The play Mankind must have been

Answer choices

1. A

   Irrelevant3% picked this

   The Royal Theatre Company includes the play on a list of those

   The fact that the play was still performed in 1480 doesn't tell us anything about whether it was or wasn't written between 1431 and 1471. If we found out that the play was performed in 1420, that would weaken!

   3%
2. B

   No Impact15% picked this

   Another coin mentioned in the play was first minted

   If the play were written between 1431 and 1471, it can certainly mention a coin that was first minted in 1422. So this fact poses no problem for the argument. If another coin mentioned in the play was first minted in 1480, that would pose a problem for believing the play was written in 1431 - 1471.

   15%
3. C

   No Impact4% picked this

   The rose noble was neither minted nor circulated

   This fact doesn't pose any conflict for the author's timeline. The rose noble was first circulated in 1431. Maybe the play was written in 1440 and mentioned the rose noble, and then the rose noble was phased out after 1468. That's all compatible with the author's conclusion.

   4%
4. D

   No Impact: deposed / restored3% picked this

   Although Henry VI was deposed in 1461, he was briefly restored to the

   For the sake of the author's logic, it doesn't matter when Henry was on or off the throne. We only really care if he was still alive. The author is assuming that if he's mentioned as a living monarch in the dedication, then we was still alive during the writing of the play, which means sometime before 1471.

   3%
5. E

   Correct76% picked this

   In a letter written in early 1428, a merchant told of having seen the design for a much- discussed new coin

   Why this is right

   This allows us to argue that the play could have been written before 1431. The author will be like, "What do you mean? How could it have been written before 1431 if the play mentions the rose noble and the rose noble wasn't circulated until 1431?" This answer lets us say, "C'mon, my dude --- yes, the rose noble wasn't in people's pockets until 1431, but people knew about the rose noble years before that. As early as 1428, people were gossiping about this forthcoming coin called the rose noble. It was much-discussed!" Thus, the playwright could have written the play in 1428 and included the rose noble in the play, knowing that the coin was soon forthcoming, and trusting that her audience had probably already heard of the much-discussed forthcoming coin.

   Skill tested: Weaken · how this choice captures the argument's function is the move to repeat next time.

   76%