Ben Jonson

Study question Ben Jonson

Facts about Ben Jonson

➾ He was born two months after his father died.

➾ He initially followed his stepfather’s trade, working as a bricklayer.

➾ He fought with the English forces in the Netherlands with some success.

➾ In 1598, he killed a fellow actor in a duel.

➾ He escaped capital punishment for the killing by pleading “benefit of clergy” but was branded.

➾ During his brief imprisonment for the duel, he became a Roman Catholic.

➾ Despite being “twelve years a papist,” he was Protestant England’s first poet laureate.

➾ He was summoned to the consistory court in 1606 with his wife for not participating in the Anglican church.

➾ Between 1618 and 1619, he embarked on an extensive walking tour to Scotland.

➾ In 1623, his personal library was destroyed by fire.

➾ A stroke in 1628 confined him to his room and chair for the rest of his life.

Ben Jonson MCQs

1. When was Ben Jonson born?

A. August 6, 1637
B. June 11, 1572
C. March 25, 1598
D. June 11, 1605

B. June 11, 1572.
Ben Jonson was born on June 11, 1572, in London, England.

2. Where was Ben Jonson born?

A. Dublin, Ireland
B. London, Scotland
C. London, England
D. Paris, France

C. London, England.
Ben Jonson was born in London, England, shortly after his father’s death.

3. What was the trade of Jonson’s stepfather?

A. Actor and poet
B. Soldier and writer
C. Bricklayer
D. Impresario

C. Bricklayer.
His mother married a master bricklayer about two years after his father’s death.

4. Which school did Jonson attend?

A. Oxford University
B. St. Paul’s School
C. Westminster School
D. Cambridge School

C. Westminster School.
Jonson attended Westminster School before his stepfather forced him to leave his education early.

5. Which country did Jonson fight in early on?

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

A. The Netherlands.
Disliking the bricklayer trade, Jonson went to the Low Countries (The Netherlands) and fought with English forces.

6. What career did Jonson pursue immediately after returning from fighting?

A. Bricklayer and poet
B. Actor and playwright
C. Soldier and critic
D. Teacher and scholar

B. Actor and playwright.
After returning from the Netherlands, he joined the theatrical world as both an actor and a playwright.

7. What leading role did Jonson reportedly play as an actor?

A. Macbeth in Macbeth
B. Hieronimo in The Spanish Tragedy
C. Dr. Faustus
D. King Lear

B. Hieronimo in The Spanish Tragedy.
He worked as an actor and is believed to have played the leading role of Hieronimo in The Spanish Tragedy.

8. Which impresario was Jonson writing plays for by 1597?

A. William Shakespeare
B. Lord Chamberlain
C. Philip Henslowe
D. Inigo Jones

C. Philip Henslowe.
By 1597, Jonson was writing original and collaborative plays for Philip Henslowe’s theatrical company.

9. Which early play is known to be extant, besides his major works?

A. The Spanish Tragedy
B. Sejanus
C. The Case Is Altered
D. Volpone

C. The Case Is Altered.
The Case Is Altered is one of his earliest comedies, and one of the few surviving plays from this period.

10. Which play established Jonson’s reputation in 1598?

A. The Alchemist
B. Volpone
C. Every Man in His Humour
D. Catiline

C. Every Man in His Humour.
This play, produced in 1598, established Jonson’s reputation and marked a significant change in his status.

11. Who supposedly recommended Every Man in His Humour?

A. Philip Henslowe
B. Inigo Jones
C. William Shakespeare
D. King James I

C. William Shakespeare.
A later legend suggests that William Shakespeare himself recommended the play to the company.

12. Who did Jonson kill in a duel in 1598?

A. An audience member
B. A fellow actor
C. A soldier
D. A rival writer

B. A fellow actor.
In 1598, Jonson killed a fellow actor, Gabriel Spenser, in a duel.

13. How did Jonson escape capital punishment for the killing?

A. Royal pardon
B. Fleeing the country
C. Pleading “benefit of clergy”
D. Jury acquittal

C. Pleading “benefit of clergy”.
After killing an actor in a duel, Jonson pleaded “benefit of clergy” to escape capital punishment.

