King Lear, ACT IV - Scene I. quiz

Questions and answers

1. 1

   Question 1. How long has the Old Man been a tenant to Gloucester and to Gloucester's father?

   • Forty years
   • Correct answer: Fourscore years
   • Threescore years
   • Twenty years

   The Old Man says he has been their tenant these fourscore years, that is, eighty years, which shows how deep his loyalty runs.

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2. 2

   Question 2. What does Edgar realize when he first sees his blinded father?

   • That his disguise has already been seen through
   • That Edmund must have followed their father here
   • Correct answer: That he can still fall lower than he had thought
   • That the Old Man plans to betray his old master

   Edgar had just claimed the worst was behind him; now he says he is worse than ever, and that the worst is not so long as we can say this is the worst.

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3. 3

   Question 3. Why does Gloucester urge the Old Man to leave him?

   • He wants to be left alone so he can pray
   • He suspects the Old Man of serving Cornwall
   • He no longer trusts any of his old tenants
   • Correct answer: Helping him may bring harm on the Old Man

   Gloucester says the Old Man's comforts can do him no good, but they may hurt the Old Man, since aiding a disgraced lord is dangerous.

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4. 4

   Question 4. To what does Gloucester compare human beings in their relation to the gods?

   • Correct answer: Flies killed for sport by careless boys
   • Sheep left to wander by a sleeping shepherd
   • Leaves torn from the branch by a storm
   • Pawns pushed about the board by bored players

   He says, As flies to wanton boys are we to th' gods; they kill us for their sport, picturing the gods as cruel and careless.

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5. 5

   Question 5. What does Gloucester ask the Old Man to bring back for Poor Tom?

   • Food and drink for the road
   • A horse to carry them to Dover
   • Correct answer: Some clothing for the naked man
   • News of his lost son Edgar

   Gloucester asks him to bring some covering for this naked soul, and the Old Man promises the best apparel he has.

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6. 6

   Question 6. What does Gloucester pray the heavens will do to the rich man who will not see because he does not feel?

   • Correct answer: Make him feel their power quickly so wealth is shared
   • Strike him blind so he learns what true sight means
   • Take away his lands and give them to his tenants
   • Send him out into the storm to live as a beggar

   Gloucester asks that such a man feel the heavens' power quickly, so distribution should undo excess and each man have enough.

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7. 7

   Question 7. What does Gloucester ask Poor Tom to do for him?

   • Carry a message to Cordelia in France
   • Guide him back to his castle at night
   • Correct answer: Lead him to the brim of the Dover cliff
   • Find the Old Man and bring him back

   He asks to be brought to the very brim of the cliff, adding that from that place he shall no leading need, a sign that he means to die.

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8. 8

   Question 8. Which of these events actually happen in Act 4, Scene 1?

   • Gloucester gives Poor Tom his purse.

     Happened

   • Edgar reveals his true name to his father.

     Didn't happen

   • The Old Man leaves to fetch clothing for the beggar.

     Happened

   • Gloucester recognizes Edgar's voice and embraces him.

     Didn't happen

   • Poor Tom names five fiends that have possessed him.

     Happened

   • Lear wanders onto the heath and speaks with Gloucester.

     Didn't happen

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9. 9

   Question 9. What does 'esperance' mean in: 'Stands still in esperance, lives not in fear'?

   • Silence
   • Sorrow
   • Correct answer: Hope
   • Danger

   Esperance means hope; Edgar says the lowest man lives in hope rather than fear because things can only improve.

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10. 10

    Question 10. What does 'wanton' mean in: 'As flies to wanton boys are we to th' gods'?

    • Hungry and desperate
    • Shy and fearful
    • Wise and patient
    • Correct answer: Playful and cruel

    Wanton here means playful in a careless, cruel way, like boys who kill flies for fun.

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11. 11

    Question 11. What does 'commodities' mean in: 'Our means secure us, and our mere defects / Prove our commodities'?

    • Correct answer: Advantages
    • Goods for sale
    • Burdens
    • Mistakes

    Commodities here means advantages: Gloucester says our losses can turn out to benefit us, as his blindness has brought insight.

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