A TO Z Literary Principles from History of English Literature: Note 106 (Miscellaneous)

A Set of 26 Objective Questions & Answers

UGC NET ENGLISH / COMPETITIVE EXAM QUESTION BANK

1. Which of the following works is considered Robert Seymour Bridges's masterpiece?

a) The Canterbury Tales
b) Utopia
c) The Testament of Beauty
d) The Necklace
Answer: c) The Testament of Beauty
Explanation: ‘The Testament of Beauty’ is described as Robert Seymour Bridges's masterpiece.

2. Who wrote ‘The Canterbury Tales’?

a) Geoffrey Chaucer

b) Thomas More
c) William Shakespeare
d) John Dryden
Answer: a) Geoffrey Chaucer
Explanation: Geoffrey Chaucer is the author of ‘The Canterbury Tales’.

3. Which work satirizes British life through a story of a mythical, perfect society?

a) Utopia
b) The Most Dangerous Game
c) The Pilgrim’s Progress
d) Paradise Lost
Answer: a) Utopia
Explanation: Thomas More’s ‘Utopia’ is a satire on British life that describes a perfect society.

4.Who is considered the greatest playwright of all time, with plays that are unequaled anywhere in the world?

a) Christopher Marlowe
b) William Shakespeare
c) John Donne
d) Robert Bridges
Answer: b) William Shakespeare
Explanation: Shakespeare is widely regarded as the greatest playwright due to the brilliance and beauty of his language and characters.

5. Which writer drew from his experiences in World War I and is known for “The Most Dangerous Game”?

a) Geoffrey Chaucer
b) Robert Seymour Bridges
c) Richard Connell
d) John Milton
Answer: c) Richard Connell
Explanation: Connell’s "The Most Dangerous Game" reflects his experiences, including his service in World War I.

6. ‘The Necklace’ is known for its:

a) Complex structure
b) Tragic ending
c) Twist ending
d) Humorous tone
Answer: c) Twist ending
Explanation: Guy de Maupassant’s ‘The Necklace’ is popular for its twist ending.

7. Which is the first English tragedy written by Thomas Norton and Sackville?

a) Gorboduc

b) The Tragical History of Doctor Faustus
c) Utopia
d) The Spectator
Answer: a) Gorboduc
Explanation: ‘Gorboduc,’ or ‘Ferrex and Porrex,’ is the first English tragedy written by Norton and Sackville.

8.Which of the following contributed to Joseph Addison’s literary success?

a) His essays in The Spectator

b) His novel ‘Pamela’
c) His religious poetry
d) His satirical plays
Answer: a) His essays in The Spectator
Explanation: Addison’s essays in ‘The Spectator’ are noted for their ease, clarity, and humor.

9.Who was responsible for translating several important works, including Bede's Ecclesiastical History?

a) King Alfred
b) Joseph Addison
c) John Milton
d) Christopher Marlowe
Answer: a) King Alfred
Explanation: King Alfred translated or edited several works, including Bede’s Ecclesiastical History.

10. Aelfric Grammaticus is known for his contributions to:

a) English verse
b) English prose
c) Political philosophy
d) Dramatic tragedy
Answer: b) English prose
Explanation: Aelfric Grammaticus influenced the formation of English prose.

11. Who is considered the greatest English playwright before Shakespeare?

a) John Dryden

b) Geoffrey Chaucer
c) Christopher Marlowe
d) John Donne
Answer: c) Christopher Marlowe
Explanation: Marlowe was the greatest playwright before Shakespeare and influenced him with his use of blank verse.

12. John Donne is best known for:

a) His religious allegories
b) His sonnets on human and divine love
c) His essays on liberty
d) His political satire
Answer: b) His sonnets on human and divine love
Explanation: John Donne is famous for his sonnets focusing on human and divine love.

13. Which poet is known for his religious poetry, published posthumously under the title ‘The Temple’?

a) John Donne
b) George Herbert
c) Robert Bridges
d) John Dryden
Answer: b) George Herbert
Explanation: George Herbert’s religious poetry was published after his death as ‘The Temple.’