14. What consequence did Jonson face despite escaping execution?

A. Exile to France
B. Payment of fine
C. Forced imprisonment
D. Branding

D. Branding.
Although he escaped execution, Jonson was still imprisoned and subsequently branded on his thumb.

15. What religious conversion happened during his imprisonment?

A. Anglican to Puritan
B. Catholic to Anglican
C. Became Roman Catholic
D. Protestant to Puritan

C. Became Roman Catholic.
During his brief imprisonment in 1598, Jonson converted to Roman Catholicism.

16. Which specific classical writer influenced Every Man in His Humour’s plot?

A. Sophocles
B. Aristophanes
C. Plautus
D. Virgil

C. Plautus.
The play was an attempt to bring the methods and practices of classical Latin comedy, like Plautus, to England.

17. Every Man in His Humour embodied the theory of what concept?

A. The five elements
B. The four humours
C. The three estates
D. Courtly love

B. The four humours.
The play embodied the medieval theory of the four humours (blood, phlegm, choler, melancholy) in its main characters.

18. Which play was Jonson’s longest ever written for the public theatre?

A. Every Man in His Humour
B. Every Man Out of His Humour
C. Volpone
D. The Alchemist

B. Every Man Out of His Humour.
This 1599 play was extremely long and attempted to emulate the satirical style of Greek comedy.

19. Which Greek comedy writer did Every Man Out of His Humour try to emulate?

A. Euripides
B. Menander
C. Aristophanes
D. Aeschylus

C. Aristophanes.
Every Man Out of His Humour was an attempt to provide an equivalent of the Greek comedy writer Aristophanes.

20. After his 1599 failure, where did Jonson primarily write?

A. Provincial theatres
B. Court masques
C. Public theatres
D. Private theatres

D. Private theatres.
Following the play’s failure, Jonson turned to writing for private theatres, which featured children’s companies.

21. What characteristic defined the high-priced private theatre audience?

A. Preference for tragedy
B. Willingness for satire
C. Love for romance
D. Focus on history

B. Willingness for satire.
The private theatres allowed Jonson to focus on strong satire and formal experimentation.

22. Jonson’s extant tragedies include Sejanus, and which other play?

A. Poetaster
B. Catiline
C. The Spanish Tragedy
D. The Masque of Queens

B. Catiline.
Jonson’s only two surviving tragedies are Sejanus (1603) and Catiline (1611).

23. What genre of court entertainment did Jonson regularly contribute to?

A. Royal pageants
B. Masques
C. Ballads
D. Operas

B. Masques.
From 1605, Jonson became a regular contributor to masques for the royal courts.

24. Which architect did Jonson collaborate with on masques?

A. Christopher Wren
B. John Webb
C. Nicholas Stone
D. Inigo Jones

D. Inigo Jones.
Jonson collaborated for many years with the architect Inigo Jones on these court masques.

25. What work secured Jonson’s initial favour with James I’s court?

A. The Alchemist
B. The Masque of Blackness
C. Entertainment at Althorpe
D. Every Man in His Humour

C. Entertainment at Althorpe.
He won royal attention for the entertainment he performed for the Queen during her journey from Scotland.

26. What was the central role Jonson filled regarding the masque text?

A. Designing scenery
B. Providing allegorical meaning
C. Training the dancers
D. Managing finances

B. Providing allegorical meaning.
The author’s role was to provide the allegorical meaning that justified the spectacle of the masque.

27. What structural innovation did Jonson introduce to the masque form?

A. The chorus
B. The dramatic prologue
C. The antimasque
D. The set song

C. The antimasque.
Jonson introduced the antimasque, a preliminary spectacle featuring grotesque or comic figures.

28. Which two groups were typically featured in the antimasque?

A. Royals or nobles
B. Dancers or singers
C. Grotesques or comics
D. Poets or critics

C. Grotesques or comics.
The antimasque was a “disorderly spectacle” featuring grotesque or comic figures before the main masque.

29. What caused the eventual break between Jonson and Inigo Jones?

A. Disagreement over money
B. Jones’s contributions caused a stir
C. Jonson’s Catholicism
D. Political differences

B. Jones’s contributions caused stir.
Friction grew because Inigo Jones’s spectacular scenic contributions were causing more popular excitement than Jonson’s text.

30. Jonson was, in effect though not in title, the first what?

A. Master of Revels
B. Royal Historian
C. Poet laureate
D. City chronologer

C. Poet laureate.
His standing was recognized with a royal pension and a reversion of the Master of Revels post, effectively making him poet laureate.

