Thomas Middleton

Study question Thomas Middleton

The Changeling
Women Beware Women
The Revenger’s Tragedy
A Mad World, My Masters

Facts about Thomas Middleton

➾ Middleton co-wrote Timon of Athens with Shakespeare, and also provided significant revisions for Macbeth and Measure for Measure.

➾ His stepfather invested in the ill-fated Roanoke Colony, losing much money before the mysterious abandonment in 1587.

➾ Middleton’s lengthy legal battle over his inheritance lasted approximately fifteen frustrating years throughout his entire childhood.

➾ His desperate stepfather, losing money in failed ventures, spent much time hiding from creditors or serving in debtor’s jail.

➾ Middleton’s unsuccessful first poem, Wisdom of Solomon Paraphrased, totaled 4,166 lines, surpassing the length of Hamlet.

➾ After the exhaustive inheritance lawsuit, Middleton received only £25 from his father’s original substantial £335 estate.

➾ He began his playwright career as a ‘novice,’ collaborating on Caesar’s Fall with four more experienced writers.

➾ Middleton subtly satirized King James I’s unpopular practice of indiscriminately selling knighthoods in his early comedy The Phoenix.

➾ The scholar Stanley Wells noted that Middleton’s career ended dramatically “in a blaze of publicity” after his final play.

➾ He was arrested for debt in December 1608, compelling him to slow down his highly productive and versatile writing career.

➾ After his final play caused a major scandal, Middleton was forced into hiding and never wrote another dramatic stage work.

Thomas Middleton MCQs

1. When was Thomas Middleton born?

A. 1580
B. 1587
C. 1603
D. 1627

A. 1580.
Thomas Middleton was a celebrated poet and playwright of the English Renaissance, flourishing from 1580 to 1627.

2. Where was Middleton born?

A. London, England
B. Oxford, England
C. Ferrara, Italy
D. York, England

A. London, England.
Middleton was born in London and baptized in April 1580, beginning his life in the bustling city.

3. Middleton’s first ambitious poetic work was titled?

A. Wisdom of Solomon
B. Ghost of Lucrece
C. Timon of Athens
D. Caesar’s Fall

A. Wisdom of Solomon.
The Wisdom of Solomon Paraphrased was his ambitious first poetic project, an unsuccessful 4,166-line endeavor.

4. Middleton’s final, controversial play was named?

A. The Changeling
B. A Game at Chess
C. The Witch
D. Revenger’s Tragedy

B. A Game at Chess.
A Game at Chess (1624) was his last play, which caused a major scandal leading to its suppression.
5. What dramatic genres did Middleton excel in?

A. Tragedy, Comedy
B. History, Romance
C. Masques, Epics
D. Farce, Melodrama

A. Tragedy, Comedy.
Middleton was an extremely versatile and prolific writer, excelling in both the genres of tragedy and comedy.

6. Middleton is today regarded as highly influential dramatist, often considered second only to?

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

A. William Shakespeare.
Middleton is considered one of the most influential dramatists of his era, sometimes second only to Shakespeare.

7. Scholar Stanley Wells describes Middleton’s early career progression as?

A. Immensely industrious
B. Quiet and boring
C. Highly contested
D. Unusually productive

A. Immensely industrious.
Stanley Wells described Middleton as immensely industrious and versatile, with brilliant writing that deepened over time.

8. Middleton flourished during which English era?

A. Jacobean Era
B. Elizabethan Age
C. Victorian Period
D. Restoration Era

A. Jacobean Era.
Thomas Middleton flourished as a prolific writer, poet, and playwright during the Jacobean Era (1603–1625).

9. Middleton’s father held which profession?

A. A bricklayer
B. A gentleman grocer
C. An impresario
D. An actor

A. A bricklayer.
Middleton’s father was a bricklayer who died when the young Thomas was only six years old.
10. The value of Middleton’s inheritance left by his father was roughly?

