Massinger composed at least twelve plays together.

43. With which famous playwright did Fletcher collaborate on Henry VIII?

A. Ben Jonson
B. Thomas Middleton
C. William Shakespeare
D. John Webster

C. William Shakespeare.
Around 1613, Fletcher seems to have collaborated with Shakespeare on Henry VIII.

44. What other play did Fletcher collaborate on with Shakespeare?

A. The Maid’s Tragedy
B. The Two Noble Kinsmen
C. The Prophetess
D. The London Merchant

B. The Two Noble Kinsmen.
Fletcher and Shakespeare collaborated on The Two Noble Kinsmen.

45. Which foreign drama heavily influenced Fletcher’s work?

A. Italian comedy
B. German opera
C. Spanish drama
D. French tragedy

C. Spanish drama.
Among English playwrights of the time, Fletcher stands as the most influenced by Spanish drama.

46. What source did Fletcher turn to for elements of Spanish literature?

A. Miguel de Cervantes
B. Lope de Vega Carpio
C. Tirso de Molina
D. Pedro Calderón

B. Lope de Vega Carpio.
Fletcher introduced Spanish literature elements by turning to sources like Lope de Vega Carpio.

47. What specific writing style feature helps scholars identify Fletcher’s work?

A. Long sentences
B. Frequent metaphors
C. End-stopped lines
D. Lack of verse

C. End-stopped lines.
Scholars identify Fletcher’s work through the very high percentage of end-stopped lines in his verse.

48. How many total plays did Fletcher have a hand in (working alone or collaboratively)?

A. Approximately thirty
B. Around fifty
C. About fifteen
D. Only thirteen

B. Around fifty.
Working alone or in collaboration, Fletcher had a hand in some fifty plays.

49. Which play did critic Clifford Leech consider Fletcher’s masterpiece?

A. The Maid’s Tragedy
B. The Humorous Lieutenant
C. The Wild Goose Chase
D. The Custom of the Country

B. The Humorous Lieutenant.
Clifford Leech viewed The Humorous Lieutenant as Fletcher’s masterpiece.

50. What is the main reason for Fletcher’s fame in post-Shakespearean England?

A. He was widely imitated
B. He retired early
C. He wrote only tragedies
D. He excelled in masques

A. He was widely imitated.
Fletcher was the most widely imitated dramatist of the post-Shakespearean English theater.

The Scornful Lady MCQs

1. Who owes money for a mortgage?

A. Elder Loveless
B. Morecraft
C. Young Loveless
D. Savil the Steward

C. Young Loveless.
Young Loveless is losing his land because he owes a lot of money to the usurer Morecraft.

2. Elder Loveless must convince whom?

A. His brother
B. A woman
C. A merchant
D. Savil the Steward

B. A woman.
His hard task is to persuade a passionate woman, or else he will have to leave the land.

3. Who is Mistress Younglove?

A. The Lady’s sister
B. The waiting woman
C. A suitor’s wife
D. A local girl

B. The waiting woman.
She is the waiting woman who attempts to influence her mistress’s strong opinions against marriage.