14. Which version of the Bible was completed in 1611?

a) Wycliffe Bible
b) King James Version
c) Geneva Bible
d) New International Version
Answer: b) King James Version
Explanation: The King James Version was commissioned by James I and completed in 1611.

15. John Dryden is best known for his contributions in:

a) Religious poetry
b) Political satire
c) Scientific writings
d) Dramatic tragedies
Answer: b) Political satire
Explanation: Dryden wrote a wide range of works, including political satire, and was a leading figure of Restoration literature.

16.Which of John Milton’s works defends freedom of the press?

a) Paradise Lost
b) Areopagitica
c) Utopia
d) The Pilgrim’s Progress
Answer: b) Areopagitica
Explanation: ‘Areopagitica’ was Milton’s essay on the importance of press freedom.

17. ‘Paradise Lost’ is an epic poem about:

a) The creation of the world
b) Lucifer’s rebellion and Adam’s fall
c) The lives of saints
d) The history of England
Answer: b) Lucifer’s rebellion and Adam’s fall
Explanation: Milton’s ‘Paradise Lost’ focuses on the rebellion of Lucifer and the fall of Adam and Eve.

18. Which religious allegory was written by John Bunyan?

a) The Pilgrim’s Progress
b) The Temple
c) Utopia
d) Areopagitica
Answer: a) The Pilgrim’s Progress
Explanation: John Bunyan wrote ‘The Pilgrim’s Progress,’ a religious allegory.

19.John Locke’s theory of empiricism is based on:

a) Rational deduction
b) Divine revelation
c) Experience of the senses
d) Innate ideas
Answer: c) Experience of the senses
Explanation: Locke’s theory of empiricism emphasizes knowledge gained through sensory experience.

20. ‘The Rape of the Lock’ by Alexander Pope is:

a) A tragic play
b) A religious allegory
c) A satirical poem
d) A historical narrative
Answer: c) A satirical poem
Explanation: Pope’s ‘The Rape of the Lock’ is a satirical poem.

21. Who cultivated the new form of realistic fiction in the 17th century?

a) Aphra Behn
b) Geoffrey Chaucer
c) George Herbert
d) John Dryden
Answer: a) Aphra Behn
Explanation: Aphra Behn and other women writers introduced realism to fiction in the 17th century.

22. The rise of the novel in the 18th century was a result of:

a) Romanticism
b) The democratic movement and the spread of education
c) Religious reform
d) Political revolutions
Answer: b) The democratic movement and the spread of education
Explanation: The rise of the novel was influenced by the spread of education and the democratic movement.

23. Which work by Defoe is considered the first great English novel?

a) Robinson Crusoe
b) The Canterbury Tales
c) The Pilgrim’s Progress
d) Utopia
Answer: a) Robinson Crusoe
Explanation: ‘Robinson Crusoe’ by Daniel Defoe is considered the first great English novel.

24. Which writers contributed to the evolution of the realistic novel?

a) Addison and Steele
b) John Milton and George Herbert
c) Aphra Behn and Alexander Pope
d) Thomas More and John Bunyan
Answer: a) Addison and Steele
Explanation: Addison and Steele contributed to the development

25. Which novel is considered the first true novel in English literature?

a) Clarissa
b) The Rape of the Lock
c) Pamela
d) Robinson Crusoe
Answer: c) Pamela
Explanation: Samuel Richardson’s ‘Pamela’ is regarded as the first true novel in English literature.

26. Who are known as "The Four Wheels of the Novel"?

a) Chaucer, Shakespeare, Marlowe, and Milton
b) Defoe, Pope, Donne, and Herbert
c) Richardson, Fielding, Smollett, and Sterne
d) Locke, Addison, Steele, and More
Answer: c) Richardson, Fielding, Smollett, and Sterne
Explanation: Richardson, Fielding, Smollett, and Sterne are known as the Four Wheels of the Novel for their contributions to the genre in the 18th century.

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Ref: 1. History of English Literature- Albert     
2. The Concise Cambridge History of English Literature
3. UGC NET OLD QUESTION PAPERS