A. £335
B. £25
C. £8
D. £7

A. £335.
His father left behind a substantial estate valued at £335, which led to a lengthy legal dispute.

11. How long did Middleton’s frustrating family legal battle last?

A. 15 years
B. 6 years
C. 25 years
D. 1 year

A. 15 years.
The frustrating legal battle over his inheritance played out throughout his childhood, lasting approximately fifteen years.

12. The legal battle likely led to Middleton’s later critiques of which profession?

A. Lawyers, System
B. Merchants, Grocers
C. Actors, Playwrights
D. Soldiers, Generals

A. Lawyers, System.
His experience with the lengthy legal dispute likely led to later satirical critiques of lawyers and the legal system.

13. Middleton attended which university before dropping out?

A. Queen’s College, Oxford
B. Cambridge University
C. Trinity College, Dublin
D. King’s College, London

A. Queen’s College, Oxford.
Middleton studied at Queen’s College, Oxford, starting in 1598, but dropped out without obtaining a degree.

14. In February 1601, Middleton was confirmed to be daily accompanying whom in London?

A. The players
B. The creditors
C. The lawyers
D. The grocers

A. The players.
A lawsuit witness testified that Middleton was “in London daily accompanying the players,” confirming his early theatre involvement.
15. How much money did Middleton finally inherit in 1601?

A. £25
B. £335
C. £8
D. £171

A. £25.
After the exhaustive legal battle, only £25 was left to him from his father’s original substantial estate.

16. Due to the need for money, Middleton first turned to writing what type of literature?

A. Satirical pamphlets
B. Court masques
C. Tragicomedies
D. Revenge tragedies

A. Satirical pamphlets.
With a pressing need for money, Middleton started writing successful satirical pamphlets, gaining significant attention.

17. In 1602, Middleton was commissioned to write plays by which leading London impresario?

A. Philip Henslowe
B. Shakespeare
C. King James I
D. Count Gondomar

A. Philip Henslowe.
Philip Henslowe, the leading impresario of public theatre, commissioned Middleton after noting his satirical pamphlets’ success.

18. Who did Middleton marry in 1603?

A. Magdalen Marbeck
B. Anne Harvey
C. Beatrice-Joanna
D. Lucrece

A. Magdalen Marbeck.
Middleton married Magdalen Marbeck in 1603, who may have been introduced to him by her brother, an actor.

19. What significant event closed London theatres in 1603?

A. Outbreak of plague
B. Political scandal
C. Royal decree
D. Debt crisis

A. Outbreak of plague.
An outbreak of plague in 1603 forced the closure of London theatres, causing Middleton to turn to prose pamphlets.
20. Middleton was arrested for debt in which year, forcing him to slow down?

A. December 1608
B. May 1602
C. August 1624
D. April 1616

A. December 1608.
Middleton’s debts caught up to him, resulting in his arrest in December 1608, slowing his prolific career.

21. Middleton was officially appointed to what city role in 1620?

A. City’s chronologist
B. Play censor
C. Royal poet
D. Globe manager

A. City’s chronologist.
He became officially involved in writing pageants for London, and was appointed the city’s chronologist in 1620.

22. Thomas Middleton died in the summer of which year?

A. 1627
B. 1622
C. 1616
D. 1624

A. 1627.
Middleton died in the summer of 1627, at the age of 47, and was buried on the 4th of July.

23. Middleton dedicated his first poem, The Wisdom of Solomon Paraphrased, to which noble?

A. Earl of Essex
B. King James I
C. Count Gondomar
D. William Shakespeare

A. Earl of Essex.
The long poem was dedicated to the Earl of Essex, likely in an attempt to secure patronage, though it was unsuccessful.

24. Which Shakespearean poem inspired The Ghost of Lucrece (1600)?

A. The Rape of Lucrece
B. Hamlet
C. Macbeth
D. Timon of Athens

A. The Rape of Lucrece.
The Ghost of Lucrece was inspired narratively and stylistically by Shakespeare’s highly acclaimed poem published several years previously.
25. Caesar’s Fall (1602), Middleton’s first collaborative play, is now considered what?