4. When did Younglove attempt to move the Lady?

A. At midnight
B. At church
C. Undressed
D. After dinner

C. Undressed.
Younglove tried when the Lady’s ‘smock was over her ears,’ meaning when she was getting dressed.

5. What kind of garland did Younglove wear?

A. Rose Garland
B. Gold garland
C. Willow garland
D. Daisy Garland

C. Willow garland.
Younglove wore a willow garland at a Lord’s wedding, symbolizing unrequited or forsaken love.

6. What reason did Elder Loveless want the Lady to hear?

A. To save money
B. To stay home
C. To sell land
D. To marry quickly

B. To stay home.
His last request was that she hear reason, which meant allowing him to stay at home.

7. What act caused the Lady to insist on Elder Loveless’s banishment?

A. A forced gift
B. A public kiss
C. A loud fight
D. A broken vow

B. A public kiss.
The Lady was angry because Elder Loveless had forced one kiss from her in public.

8. What item, if already on, would not stop the Lady from cancelling the wedding?

A. Wedding rings
B. Wedding smock
C. Rosemary branches
D. Wedding gloves

B. Wedding smock.
She vowed that even if she were already wearing her wedding smock, she would not wed that year.

9. What has happened to Young Loveless’s usual resources?

A. They are growing
B. They are gone
C. They are hidden
D. They are mortgaged

B. They are gone.
Elder Loveless observes that Young Loveless’s ordinary financial means have been completely devoured.

10. Where will Young Loveless live while his brother travels?

A. In London
B. In the Suburbs
C. In his brother’s house
D. At sea

C. In his brother’s house.
Elder Loveless decides that Young Loveless shall live as the Master of his own house.

11. What token does the Lady send Elder Loveless?

A. A picture
B. A ring
C. A jewel
D. A flower

C. A jewel.
The Lady sends Elder Loveless a jewel as a token of her love, requesting he wear it while travelling.

12. What item does Elder Loveless give the waiting woman?

A. A scarf
B. A diamond
C. A purse
D. A favour

B. A diamond.
Elder Loveless persuades Younglove to wear a diamond ring to help ensure his Lady does not forget him.

13. Who is Sir Roger?

A. The Curate
B. A Captain
C. A Steward
D. A Messenger

A. The Curate.
Sir Roger is the Curate of the house, sent by the Lady to learn Welford’s name.

14. Why did the Lady ask Welford’s name?

A. To offer lodging
B. To know his status
C. To check for suitors
D. To greet him

C. To check for suitors.
The Lady wanted to know if Welford was a formerly denied suitor disguised in a new message.

15. What academic degree does Sir Roger claim?

A. Doctor of Divinity
B. Master of Arts
C. Bachelor of Arts
D. Master of Science

C. Bachelor of Arts.
Sir Roger humbly tells Welford that he is only a Bachelor of Arts.

16. What errand does Sir Roger sometimes run?

A. Fetching flour
B. Buying spices
C. Getting eggs
D. Delivering letters

C. Getting eggs.
Sir Roger admits that he often takes a walk on foot for three or four miles to get eggs.

17. What does Savil call Young Loveless?

A. Master
B. Sir
C. Steward
D. Servant

B. Sir.
Savil calls Young Loveless ‘Sir,’ acknowledging him as the brother of the Master of the house.

18. What condition did Elder Loveless place on his brother’s maintenance?

A. Must study hard
B. Must be gentleman-like
C. Must not spend
D. Must marry Savil

B. Must be gentleman-like.
Young Loveless is only to be maintained while he bears himself like a Gentleman.

19. What profession does Savil mention among Young Loveless’s friends?

A. Lawyers
B. Usurers
C. Captains
D. Priests

C. Captains.
Savil lists Captains of Gallyfoists, Tobacco Merchants, and Poets as unfit company for Young Loveless.

20. What does Young Loveless plan to convert all his revenue into?

A. Clothes
B. Land
C. Drink
D. Food

C. Drink.
Young Loveless declares that they will spend all three hundred pounds a year entirely on drink.

21. What is concluded within the word ‘Necessary’?

A. Food
B. Money
C. Wenches
D. Travel

C. Wenches.
The Poet interprets ‘Necessary’ to include women, as women were the first helpers given to man.

22. What item will Savil miss if there is no food budget?

A. Chimney smoking
B. Cold Posset
