The Picture of Dorian Gray, Chapter 15 quiz

Questions and answers

1. 1

   Question 1. What flower does Dorian wear to Lady Narborough's dinner party?

   • A white carnation
   • Correct answer: Parma violets
   • A red rose
   • Yellow chrysanthemums

   Dorian arrives wearing 'a large button-hole of Parma violets,' maintaining his aesthetic appearance despite his inner turmoil.

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2. 2

   Question 2. How does Dorian behave at dinner regarding food and drink?

   • He eats heartily but refuses all alcohol
   • He eats sparingly and sips water
   • Correct answer: He cannot eat anything but drinks champagne eagerly
   • He declines both food and drink entirely

   Plate after plate goes away untasted while the butler keeps filling his glass with champagne, revealing his guilt-driven anxiety.

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3. 3

   Question 3. What explanation does Lady Narborough offer for Dorian's strange mood?

   • She thinks he is unwell from overwork
   • Correct answer: She believes he is in love
   • She suspects he has had a quarrel with Lord Henry
   • She assumes he is bored by the other guests

   Lady Narborough cries 'I believe he is in love, and that he is afraid to tell me for fear I should be jealous,' completely misreading his distress.

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4. 4

   Question 4. What does Lord Henry say about the husbands of very beautiful women?

   • They are the happiest men in England
   • Correct answer: They belong to the criminal classes
   • They are always the most boring at parties
   • They never appreciate what they have

   Lord Henry quips that 'the husbands of very beautiful women belong to the criminal classes,' an ironic remark given that Dorian — himself extraordinarily beautiful — has just committed a crime.

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5. 5

   Question 5. How does Dorian respond when Lord Henry asks what he did after leaving early the previous night?

   • He calmly says he went straight home
   • He refuses to answer and changes the subject
   • Correct answer: He first says he went to his club, then contradicts himself
   • He confesses that he was with Basil Hallward

   Dorian says 'Yes' to going to the club, then immediately retracts it: 'No, I don't mean that. I didn't go to the club. I walked about. I forget what I did.' His fumbling reveals his nervous guilt.

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6. 6

   Question 6. What does Dorian do with Basil Hallward's coat and bag?

   • He hides them in the Florentine cabinet
   • He gives them to his servant to dispose of
   • Correct answer: He burns them in his library fireplace
   • He throws them into the river from a hansom cab

   Dorian opens the secret press where he had hidden the items and burns them in a huge blazing fire, a process that takes three-quarters of an hour.

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7. 7

   Question 7. What is inside the Chinese box that Dorian retrieves from the Florentine cabinet?

   • A miniature portrait of Basil Hallward
   • A collection of love letters
   • Correct answer: A green paste with a heavy, persistent odour
   • A vial of poison

   The box contains 'a green paste, waxy in lustre, the odour curiously heavy and persistent,' which is implied to be opium that Dorian will use to escape his guilt.

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8. 8

   Question 8. Which of these events actually occur in Chapter 15?

   • Dorian arrives at Lady Narborough's party wearing Parma violets.

     Happened

   • Lord Henry arrives late to the dinner party.

     Happened

   • Dorian confesses to Lady Narborough that he has committed a terrible act.

     Didn't happen

   • Mr. Chapman discusses politics loudly after the ladies leave.

     Happened

   • Lord Henry accompanies Dorian home after the party.

     Didn't happen

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9. 9

   Question 9. Which of these events actually occur in Chapter 15?

   • Dorian burns Basil's coat and bag in his library fireplace.

     Happened

   • Dorian opens a Florentine cabinet to find a Chinese box.

     Happened

   • Dorian visits an opium den before midnight.

     Didn't happen

   • Dorian disguises himself in common clothes and slips out at midnight.

     Happened

   • Lord Henry discovers that Dorian has been hiding something.

     Didn't happen

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10. 10

    Question 10. What does 'demeanour' mean as used in: 'He himself could not help wondering at the calm of his demeanour'?

    • Physical health or energy level
    • Correct answer: Outward behavior or bearing
    • Social status among peers
    • Inner emotional state

    Demeanour means outward behavior or bearing — how a person presents themselves. Dorian marvels at his ability to appear composed despite his inner torment.

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11. 11

    Question 11. What does 'corroborative' mean as used in: 'If you want any corroborative evidence on the subject, you can ask him'?

    • Contradictory or opposing
    • Circumstantial and unreliable
    • Correct answer: Confirming or supporting
    • Secretive and hidden

    Corroborative means serving to confirm or support. Dorian sarcastically offers Lord Henry the chance to verify his story with the servant, deflecting further questioning.

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12. 12

    Question 12. What does 'incorrigible' mean as used in: 'Isn't he incorrigible? cried Dorian, leaning forward in his chair'?

    • Extremely intelligent and witty
    • Correct answer: Impossible to correct or reform
    • Deliberately cruel and hurtful
    • Prone to exaggeration

    Incorrigible means not able to be corrected or reformed. Dorian uses it affectionately about Lord Henry's refusal to stop making provocative remarks about marriage and women.

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