A. Now lost
B. Best tragedy
C. Major success
D. Satirical pamphlet

A. Now lost.
Middleton began his playwright career collaborating on Caesar’s Fall, a play that is currently lost to history.

26. Caesar’s Fall was intended to help the Lord Admiral’s Men compete with which rival troupe?

A. Lord Chamberlain’s Men
B. King’s Men
C. Boy Actors
D. Royal Court

A. Lord Chamberlain’s Men.
The play was intended to help the Lord Admiral’s Men rival the Lord Chamberlain’s Men, who were performing Julius Caesar.

27. Which company acted the Phoenix (1603)?

A. Boy actors
B. King’s Men
C. Female leads
D. Italian dukes

A. Boy actors.
The Phoenix was the first comedy of his productive period, performed by a company composed entirely of boy actors.

28. Which character in The Phoenix disguises himself to observe abuses and corruption?

A. Phoenix
B. Tangle
C. Husband
D. Vindice

A. Phoenix.
Phoenix, the duke’s son, disguises himself to “look into the heart and bowels of this dukedom” for abuses.

29. What unpopular practice did The Phoenix subtly satirise regarding King James I?

A. Selling knighthoods
B. Debt imprisonment
C. Killing children
D. Collaborating widely

A. Selling knighthoods.
Middleton satirised the king’s practice of indiscriminately selling knighthoods as a way to refill the royal coffers.
30. Middleton struck up a working relationship with which writer, starting with The Honest Whore, Part One?

A. Thomas Dekker
B. John Webster
C. William Rowley
D. William Shakespeare

A. Thomas Dekker.
Middleton collaborated with Dekker on The Honest Whore, Part One (1604), which proved to be a major success.

31. The Yorkshire Tragedy (1605) was extraordinary because Middleton had previously only been known for his?

A. Comedies
B. Masques
C. Pamphlets
D. Tragicomedies

A. Comedies.
The power of this tragedy was unexpected, as Middleton’s output prior to this focused heavily on successful comedies.

32. What real-life incident was The Yorkshire Tragedy based upon?

A. Walter Calverley murders
B. Roanoke Colony mystery
C. Globe Theatre fire
D. Gondomar’s complaint

A. Walter Calverley murders.
The play was a one-act tragedy based on the true story of Walter Calverley, who murdered his two young children.

33. What is a defining characteristic of characters in The Yorkshire Tragedy (and much of Middleton’s work)?

A. Lack personal names
B. Speak only prose
C. Are royal figures
D. Use allegorical names

A. Lack personal names.
Characters in The Yorkshire Tragedy are referred to only by roles, like ‘Husband’ or ‘Son’, typical of Middleton.

34. When The Yorkshire Tragedy was first published, it was initially attributed to whom?

A. Shakespeare
B. Dekker
C. Webster
D. Jonson

A. Shakespeare.
The publisher initially attributed The Yorkshire Tragedy to Shakespeare, possibly hoping to increase copy sales.
35. What Shakespearean play is Middleton most widely thought to have co-written?

A. Timon of Athens
B. Macbeth
C. Measure for Measure
D. All’s Well

A. Timon of Athens.
Middleton is now generally thought to have collaborated with Shakespeare, co-writing parts of Timon of Athens.

36. Evidence for Middleton’s hand in Timon of Athens includes the high proportion of characters who lack what?

A. Personal names
B. Speaking roles
C. Wealth
D. Virtue

A. Personal names.
The high proportion of characters lacking personal names (Poet, Painter) is considered typical of Middleton’s style.