31. Jonson was brought before the consistory court in 1606 for what failure?

A. Seditious writing
B. Duelling again
C. Failing to pay debts
D. Anglican non-attendance

D. Anglican non-attendance.
He and his wife were brought before the court for recusancy (not participating in Anglican services).

32. Jonson was a Roman Catholic for how long?

A. Six years
B. Twelve years
C. Twenty years
D. Lifetime

B. Twelve years.
He converted to Roman Catholicism in 1598 and remained so for twelve years.

33. Which two famous comedies express distaste for the world and the pursuit of gold?

A. Sejanus and Catiline
B. Volpone and The Alchemist
C. Cynthia’s Revels and Poetaster
D. Epicoene and Bartholomew Fair

B. Volpone and The Alchemist.
Volpone (1606) and The Alchemist (1610) are his most famous comedies, both exploring the folly of pursuing gold.

34. Jonson’s comedies are set in Italy or in what other city?

A. Edinburgh
B. Paris
C. London
D. Dublin

C. London.
His major comedies, like The Alchemist and Bartholomew Fair, were set in contemporary London.

35. When did Jonson embark on his walking tour to Scotland?

A. 1603–1604
B. 1610–1611
C. 1618–1619
D. 1628–1629

C. 1618–1619.
Jonson undertook a famous walking tour to Scotland during the years 1618 and 1619.

36. What civic honor did Edinburgh bestow upon Jonson?

A. Royal Poet title
B. Honorary burgess
C. Lifetime pension
D. Freedom of the city

B. Honorary burgess.
During his tour of Scotland, the city of Edinburgh made him an honorary burgess and guild brother.

37. Which university granted Jonson an honorary Master of Arts degree?

A. Cambridge
B. Oxford
C. Edinburgh
D. London

B. Oxford.
After returning from Scotland, Oxford University honoured him with a Master of Arts degree.

38. Jonson’s witty conversations with Shakespeare were called what?

A. Literary disputes
B. Rhetorical battles
C. Wit-combats
D. Philosophical duels

C. Wit-combats.
His witty conversations, especially with Shakespeare, were famously referred to as “wit-combats”.

39. What personal catastrophe struck Jonson in 1623?

A. His wife’s death
B. Loss of court favour
C. Library destroyed by fire
D. Suffering a major stroke

C. Library destroyed by fire.
In 1623, Jonson suffered a significant personal loss when his extensive personal library was destroyed by fire.

40. What ailment confined Jonson starting in 1628?

A. Gout
B. Tuberculosis
C. A stroke
D. Severe fever

C. A stroke.
In 1628, Jonson suffered a stroke that left him partially paralyzed and confined to his room.

41. What civic position was Jonson appointed to in 1628?

A. Court Surveyor
B. Master of Revels
C. City chronologer
D. Public Orator

C. City chronologer.
Despite his illness, he was appointed city chronologer for London in 1628.

42. When did Ben Jonson die?

A. June 11, 1572
B. August 6, 1637
C. March 25, 1616
D. December 1, 1628

B. August 6, 1637.
Ben Jonson died on August 6, 1637, after his long illness.

43. Where was Jonson buried?

A. St. Paul’s Cathedral
B. London Bridge
C. Westminster Abbey
D. Poet’s Corner

C. Westminster Abbey.
He was buried in Westminster Abbey, a high honor for a poet and playwright.

44. What milestone occurred in 1616 regarding his works?

A. He stopped writing
B. The First Folio edition appeared
C. His plays were banned
D. He received his pension

B. The first folio edition appeared.
In 1616, Jonson published the first folio edition of his collected works, titled The Works of Benjamin Jonson.

45. What historical distinction does Jonson hold regarding the publication of dramatic works?

A. First published under a pseudonym
B. First published in quarto
C. First published in folio
D. Only plays published alive

C. First published in folio.
His 1616 folio was the first time an English playwright’s dramatic works were published in the prestigious folio format.

46. What work appeared posthumously in 1640?

A. The New Inn
B. The Staple of News
C. Timber: or, Discoveries
D. The Silent Woman

C. Timber: or, Discoveries.
Timber: or, Discoveries, a collection of his observations, was published posthumously in the 1640 folio.

