With this printable test covering the entirety of William Shakespeare’s The Taming of the Shrew, English teachers will be able to evaluate students’ comprehension of key characters, plot developments, and literary craft. An answer key is provided. Materials are delivered in Word Document and PDF formats. A breakdown of content follows. Part 1. Knowledge of Plot. Students will demonstrate comprehension of the following: Christopher Sly’s disruptive behavior An activity in which Christopher Sly participates Baptista’s terms for his daughters’ marriages Lucentio’s persona, “Cambio” The quality in women about which Petruchio cares most Hortensio’s persona, “Litio” Petruchio’s intentions for Katharina Baptista’s preferences to be his son-in-law Petruchio’s tardiness to the wedding Petruchio’s appearance on his wedding day Bianca’s assessment of her sister’s relationship An accident involving a horse Petruchio’s strictness Hortensio’s feelings toward Petruchio Petruchio’s eccentric behavior Hortensio’s marriage A test of the wives’ loyalty Katharina’s closing speech Part 2. True/False. Students will identify whether a statement is true or false. Questions focus on: “Cambio’s” area of expertise The nature of the relationship between Bianca and Katharina The first character to reveal his true identity to Bianca Hortensio’s dwindling affection toward Bianca Katharina’s reaction to her husband’s strange behavior Baptista’s negotiating the terms of his daughters’ marriages Baptista and Vincentio’s forgiveness of their children The false Vincentio’s reaction to meeting the real Vincentio Part 3. Quotations in Context. Students will match an excerpt with its appropriate context. Act 1, scene 1: Hark, Tranio! thou may’st hear Minerva speak. Act 1, scene 1: No profit grows where is no pleasure ta’en: / In brief, sir, study what you most affect. Act 2, scene 1: Her silence flouts me, and I’ll be revenged. Act 2, scene 1: O slow-wing’d turtle! shall a buzzard take thee? Act 3, scene 2: Go, girl; I cannot blame thee now to weep; / For such an injury would vex a very saint, / Much more a shrew of thy impatient humour. Act 3, scene 2: That, being mad herself, she’s madly mated. Act 4, scene 2: …here I firmly vow / Never to woo her no more, but do forswear her, / As one unworthy all the former favours / That I have fondly flatter’d her withal. Act 5, scene 1: Fear not, Baptista; we will content you, go to: but / I will in, to be revenged for this villany Act 5, scene 2: A woman moved is like a fountain troubled, / Muddy, ill-seeming, thick, bereft of beauty… Part 4. Application of Literary Devices. Students will be given a detail or excerpt from the drama and must determine which literary device is best reflected. Literary devices addressed include: Sibilance Allusion Hyperbole Anaphora Oxymoron Aposiopesis Idiom Metaphor Consonance Simile Onomatopoeia

Looking for high school horror story activities for the Halloween season? Looking for a text to pair with “The Black Cat” by Edgar Allan Poe or a similar narrative? Use this close reading worksheet on H.P. Lovecraft’s “The Hound” to help students go beyond general reading comprehension and develop critical thinking and literary craft analysis skills. An answer key is included. Materials are delivered in editable Word Document and printable PDF formats. By completing this close reading analysis activity, students will: Read for literal comprehension Utilize dictionaries to ensure knowledge of word meanings Infer the intended effects of the author’s word choices and narrative techniques Compare the opening paragraph of Edgar Allan Poe’s “The Black Cat” with the opening paragraphs of “The Hound” Describe tone in context Determine the functions of various passages Explore how complex characters think, behave, interact, and develop Apply knowledge of various literary devices including alliteration, euphemism, foreshadowing, imagery, personification, situational irony, and more Conduct research as needed to answer questions about plot Find similarities among the following groups: Symbolists, pre-Raphaelites, and Decadents Support claims and inferences with sound reasoning and relevant evidence Write about fiction with clarity, accuracy, and precision Come to class better prepared to discuss literature

Conclude a unit on Shakespeare’s Othello with this summative test and answer key. By completing this assessment, students will demonstrate general knowledge of character actions, dialogue, and motivations. In addition, they will explore the significance of selected passages and apply knowledge of literary devices such as situational irony and dramatic irony. Finally, students will write with clarity, accuracy, and precision in response to a prompt requiring them to analyze Iago and support the claim that he is a weak villain. An answer key is provided. Materials are delivered as printable Word Documents and PDFs.

Help high school students go beyond basic reading comprehension and support the development of critical thinking and literary craft analysis skills with this close reading worksheet covering “The Tomb” by H.P. Lovecraft, a short story with elements of Gothic fantasy that evokes the works of Edgar Allan Poe. A detailed answer key and copy of the public domain narrative, which is especially fitting for the Halloween season, are provided. Materials are delivered in editable Word Document and printable PDF formats. By completing this activity, students will: Identify what the text states explicitly and implicitly Make logical inferences about the author’s inspiration Examine how the protagonist is introduced Explore the functions of given paragraphs Examine cause-and-effect relationships Discern the intended effect of the author’s diction Define complex words and phrases as they are used in the text Examine the connotative significance of words or phrases Apply knowledge of various literary devices including personification and onomatopoeia Draw parallels between the narrator and the mythical figure Theseus Articulate how a particular paragraph contributes to character development Explore the symbolic importance of incidents and objects including the extinguishing of light and a lightning bolt Examine the nature of the relationship between the narrator and his family Explain an example of situational irony in the context of a given paragraph Consider the role of an unreliable narrator in the context of the plot Justify responses with reasoned thinking and relevant textual evidence Write ideas with clarity, accuracy, and precision