Rappaccini's Daughter

Multiple Choice and Long Answer questions create ideal opportunities for whole-text review, unit exam, or summative assessments.

Multiple Choice

1. What technique is used when Giovanni describes Beatrice as “beautiful as the day” (Paragraph 14)?

A) Metaphor

B) Simile

C) Hyperbole

D) Irony

2. “Rappaccini’s Daughter” incorporates a symbolic allegory from which of the following works of literature?

A) The Divine Comedy

B) The Phantom of the Opera

C) Volpone

D) Dr. Faustus

3. What does Giovanni throw down to Beatrice in the garden?

A) A beautiful ring

B) A bouquet of flowers

C) His handkerchief

D) A family heirloom

4. How does Giovanni react to Baglioni’s revelation about Beatrice?

A) He becomes angry and dismisses Baglioni.

B) He laughs and declares that Baglioni is mistaken.

C) He groans and hides his face.

D) He ignores him and changes the subject.

5.  Which factor most likely influences Professor Baglioni’s decision to give Giovanni the potentially life-saving phial?

A) His desire to save Giovanni

B) His desire to save Beatrice

C) His desire to test his antidote on a human subject

D) His desire to unmask Rappaccini’s unethical experiment

6. How does Beatrice’s comment about Giovanni believing only what he sees with his eyes in Paragraph 67 serve as a warning?

A) Giovanni has seen odd occurrences but disregards them.

B) Beatrice knows that Giovanni is not very observant.

C) Giovanni tends to make logical rather than emotional decisions.

D) Beatrice is trying to distract Giovanni from the truth.

7. What technique does Baglioni use to warn Giovanni that Beatrice is dangerous?

A) He constructs an extended metaphor.

B) He alludes to a story from classic literature.

C) He presents a formal argument.

D) He recounts the allegory of Dante and Beatrice.

8. Which description best describes Giovanni’s character?

A) Discontented and impatient

B) Charming and easygoing

C) Melancholy and easily angered

D) Insecure and teachable

9. Which factor most likely motivates Rappaccini the most in allowing the relationship between Giovanni and Beatrice to continue?

A) His guilt for making Beatrice a pariah to humanity

B) His hope that Beatrice will have someone to care for her after he is gone

C) His curiosity to see if Giovanni has developed a tolerance for the poison in Beatrice

D) His desire to see how potent Beatrice’s poison is

10. Which female archetype does Beatrice most closely represent?

A) The femme fatale

B) The enchantress

C) The damsel in distress

D) The maiden

Long Answer

Compose a response of 2-3 sentences, incorporating text details to support your response.

1. Why does Rappaccini call Beatrice out to the garden?

2. What is Giovanni’s reaction when he sees normal flowers wither under Beatrice’s touch?