47. In Timber, Jonson said he honored Shakespeare’s memory how?

A. With great love
B. On this side idolatry
C. As a great friend
D. Beyond measure

B. On this side idolatry.
Jonson famously stated that he loved Shakespeare “on this side idolatry” as much as any man.

48. What Latin phrase did Jonson use to criticize Shakespeare’s verbosity?

A. Veni, vidi, vici
B. Carpe diem
C. Sufflaminandus erat
D. Et tu, Brute

C. Sufflaminandus erat.
Jonson famously noted that Shakespeare “flowed with that facility, that sometime it was necessary he should be stopped,” or Sufflaminandus erat.

49. Jonson is generally regarded as the second most important English dramatist during the reign of whom?

A. Elizabeth I
B. Henry VIII
C. James I
D. Charles II

C. James I.
After Shakespeare, Jonson is regarded as the second most important English dramatist of the Jacobean era (reign of James I).

50. What philosophical practice reinforced his dramatic style?

A. Medieval concepts
B. Classical theory
C. Romantic sentiment
D. Political realism

B. Classical theory.
Jonson’s dramatic practice was reinforced by his insistence on putting classical theory into practice.

Every Man in His Humour MCQs

1. What course of study does Lorenzo Senior worry that his son Lorenzo Junior affects?

A. Idle Poetry
B. Military tactics
C. Academies’ reports
D. Practical business

A. Idle Poetry.
Lorenzo Senior wishes to withdraw his son from the vanity of idle poetry, which he himself once pursued.

2. What does Lorenzo Senior admit he was once “fed with” as a student?

A. Sovereign use of study
B. Self-same humour
C. Experience and reason
D. Double-tongued report

B. Self-same humour.
He confesses that he was once consumed by the same humour as his son, “Dreaming on nought but idle ‘Poetry'”.

3. What specific book does Stephano want to borrow from Lorenzo Senior?

A. Sciences of Hawking
B. Sovereign use of study
C. Liberal voice of the report
D. Gentlemen’s company

A. The science of Hawking.
Stephano requests a book on hawking and hunting so he can practice for the next year.

4. How does Lorenzo Senior primarily label Stephano during their conversation?

A. Worthy nephew
B. Goodly friend
C. Prodigal, self-willed fool
D. Expert huntsman

C. Prodigal, self-willed fool.
Lorenzo Senior calls Stephano this while criticising him for wasting money on a hawk (a buzzard).

5. What advice does Lorenzo Senior metaphorically give Stephano regarding managing expenses?

A. Stand not so much
B. Moderate your expenses
C. Bear a low sail
D. Pretend to make a blaze

C. Bear a low sail.
He uses this phrase to tell Stephano to moderate his expenses to maintain the same proportion.

6. Stephano boasts that his uncle owns how much land valued per year?

A. Hundred-pound land
B. Gentleman’s society
C. One thousand-pound land
D. Fair living of mine

C. One thousand pounds land.
Stephano reveals this detail to the Servant to establish his gentility and status as next heir.

7. What does Lorenzo Senior call Stephano after Stephano is rude to the Servant?

A. Whoreson, base fellow
B. Unseasoned rude comparative
C. Peremptory ass
D. Kinsman’s interest

C. Peremptory ass.
Lorenzo Senior uses this term, commanding Stephano to get inside due to his lack of respect.

8. Who does the Servant deliver the letter for?

A. Signior Thorello
B. Signior Prospero
C. Lorenzo di Pazzi Senior
D. Musco, the servant

B. Signior Prospero.
The Servant states that a gentleman of Florence, Signior Prospero, sent the letter.

9. Lorenzo Senior decides to read the letter primarily to judge its what?

A. Content and subject
B. Style and phrase
C. Poet Nuntius quality
D. Truth and honesty

B. Style and phrase.
He decides to read the letter, presuming the style and phrase are excellent and varied from the vulgar form.

10. In Prospero’s letter, what classical figure is mentioned as having potentially gotten Lorenzo Junior?

A. St. Peter
B. Charles’ wain
C. Apollo
D. Hall-Beadle

C. Apollo.
Prospero writes, “‘Sblood, I doubt, Apollo hath got thee to be his Ingle”.

11. What crime does Lorenzo Senior accuse Prospero’s letter of committing against the paper?

A. Profane pen
B. Black and criminal inscription
C. Open trade of scorn
D. Defiled and stained

B. Black and criminal inscription.
Lorenzo Senior notes the paper looks pale for grief, defiled and stained with a “black and criminal inscription”.