C. Morning prayers
D. Fresh straw

A. Chimney smoking.
Savil laments the lack of housekeeping, specifically noting that no chimney will be smoking.

23. What does the Lady tell Welford regarding his suit?

A. It is successful
B. It is too slow
C. It is sickly
D. It is healthy

C. It is sickly.
The Lady asks if Welford’s suit is ‘so sickly that rest will help it’ before dismissing him.

24. Who broke Sir Roger’s head?

A. The Page
B. The Butler
C. Young Loveless
D. Welford

B. The Butler.
The Butler hit Sir Roger during an argument after the curate reproved him for swearing at a game.

25. What state must Nicholas be in before the gentlewomen appear?

A. Awake
B. Deceased
C. Out drinking
D. Working

B. Deceased.
Sir Roger explains that Nicholas must be ‘deceased, that is, asleep’, so he does not tell the Lady.

26. To whom is the Lady primarily wedded?

A. To Welford
B. To her sister
C. To herself
D. To her servant

C. To herself.
Martha states that her sister is ‘only wedded to her self, lies with her self, and loves her self’.

27. What object does Welford compare Abigail’s appearance to?

A. Old Embleme
B. Moyle cropping Thistles
C. Hunting head
D. Dirty Smock

B. Moyle cropping Thistles.
Welford compares Abigail’s smile to the ‘old Embleme of the Moyle cropping of Thistles’.

28. What conclusion does Roger reach about holding a woman?

A. A difficult blessing
B. An Eel by the tail
C. A sweet burden
D. A necessary sin

B. An Eel by the tail.
Roger quotes the wise man, saying that ‘He that holds a Woman, has an Eel by the tail’.

29. What kind of drink is served in the house?

A. Cooling Julip
B. Strong Ale
C. Warm Wine
D. Hot Posset

A. Cooling Julip.
Welford’s servant describes the drink as a cooling Julip, deadly cold and capable of causing palsy.

30. What lies wracked in the cellar’s “dead Sea”?

A. Wine bottles
B. Flagons
C. Rushes
D. Black jacks

D. Black jacks.
Savil sees ‘goodly vessels lye wrackt,’ including the tops of flagons and black jacks, submerged in drink.

31. What devastating news does the disguised Elder Loveless deliver?

A. The house is burnt
B. Brother is dead
C. Land is sold
D. Lady is gone

B. Brother is dead.
Disguised Elder Loveless tells Young Loveless that his brother has died and drowned at sea.

32. What does Young Loveless tell Savil to wipe away?

A. The spill
B. The tears
C. The blood
D. The paint

B. The tears.
Young Loveless tells Savil, who is crying over the death, to ‘wipe Savill wipe, tears are but thrown away’.

33. Young Loveless demands that Savil become what kind of person?

A. A scholar
B. A steward
C. A bawd
D. A friend

C. A bawd.
Young Loveless, reveling in his new freedom and inheritance, tells Savil, ‘Then be a Baud’.

34. Where did the deceased brother hide his will?

A. In the chest
B. Behind a chimney
C. Under the bed
D. Near the stairs

B. Behind a chimney.
Elder Loveless, pretending to deliver the will, says it lies close behind a chimney.

35. What does Young Loveless declare he will do with his new wealth?

A. Be knighted
B. Be married
C. Be quiet
D. Be sober

A. Be knighted.
Young Loveless, noting his state will bear it, declares he ‘will be knighted’.

36. Who does Morecraft warn the Widow against marrying?

A. Usurers
B. Younger Brothers
C. Old soldiers
D. Foreigners

B. Younger Brothers.
Morecraft warns the Widow against ‘young smooth Varlets, younger Brothers,’ who will eat through her bags.

37. The Widow insists Morecraft must acquire what status before they marry?

A. A Lord
B. A Baron
C. A Soldier
D. A Knight

D. A Knight.
The Widow firmly states that Morecraft must be dubbed a knight before she will marry him.

38. What kind of transaction does Young Loveless want with Morecraft?

A. A mortgage
B. Outright sale
C. A long lease
D. A trade

A. A mortgage.
Young Loveless initially suggests a mortgage or ‘such a slight securitie’ rather than an outright sale.

39. What sea risk does Savil warn Young Loveless about if he sells his land?

A. Storms
B. Pickling in tubs
C. French pirates
D. Sea monsters

B. Pickling in tubs.
Savil warns that if Young Loveless sells his land, he will have to go to sea and ‘lie pickled in a Powdering tub’.

