Which of the following genres applies to Langland’s “Piers Plowman” ?
A. Allegory
B. Social satire
C. Dream vision
D. All of these answers
English Literature Mcqs
What was historically significant about Chretien de Troyes Yvain, le Chevalier au Lion ?
What was historically significant about Chretien de Troyes Yvain, le Chevalier au Lion ?
A. He recast the history of Arthur into the romance genre.
B. He was the first to discuss the Knights of the Round Table.
C. He separated Arthurian legend from tales of courtly love.
D. He dropped the supernatural theme found in Arthurian legend.
What is the primary focus of Bede’s Ecclesiastical History ?
What is the primary focus of Bede’s Ecclesiastical History ?
A. The life of everyday people in the 5th and 6th centuries
B. The conversion of Britain to Christianity
C. The history of Christianity before it reached Britain
D. The spread of Christianity after the Norman Conquest
What is the primary purpose of Chetien de Troye’s medieval romances ?
What is the primary purpose of Chetien de Troye’s medieval romances ?
A. To convert readers to Christianity through positive examples
B. To inform illiterate readers about Arthurian legend
C. To reconcile the hero’s responsibilities in love and wars
D. To sway audiences away from reading tales of courtly love
What is the significance of the dreamer in The Dream of the Rood ?
What is the significance of the dreamer in The Dream of the Rood ?
A. The dreamer functions as an example of the comitatus ethic.
B. The dreamer has a special hope for salvation.
C. The dreamer is a relic from before the Christian conversion.
D. The dreamer is an example of the superstition of paganism.
Which of the following is not a characteristic of Old English ?
Which of the following is not a characteristic of Old English ?
A. Alliteration
B. Personification
C. Caesura
D. Romance
What is the significance of the title of “Everyman” ?
What is the significance of the title of “Everyman” ?
A. The title suggests a long history of conflict between the government and the individual.
B. The title is part of the morality play’s attempt to make Christian struggles universal.
C. The title alludes to other plays in the same cycle.
D. The title suggests that faith-based issues are individual to each Christian.
Why is the Battle of Hastings relevant to the development of Middle English ?
Why is the Battle of Hastings relevant to the development of Middle English ?
A. English as a language of the king’s court was replaced by Norman French.
B. Eventually English was reestablished, deeply influenced by Norman French.
C. For a time, England became a country with two languages.
D. All of these answers
Why is the presence of the comitatus ethic in Beowulf significant ?
Why is the presence of the comitatus ethic in Beowulf significant ?
A. The comitatus ethic represents the shift from a nomadic to a more organized social structure.
B. The comitatus ethic is evidence of a period in which behavior was guided by Christian ethics.
C. The comitatus ethic shows a historical return to older types of political organization.
D. The comitatus ethic represents a culture in which rulers had no responsibilities to their citizens.
Chaucer and Langland were contemporaries, but there were several differences between their writing styles. Which of the following best describes these differences ?
Chaucer and Langland were contemporaries, but there were several differences between their writing styles. Which of the following best describes these differences ?
A. Langland wrote only about aristocratic characters that were similar to Arthurian legends, whereas Chaucer wrote about lower social classes.
B. Chaucer and Langland wrote in different dialects.
C. Chaucer copied French and Italian style, whereas Langland did not.
D. Most of Chaucer’s poetry was for a secular court audience, whereas Langland’s was didactic, teaching a moral lesson.