12. What action did Musco immediately confirm Lorenzo Senior took regarding the letter?

A. He opened it
B. He burned it
C. He grew pleased
D. He wrote a reply

A. He opened it.
Musco confirms Lorenzo Senior opened and read the contents, basing this on the charge not to reveal the action.

13. Stephano’s jet ring from Marina had what inscription (poesie)?

A. I’ll be judged
B. The deeper the sweeter
C. Though fancy sleep
D. My love is deep

C. Though fancy sleep.
The inscription was: “Though fancy sleep, my love is deep,” meaning she loved him though he did not fancy her.

14. Stephano explains he used “Saint Peter” in his answering poem to do what?

A. Honour the host
B. Make up the metre
C. Judge his rapier
D. Swear an oath

B. Make up the metre.
When Lorenzo Junior asks why Saint Peter was included, Stephano answers, “St. Peter to make up the metre”.

15. As the disguised soldier, Musco claims he followed the fortunes of the best Commanders for how long?

A. Fourteen years
B. Three years
C. Five days
D. Half an hour

A. Fourteen years.
Musco states he has been a poor servitor by sea and land for “this xiiij. years”.

16. What kind of rapier does Musco claim to be selling to Stephano?

A. Pure Toledo
B. Velvet scabbard
C. Spaniard’s sword
D. Buzzard

A. Pure Toledo.
Musco assures Stephano that the blade is a “most pure Toledo”.

17. Lorenzo Junior jokes that his father often takes physic, making him what type of person?

A. Very patient creature
B. Swaggering Epistle
C. Melancholy rogue
D. Wise cousin

A. Very patient creature.
He satirically notes that often taking physic makes a man “a very patient creature”.

18. What does Lorenzo Junior call Stephano, planning to use him for entertainment?

A. One Gull more
B. Admirable work
C. Most dear friend
D. Prodigal heir

A. One Gull more.
Lorenzo Junior intends to furnish his “feast with one Gull more” in Stephano’s addition.

19. Cob traces his ancient, princely lineage back to what specific item?

A. First broiled the Cob
B. Adam and Eve’s kitchen
C. The Green Lattice
D. Herring, the king

B. Adam and Eve’s kitchen.
Cob states he fetches his pedigree from “the first red herring that was eaten in Adam and Eve’s kitchen”.

20. What is Cob’s guest, Signior Bobadilla, often found doing at Thorello’s house?

A. Dealing with water
B. Flouting gallants
C. Reading rascally verses
D. Swearing dainty oaths

C. Reading rascally verses.
Cob describes Matheo reading “abominable, vile… rascally verses, Poetry” at Thorello’s house.

21. Bobadilla tells Matheo that Giuliano has no more judgment than what animal?

A. A smith
B. A malt-horse
C. A gentleman
D. A hangman

B. A malt-horse.
Bobadilla dismisses Giuliano as an absurd clown with no judgment, comparing him to a malt-horse.

22. What practice does Bobadilla assure Matheo is acceptable only to “peculiar and choice spirits”?

A. Lodge in a base place
B. Be so popular
C. Extend thus far
D. Being honest

C. Extend thus far.
Bobadilla is explaining that he only allows certain chosen friends, like Matheo, to know his lodging.

23. Which classical figure does Matheo use a quote from, as Bobadilla notes?

A. Jupiter
B. Phoebus
C. Hercules
D. Caesar

A. Jupiter.
Matheo says, “‘quos aequus amavit Jupiter'” in response to Prospero.

24. What comparison does Prospero make for Stephano (the fool) that others play upon?

A. Barber’s virginals
B. Ostrich stomach
C. Hall-Beadle
D. True judgment’s eye

A. Barber’s virginals.
Prospero notes that Stephano is a fool who can be played upon by everyone, like a barber’s virginals.