37. What kind of play is The Revenger’s Tragedy (1606)?

A. Revenge play
B. Court masque
C. Romantic comedy
D. Historical pageant

A. Revenge play.
This 1606 work is a revenge tragedy, where the protagonist plots vengeance against his or her enemies.

38. The protagonist of The Revenger’s Tragedy (Vindice) holds the skull of whom at the beginning?

A. His fiancée
B. The Duke
C. His father
D. His brother

A. His fiancée.
Vindice, the main character, holds the skull of his murdered fiancée, showing inspiration from Shakespeare’s Hamlet.

39. What is the meaning of the allegorical name ‘Vindice’ in The Revenger’s Tragedy?

A. Revenger
B. Duke
C. Justice
D. Madman

A. Revenger.
Allegorical names are characteristic of the play; Vindice, the protagonist, literally means ‘revenger’ in the context.
40. Which controversial play was suppressed, leading to Middleton potentially being imprisoned briefly?

A. A Game at Chess
B. The Witch
C. The Changeling
D. The Phoenix

A. A Game at Chess.
The highly controversial and popular political satire, A Game at Chess, was suppressed after nine consecutive performances.

41. In A Game at Chess, the villainous Black Knight represented which contemporary political figure?

A. Count Gondomar
B. King James I
C. Prince of Wales
D. Thomas Harvey

A. Count Gondomar.
The Black Knight piece was a stand-in for the Spanish ambassador, Count Gondomar, who complained about the portrayal.

42. What was the punishment for the actors of A Game at Chess?

A. Summoned before Council
B. Imprisoned briefly
C. Fined heavily
D. Pressed to death

A. Summoned before Council.
The actors who performed A Game at Chess were summoned before the Privy Council to receive a reprimand.

43. After the suppression of his final play, what was Middleton forced to continue writing?

A. Pageants
B. Tragedies
C. Sequels
D. Poetry

A. Pageants.
After the scandal surrounding A Game at Chess, Middleton continued writing pageants, but never another play.

44. What other Shakespearean plays is Middleton thought to have provided revisions for?

A. Macbeth, Measure
B. Othello, Lear
C. Richard III, Henry V
D. Hamlet, Tempest

A. Macbeth, Measure.
Middleton is thought to have co-written Timon of Athens and provided revisions for Macbeth and Measure for Measure.
45. Which famous play was co-written by Middleton and William Rowley in 1622?

A. The Changeling
B. Caesar’s Fall
C. The Honest Whore
D. The Second Maiden’s

A. The Changeling.
The Changeling (1622), a masterpiece regarded as a top tragicomedy, was written with William Rowley.

46. The Changeling’s comic subplot features suitors pretending to be which two figures?

A. Madman, Fool
B. Poet, Painter
C. Knight, Duke
D. Grocer, Lawyer

A. Madman, Fool.
The comic subplot involves two suitors who visit a couple, pretending to be a madman and a fool.

47. Middleton co-wrote The Roaring Girl (1611) with whom?

A. Thomas Dekker
B. John Webster
C. William Rowley
D. Anthony Munday

A. Thomas Dekker.
Middleton co-wrote The Bloody Banquet and The Roaring Girl with Thomas Dekker around 1609–1611.

48. What did Middleton turn to writing during the 1603 plague closure?

A. Prose pamphlets
B. Stage plays
C. Verse tragedies
D. Public apologies

A. Prose pamphlets.
When the London theatres were forced to close due to the plague, Middleton pivoted to writing prose pamphlets.

49. Scholar Harold Bloom believes the evidence for Middleton co-writing Timon of Athens is?

A. Not persuasive
B. Clearly obvious
C. Universally accepted
D. Completely undeniable

A. Not persuasive.
Bloom believes the evidence that Middleton had a hand in writing Shakespeare’s Timon of Athens is “not at all persuasive”.
50. Which specific theme is The Changeling noted for dealing with?

A. Treachery, Sin
B. Debt, Poverty
C. Patronage, Nobility
D. Politics, Chess

A. Treachery, Sin.
The Changeling, a Renaissance tragicomedy, explores deep thematic concepts like treachery and original sin.