40. According to the Captain, what makes men immortal?

A. Courage
B. Money
C. Virtue
D. Land

B. Money.
The Captain encourages Young Loveless to sell his land and claims that money makes men eternal.

41. How much money does Morecraft offer for the land?

A. Five thousand
B. Three hundred
C. Six thousand
D. Ten thousand

C. Six thousand.
Morecraft seals the deal quickly by offering Young Loveless £ 6,000 for the land.

42. The Widow refuses Morecraft, stating she will only marry whom?

A. A Gentleman
B. A Baron
C. A Lord
D. A Lady

C. A Lord.
The Widow tells Morecraft, ‘No Knight, no Widow, if you make me anything, it must be a Lady’.

43. What item does Abigail intentionally drop for Welford to find?

A. Her kerchief
B. Her letter
C. Her glove
D. Her jewel

C. Her glove.
Abigail drops her glove, hoping Welford will follow her, intending for him to wear it.

44. What is the disguised Elder Loveless’s current profession?

A. A Sutor
B. A Soldier
C. A Page
D. A Sailor

B. A Soldier.
When Welford asks what he is, Elder Loveless replies, ‘Yes, more than thou dar’st be; a Soldier’.

45. Elder Loveless implies that Welford’s clothes were bought by whom?

A. His father
B. His tailor
C. His servant
D. The Lady

D. The Lady.
Elder Loveless insults Welford by saying that he who begot his satin suit can make no men.

46. Before dying in the storm, Loveless allegedly called upon whom?

A. His Saint
B. His mother
C. His Lady
D. His brother

C. His Lady.
The disguised Loveless claims that the man who drowned called upon the Lady, ‘On you unhappy Woman’.

47. Who does the Lady immediately decide to marry after hearing Loveless is dead?

A. Young Loveless
B. Savil
C. Welford
D. Roger

C. Welford.
The Lady decides to make Welford the ‘model of my Fortunes’ to keep Loveless’s memory alive.

48. What does the Lady command Loveless to do after his reveal?

A. Apologize
B. Be quiet
C. Travel
D. Marry her

C. Travel.
The Lady refuses to forgive him, commanding him sternly, ‘Travel, or know me not’.

49. Elder Loveless says he is now free to see a play for how much money?

A. Sixpence
B. Eighteen pence
C. A crown
D. A shilling

B. Eighteen pence.
Now that he is his own man, Elder Loveless can see a play again for eighteen pence.

50. What does the Lady reveal about her fainting spell?

A. It was genuine
B. It was a trick
C. It was deadly
D. It was contagious

B. It was a trick.
She reveals she was not truly ill, calling his plot a ‘fine fool plot’ to catch dottrels.

Brief Overview

The Scornful Lady is a popular stage comedy by Beaumont and Fletcher. It was first published in 1616. This Jacobean-era play is a witty examination of love, marriage, and the social conventions of the time.

The plot features two brothers, the Elder Loveless and the Younger Loveless. Elder Loveless is in love with a proud and unkind woman called the Scornful Lady. After he publicly forces a kiss on her, she compels him to leave home and travel abroad.

Before leaving, Elder Loveless gives his younger brother full control of his house and money. Young Loveless ignores all rules, quickly spending the wealth on wild parties, drink, and disreputable friends.

Elder Loveless secretly returns in disguise as a soldier. He spreads a false rumour that his brother has died by drowning at sea. Young Loveless, believing himself to be the sole heir, quickly sells his family’s land to Morecraft, a greedy moneylender.

The Lady feels guilty for causing her lover’s presumed death. She decides to marry a new suitor, Welford, to honour Loveless’s memory. Elder Loveless then reveals he is alive and plays a trick to make the Lady jealous. He pretends he will marry Welford, who is dressed up as a plain woman. The Lady gives up her pride and quickly agrees to marry Elder Loveless that same night.

Elder Loveless marries the Lady. Welford marries the Lady’s sister, Martha. The greedy moneylender Morecraft suddenly decides to become generous. The steward, Savil, and the waiting woman, Abigail, also get married.