25. What is Musco’s false name while disguised as a soldier?

A. Prospero
B. Cob
C. Portensio
D. Peto

C. Portensio.
When Lorenzo Senior asks his name, Musco replies: “Please, you: Portensio”.

26. What does Lorenzo Senior suggest feeds men of Musco’s “condition”?

A. Sloth
B. Noblemen’s use
C. Extemporaries
D. The king of heaven

A. Sloth.
Lorenzo Senior asserts that men of Musco’s quality feed on sloth, comparing them to a Scarab.

27. What location does Musco inform Lorenzo Senior that he heard Lorenzo Junior plans to meet a citizen’s wife?

A. The Mermaid
B. Prospero’s house
C. Cob’s house
D. Doctor Clement’s

C. Cob’s house.
Musco tells Lorenzo Senior that Lorenzo Junior appointed a meeting at Cob’s water-bearer house.

28. Before revealing his plan, Musco states he must acquire the true garb of what type of soldier?

A. Lance-knights
B. Servitor
C. Commanders
D. Ruffian

A. Lance-knights.
Musco says he must practice to get the true garb of one of these specific types of soldiers.

29. What is Signior Thorello’s profession or status indicated by the context of his business with Piso?

A. Soldier
B. Merchant
C. Scholar
D. Doctor

B. Merchant.
Thorello handles Spanish gold, discusses wares delivery, and receipts (as with Platano), suggesting he is a merchant.

30. Thorello fears giving “fleering opportunity” scope in his house during his two hours of absence for what reason?

A. Loss of business
B. Financial ruin
C. Fear of cuckoldry
D. Argument with Prospero

C. Fear of cuckoldry.
He fears that his absence will allow his wife to stray, leading him to be a cuckold.

31. To what does Thorello compare his brain when trying to resolve his anxieties?

A. An hourglass
B. An iron bar
C. Beauty’s golden tree
D. A jealous brain

A. An hourglass.
He says his brain is like an hourglass and his imagination runs dribbling forth like sand.

32. What item must Piso search the books for before Thorello returns?

A. Receipts ‘twixt me
B. Spanish gold
C. The gentleman’s letter
D. Doctor Clement’s warrant

A. Receipts ‘twixt me.
Thorello asks Piso to search the books for “the receipts ‘twixt me and Platano”.

33. Cob is angry about fasting days because they are enemies to his what?

A. Trade and commerce
B. Lineage/generation
C. Honest labour
D. Old friends

B. Lineage/generation.
Cob, descended from the red herring, is angry because fasting days cause his “lineage goes to rack”.

34. How does Piso define “humour” (as generally received in those days)?

A. A mighty great Cob
B. A rash affliction
C. A monster bred by self-love
D. A goodly day toward

C. A monster bred by self-love.
He defines it as a monster bred by self-love and affectation, and fed by folly.

35. The gentleman Musco meets in Act II, Scene I offers to buy him wine to hear discourse on what topic?

A. Manner of your services
B. The old hackney pace
C. Academy reports
D. Shove-groat shilling

A. Manner of your services.
Peto (Doctor Clement’s man) offers wine to hear about Musco’s services and devices in the wars.

36. Bobadilla claims that he and other gentlemen survived twenty-one weeks in the Indies, consuming only what substance?

A. Small beer
B. Poisonous simple
C. Trinidado tobacco
D. Water and wine

C. Trinidado tobacco.
Bobadilla claims the substance is divine and can act as an antidote to poison.

37. Cob claims that how many people died in one house last week from taking tobacco?

A. Two more
B. Seven pounds
C. Four died
D. Twenty score

C. Four died.
Cob argues tobacco is dangerous, stating four people died in one house last week from taking it.

38. What does Lorenzo Junior say Matheo utters, comparing him to a broker?

A. Stolen remnants
B. Perfect fine wit
C. Admirable poetry
D. Filthy, roguish tobacco

A. Stolen remnants.
Lorenzo Junior accuses Matheo of being a “filching rogue” who utters nothing but stolen remnants of poetry.

39. What does Prospero suggest Hesperida give Matheo in conscience for the copied verses?

A. A shilling
B. A teston
C. A gold jewel
D. A simple servant

A. A shilling.
Prospero jokes she should give him a shilling, as the book cost Matheo a teston at least.

40. How does Giuliano threaten Matheo, calling him a ballad-singer?

A. Beat him soundly
B. Cut off your ears
C. Draw his weapon
D. Pink thy flesh

B. Cut off your ears.
Giuliano tells Matheo to get out, “or (by the will of God) I’ll cut off your ears”.

41. What physical ailment does Thorello immediately complain of after Prospero’s joke about poison?

A. My head aches
B. Burn, I burn
C. Sick at heart
D. All of the above

D. All of the above.
Thorello feels sick at heart, burns, and needs mithridate and oil because of the poisoning suggestion.