The Revenger’s Tragedy MCQs

The Revenger’s Tragedy MCQs

1. Who is the central character seeking revenge in the play?

A. Vindice
B. Hippolito
C. Lussurioso
D. Spurio

A. Vindice.
Vindice is driven by vengeance after the old Duke poisoned his betrothed lady, Gloriana.

2. What specific item does Vindice hold and address when the play opens?

A. A skull
B. A dagger
C. A scroll
D. A purse

A. A skull.
Vindice enters carrying the skull of his poisoned, betrothed lady, calling it his “study’s ornament”.

3. Who poisoned Vindice’s betrothed lady?

A. The old Duke
B. Lussurioso, son
C. Spurio, bastard
D. The Duchess

A. The old Duke.
The old Duke poisoned Vindice’s lady because her “purer part would not consent / Unto his palsy-lust”.

4. What natural disaster does Vindice wish to strike the lustful old Duke?

A. Infernal fires
B. A tempest
C. A fever
D. A drought

A. Infernal fires.
Vindice wishes “infernal fires” would kindle within the dry Duke’s “spendthrift veins” instead of heat.
5. Whom does Vindice categorize as four “ex’lent characters” passing over the stage?

A. Duke, family
B. Judges, lords
C. Servants, masters
D. Bawds, usurers

A. Duke, family.
Vindice observes the Duke, Duchess, Lussurioso (son), and Spurio (bastard) as excellent characters in evil.

6. What comparison does Vindice make regarding his lost love’s face and other women’s?

A. Artificial shine
B. Bought complexion
C. Humble look
D. Pale beauty

A. Artificial shine.
His lady’s face was beyond the artificial shine of “any woman’s bought complexion” of the time.

7. Who is Vindice’s brother and confidant at court?

A. Hippolito
B. Lussurioso
C. Antonio
D. Piero

A. Hippolito.
Hippolito, Vindice’s brother, works at court and brings him news of Lussurioso’s plot.

8. Whom does Hippolito rely on to keep his place at court?

A. The Duchess
B. The Duke’s son
C. Antonio, Lord
D. His sister

A. The Duchess.
Hippolito admits he holds onto his place “by th’ Duchess’ skirt,” hinting at their relationship.

9. Whom does the Duke’s son, Lussurioso, seek a base-coin’d pander to find?

A. Ill-contented nature
B. Loyal courtier
C. New groom
D. Good lord

A. Ill-contented nature.
Lussurioso sought a “strange-digested fellow forth / Of ill-contented nature” to use in his plans.
10. What specific evil trait does Lussurioso seek in the man Hippolytus?

A. Evil is only good
B. Murderer
C. Cuckold
D. Bawd, wise

A. Evil only good.
Lussurioso desires a man who “was for evil only good,” implying pure wickedness.

11. What disguise does Vindice decide to adopt to enact his revenge?

A. A base pander
B. An old judge
C. A noble lord
D. A bricklayer

A. A base pander.
Vindice decides to “put on that knave for once” and prefers himself as a pander.

12. According to Vindice, what must a man be to exist successfully “i’ th’ world”?

A. Not honest
B. Well-featur’d
C. Very wealthy
D. Highly ambitious

A. Not honest.
Vindice concludes, “for to be honest is not to be in the world,” justifying his wicked disguise.

13. Who is raped by the Duchess’s youngest son, leading to her death?

A. Antonio’s wife
B. Gloriana
C. Castiza, sister
D. Gratiana, mother

A. Antonio’s wife.
The Duchess’s youngest son “Has played a rape on Lord Antonio’s wife”.

14. How did Lord Antonio’s wife die after the rape?

A. Took poison
B. Hung herself
C. Stabbed herself
D. Died of grief

A. Took poison.
She deemed it a nobler dowry for her name, “To die with poison than to live with shame”.
15. What specific object was used as a pillow when Antonio’s wife’s body was discovered?

