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A TO Z Literary Principles from History of English Literature: Note 39 (Arcadia & Utopia)

Short notes on History of English Literature: Arcadia and Utopia
A Set of 26 Objective Questions & Answers
Short notes on History of English Literature: Arcadia


1. Who wrote the prose romance Arcadia?

Philip Sidney.

2. In what form was the work Arcadia written?

Arcadia is a prose romance interspersed with verse.

3. What is Arcadia considered to be in terms of English literature?

The first considerable work in English pastoral romance.

4. Where does the action of Arcadia take place?

In the idealized setting of Arcadia.

5. What is the significance of Sidney's Arcadia?

It was famous in its day as a pastoral romance.

6. Which historic event made a prayer from Arcadia deeply significant?

When King Charles repeated it facing death on the scaffold in 1649.

7. What role does Arcadia play in the story of love and chivalry?

It serves as the background for the story.

8. Who are Musidorus and Pyrocles in Arcadia?

They are characters disguised as a peasant and a woman, respectively.

9. Who does King Basilius fall in love with in Arcadia?

King Basilius falls in love with Pyrocles disguised as a woman.

10. What happens when the queen discovers the deception in Arcadia?

The queen also falls in love with Pyrocles.

11. How does Arcadia contribute to the history of the novel?

It marks a well-defined stage in the history of the novel.

12. How would you describe the writing style of Arcadia?

The style of Arcadia is highly "conceited," with elaborate analogies, balanced parenthetical asides, and the use of pathetic fallacies.

13. What qualities can be found in Arcadia's writing?

Arcadia has moments of idyllic simplicity and stylized pastoral charm.
Short notes on History of English Literature: Utopia

14. Who is the author of the book Utopia?

Thomas More.

15. How does Utopia differ from other literature of its time?

Utopia is a powerful and original study of social conditions, unlike anything that had appeared before, except for some points of resemblance with Plato's Republic.

16. Who are the main characters in Utopia?

The main characters are Thomas More, his friend Peter Giles, and Raphael Hythloday, a Portuguese seaman.

17. Where does the encounter between More, Giles, and Hythloday take place?

The encounter takes place in Antwerp after leaving Church service.

18. What kind of world did Hythloday find in Utopia?

Hythloday found a far different world from European corruption, crime, waste, and war in Utopia.

19. What are some characteristics of the ideal state described by Hythloday in the second part of Utopia?

The ideal state has a truly representative government, a communistic economy, a six-hour workday, and emphasizes happiness as the highest good.

20. How do the Utopians view war?

The Utopians detest war and bear arms only in self-defense.

21. What is one notable aspect of Utopian society?

Utopia practices complete religious toleration.

22. What does Utopia symbolize in terms of humanistic principles?

Utopia represents a retinol world governed by truly humanistic principles.

23. How does More's Utopia critique English society and government?

More uses the fictional comparison of Utopia with England to point out problems in English society and government.

24. In what language did Thomas More write Utopia?

Thomas More wrote Utopia in Latin, the scholarly language of the 16th century.

25. What works of European literature were influenced by Utopia?

Utopia's influence can be found in Jonathan Swift's Gulliver's Travels (1726) and Voltaire's Candide (1759).

26. What are some of the aspects covered in Utopia, as described by More?

Utopia covers the Utopian society, the geography of Utopia, and the Utopians' ideas about wealth, the value of money, and gold, among other topics.

 Ardhendu De

Ref: 
  1. ALBERT. (2000). History of English Literature (Fifth Edition) [English]. OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS.
  2. A history of English literature : Compton-Rickett, Arthur, 1869-1937 : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive. (n.d.). Internet Archive. https://archive.org/details/historyofenglish00comprich

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