42. Whose apparel does Musco steal to deliver his message to Thorello?

A. Cob’s wife’s
B. Doctor’s man
C. Signior Prospero’s
D. Giuliano’s

B. Doctor’s man.
Musco gets Peto drunk, strips him naked, and borrows his suit to deliver a counterfeit message.

43. What does Musco leave behind to “watch” the naked Doctor’s man (Peto)?

A. Rapier and boots
B. Rusty armour/brown bill
C. Silk stockings
D. Packthread

B. Rusty armour/brown bill.
Musco leaves Peto asleep, borrows his clothes, and leaves “a rusty armour and an old brown bill to watch him”.

44. Thorello fears Biancha will praise her gallant’s leg, or foot, or bid him feel her hand, calling this what kind of thing?

A. Amorous toy
B. Monstrous thing
C. Stale jest
D. Close walk

B. Monstrous thing.
Thorello instructs Piso to watch for these acts, especially the hand-holding, calling it a “monstrous thing”.

45. Thorello rushes off to Cob’s house in Act IV, fearing Biancha is doing what there?

A. Buying tobacco
B. Gone abroad with Piso
C. Gone a purpose to cuckold me
D. Searching for Lorenzo Jr.

C. Gone a purpose to cuckold me.
Thorello suspects Prospero told Biancha about the meeting so she could commit infidelity with Cob.

46. What specific part of Bobadilla’s clothing does Matheo suggest he pawn for the warrant money?

A. His silk stockings
B. His rich cloak
C. His fine sword
D. His new boots

A. His silk stockings.
Since they had no cash, Matheo suggests pawning his ear jewel and Bobadilla’s silk stockings.

47. What object does a city varlet’s diminutive mace resemble?

A. Young artichoke
B. A black beard
C. A brass varnish
D. A short sword

A. Young artichoke.
Musco (in his varlet disguise) describes the diminutive mace as being “made like a young artichoke”.

48. Why does Musco arrest Stephano (as the varlet)?

A. For swearing oaths
B. He wears Giuliano’s cloak
C. For being a fool
D. Assaulting a soldier

B. He wears Giuliano’s cloak.
Giuliano demands his cloak back, and when Stephano refuses, Giuliano pays the varlet to arrest Stephano.

49. What punishment does Doctor Clement inflict on Musco when disguised as the varlet?

A. Sent him to jail
B. Beat him with a sword
C. Threatened to cut his limbs
D. Paid him a fee

C. Threatened to cut his limbs.
Clement theatrically threatens to cut off Musco’s legs, ears, nose, and head to mock his “must arrest” claim.

50. Lorenzo Junior defends true poetry by saying it should be crowned with the traditions of a soul that hates to have its dignity profaned with what?

A. Any relish of an earthly thought
B. Gross opinion
C. Stolen remnants
D. Majesty of art

A. Any relish of an earthly thought.
He argues true poetry, seen in the “majesty of art,” must not be profaned by earthly thoughts.

Brief Overview

Every Man in His Humour is a satirical play by Ben Jonson, first performed in 1598, that helped popularise the “comedy of humours” genre. It provides a humorous and critical portrayal of various social types and follies in contemporary London society.

The play centres on conflicts in Florence, Italy. Lorenzo Senior worries that his son, Lorenzo Junior, wastes time on idle poetry and wild friends. Lor. Ju. and his friend, Prospero, plot to trick Lor. Se. into allowing Lor. Ju. to go to Florence.

Their plots involve the jealous merchant, Thorello, who fears his wife, Biancha, and sister, Hesperida, might be corrupted by Prospero’s rowdy associates. These friends include Bobadilla, a cowardly and boastful soldier, and Matheo, a fool who writes bad, stolen poems.

Musco, Lor. Se.’s servant secretly works for Lor. Ju.. Musco disguises himself as a soldier and cheats others, sending Lor. Se. and Thorello on false chases. Thorello’s brother-in-law, Giuliano, publicly beats the cowardly Bobadilla.

Eventually, all main characters are brought before Doctor Clement, the magistrate. Musco confesses all his tricks. Clement resolves the conflicts by making the jealous Thorello trust his wife and confirming Lor. Ju. and Hesperida’s marriage. Clement then makes a dramatic show of burning Matheo’s foolish poetry.