A. A prayer book
B. A skull
C. A dagger
D. A bloody towel

A. A prayer book.
Lord Antonio found his wife’s body with “A prayer book the pillow to her cheek”.

16. What does the Latin inscription pointing from the prayer book mean?

A. Die with virtue
B. Live with shame
C. Forgive them
D. Seek revenge

A. Die with virtue.
The inscription translates to: “It is better to die with virtue than to live by disgrace”.

17. What decision does the Duke make about his youngest son after the trial?

A. Defer judgment
B. Execute him now
C. Grant pardon
D. Imprison Hippolito

A. Defer judgment.
The Duke suddenly says, “We will defer the judgment till next sitting,” keeping the son as close a prisoner.

18. What kind of wound does the Duchess plan to inflict on the Duke, claiming it will not bleed?

A. Kill him in the forehead
B. Stab his heart
C. Poison his cup
D. Expose his sin

A. Kill him in the forehead.
The Duchess vows, “I’ll kill him in his forehead; hate there feed: That wound is deepest tho’ it never bled”.

19. Who is the Duchess’s object of “love’s true-begot” that she passionately woos?

A. Spurio, bastard
B. Lussurioso, son
C. Antonio, Lord
D. Hippolito

A. Spurio, bastard.
The Duchess’s heart “points unto” Spurio, the Duke’s bastard son, whom she lusts for.
20. What is Spurio’s core motivation for embracing the Duchess’s incestuous desire?

A. Revenge on father
B. Love for her
C. Need for wealth
D. To become a duke

A. Revenge on father.
Spurio explicitly vows, “I’ll be reveng’d for all,” accepting incest as merely a “venial sin”.

21. What does Spurio imply was his “first father” because of the drunken circumstances of his conception?

A. Stirring dish
B. The Duke
C. A groom
D. Base male-bawds

A. Stirring dish.
Spurio suggests he was begot after some “gluttonous dinner; some stirring dish / Was my first father”.

22. Vindice adopts the false name of what when disguised as a pander?

A. Piato
B. Piace
C. Pipere
D. Parfait

A. Piato.
Vindice’s disguise is named Piato, and he attends Lord Lussurioso in this persona.

23. What former profession does Vindice claim to have to Lussurioso?

A. A bone-setter
B. A grocer
C. A lawyer
D. A scholar

A. A bone-setter.
Vindice states he was a “bone-setter,” cleverly interpreting this as a “bawd, my lord, / One that sets bones together”.

24. Lussurioso asks Vindice (Piato) to corrupt whom for him?

A. Castiza, sister
B. Gloriana
C. Gratiana, mother
D. Antonio’s wife

A. Castiza, sister.
Lussurioso targets “a virgin not far from court,” identifying her as Castiza, Vindice’s sister.
25. What part of Castiza’s person does Lussurioso specifically instruct Vindice to enter upon?

A. Her honour
B. Her chamber
C. Her soul
D. Her fortune

A. Her honour.
Lussurioso urges Vindice to “Enter upon the portion of her soul, / Her honour, which she calls her chastity”.

26. Why does Lussurioso say he would prefer a friend (mistress) over a wife?

A. Stealth has true delight
B. Wives are expensive
C. They are more honest
D. Nightly routine bores

A. Stealth has true delight.
Lussurioso believes “Give me my bed by stealth; there’s true delight,” as repetition breeds loathing.

27. What is Vindice’s immediate, violent reaction when Castiza realizes the man (Piato) is a pander?

A. Box a’ th’ ear
B. Knife to him
C. Insult his face
D. Spits at him

A. Box a’ th’ ear.
Castiza strikes Vindice, giving him “A box a’ th’ ear to her brother” for his base office.

28. Vindice praises his sister’s blow, saying her honour will have a rich name when many harlots share the Duke’s son with what?

A. Shame
B. Poverty
C. Disgrace
D. Death

A. Shame.
Castiza’s honor will have a rich name “When several harlots shall share his with shame”.

29. After failing with Castiza, whom does Lussurioso instruct Vindice to try corrupting next?

A. The mother
B. Diaphanta
C. The Duchess
D. The maid

A. The mother.
Lussurioso suggests, “Venture upon the mother, and with gifts / As I will furnish thee, begin with her”.
30. What reason does Vindice give to tempt his mother, Gratiana, toward becoming a bawd?

A. Lack of money
B. Love for son
C. Ambition
D. Her age

A. Lack of money.
Vindice tempts Gratiana by highlighting that she is poor and should live wealthy through her daughter’s “fall”.

31. How much money (angels) does Vindice mention can turn forty good people into devils?

A. Forty angels
B. Ten gold marks
C. Twenty crowns
D. A thousand ducats

A. Forty angels.
Vindice states, “that forty angels can make fourscore devils”.

32. What finally overcomes Gratiana’s virtue when tempted by Vindice (Piato)?

A. Poor estate
B. Her husband’s death
C. Desire for jewels
D. Her son’s anger

A. Poor estate.
Gratiana confesses, “He touch’d me nearly, made my virtues bate / When his tongue struck upon my poor estate”.

33. What does Gratiana plan to tell Lussurioso about his pleasure visit?

A. Lord welcome soon
B. Castiza is chaste
C. She is unhappy
D. She must pray

A. Lord welcome soon.
Gratiana promises, “My lord shall be most welcome when his pleasure / Conducts him this way”.

34. Lussurioso is told that the mother going first to sin before the daughter is merely what?

A. Good manners
B. Good policy
C. Bad luck
D. Sinful habit

A. Good manners.
Lussurioso accepts Vindice’s explanation that “the mother / For her age must go foremost” as good manners.
35. What office does Vindice invent for himself, joking about the court?

A. Fees behind arras
B. City grocer
C. Royal poet
D. Duke’s guard

A. Fees behind arras.
Vindice jokingly wishes for the job of taking all the fees “behind the arras” and fallen farthingales.

36. After Lussurioso dismisses him, what does Vindice intend to do to the Duke’s son?

A. Kill him first
B. Beg forgiveness
C. Swear loyalty
D. Expose his lust

A. Kill him first.
Vindice decides, “Oh, shall I kill him a’ th’ wrong side now? No. / I’ll pierce him to his face”.

37. Who informs Spurio that Lussurioso intends to seduce Hippolito’s sister?

A. Lussurioso’s servant
B. Vindice’s servant
C. The Duke
D. The Duchess

A. Lussurioso’s servant.
A servant who is “most inward with the duke’s son’s lust” whispers the plan to Spurio.

38. Why is Spurio happy about Lussurioso’s planned sin with Castiza?

A. Disinherit him
B. To make him mad
C. To steal his gold
D. To see him weep

A. Disinherit him.
Spurio sees this as an occasion to “disinherit” his half-brother Lussurioso in a short time.

39. Vindice stops Lussurioso from reaching Castiza by warning him that Spurio is doing what?

A. Shadowing the duchess
B. Murdering duke
C. Stealing money
D. Preparing a masque

A. Shadowing the duchess.
Vindice claims Spurio is currently “Shadows the duchess” and is making the Duke a cuckold.
40. When Lussurioso bursts into the bedchamber, who does he find there?

A. Duke, Duchess
B. Spurio, Duchess
C. Vindice, Hippolito
D. Guards, Nobles

A. Duke, Duchess.
Lussurioso is “amaz’d to death” to find the Duke and Duchess in bed together, not Spurio.

41. What crime does the Duke accuse Lussurioso of attempting when found in the bedchamber?

A. Depose me
B. Adultery
C. Murder
D. Treason

A. Depose me.
The Duke claims Lussurioso “Intending to depose me in my bed” out of ambition.

42. Whom do Ambitioso and Supervacuo secretly want dead after Lussurioso is arrested?

A. Lussurioso, brother
B. Spurio, bastard
C. The Duchess
D. The Duke

A. Lussurioso, brother.
Ambitioso decides, “No, thy death shall thank me better,” scheming against Lussurioso.

43. Whom do Ambitioso and Supervacuo arrange to kill using the Duke’s signet?

A. Their brother, Junior
B. The Duke, father
C. Lussurioso
D. Spurio

A. Their brother, Junior.
Ambitioso and Supervacuo use the signet intended for Lussurioso’s execution on their youngest brother.

44. When the Junior Brother is executed, what does he realise was the meaning of the promised “trick”?

A. Four officers
B. His lawyer
C. His mother’s fault
D. A coffin

A. Four officers.
An officer explains that the “trick” meant four cards, referring to the four execution officers.
45. What sight do Vindice and Hippolito arrange for the Duke to witness before his death?

A. Incestuous kiss
B. Lussurioso’s death
C. Antonio’s wife
D. His own coffin

A. Incestuous kiss.
The Duke will witness the incestuous kiss between Spurio and the Duchess in the lodge.

46. What does Vindice dress the skull of his dead love in for the Duke’s fatal encounter?

A. In tires
B. Silk and silver
C. Ragged imperfections
D. A court mask

A. In tires.
Vindice brings the skull “dress’d up in tires,” preparing it to resemble a lady.

47. What toxic substance does Vindice apply to the skull’s mouth?

A. Poison
B. Sweetmeats
C. Damnation
D. Perfume

A. Poison.
Vindice applies a drug, “The mortal curse of the earth,” to the skull’s mouth to poison the Duke.

48. How do Vindice and Hippolito ensure their escape and cover the murder of the Duke?

A. Disguise as masquers
B. Set fire to the room
C. Tell Lussurioso
D. Blame the nobles

A. Disguise as masquers.
They hide the Duke’s body and use the disguise to appear as a pander fled, or later, a masquerade.

49. How is Lussurioso killed?

A. Stabbed in a masque
B. Poisoned
C. Died of grief
D. Shot with a piece

A. Stabbed in a masque.
Vindice and Hippolito, disguised as masquers, stab Lussurioso and three nobles during the banquet.
50. What is Vindice’s final, fatal mistake that leads to his own execution?

A. Confessed to the murder
B. Killed Lussurioso
C. Stabbed Hippolito
D. Took the gold

A. Confessed to the murder.
Vindice boasts about managing the murder, leading Antonio to condemn both brothers to “speedy execution”.

Brief Overview

Brief Overview

The Revenger’s Tragedy was first published in 1607 by English playwright Thomas Middleton. It is a dark, violent Jacobean tragedy that centers on the destructive nature of revenge and justice, set against the backdrop of a deeply corrupt Italian court.

The play centers on Vindici, the protagonist, who seeks revenge for his love, Gloriana. The old Duke poisoned Gloriana because she refused his lust. Vindici carries her skull as a constant, morbid symbol of his vengeance.

Vindici disguises himself as Piato. The Duke’s son, Lussurioso, hires the disguised Vindici to corrupt a virgin, who is actually Vindici’s sister, Castiza. Castiza bravely refuses Lussurioso’s offers.

Vindici then successfully uses gold to corrupt his own mother, Gratiana, turning her into a bawd. Later, Vindici and his brother, Hippolito, force their mother to repent her sin.

Vindici gets his central revenge by covering Gloriana’s skull with poison. He presents the dressed-up skull to the old Duke. The Duke kisses it and is poisoned. Vindici and Hippolito finish killing the Duke, who dies slowly.

Lussurioso becomes the new Duke. Vindici and Hippolito orchestrate a final, bloody act of vengeance. Disguised in a masque, they murder Lussurioso and his nobles. The Duchess’s sons also kill each other in the chaos. Vindici proudly confesses all the murders to Antonio, the new ruler.

Antonio immediately orders Vindici and Hippolito to be executed. The revengers die, having killed all their enemies but failing to escape the final consequences of their own destructive actions.

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