English literature 101 (correct answers)
Vernacular correct answers Common language spoken by the people.
Beowulf correct answers A famous work of Old English that describes an epic
adventure ending with a heroic death.
Beast fable correct answers A story that includes animals with human qualities as
central characters.
Caesura correct answers In poetry, it divides a line of verse. In Beowulf, it creates a
pause in the middle of the four stressed syllables in each line to create a rhythm.
Premise of Chaucer's The Canterbury Tales correct answers Several travelers gather at
an inn while on pilgrimage and engage in a tale-telling contest.
The Canterbury Tales correct answers Geoffrey Chaucer's most famous work, written in
Middle English, which was the common language of the people.
Alliterative verse correct answers Poetry written with repeated letter sounds (alliteration)
instead of a rhyme scheme.
Fabliau correct answers A short story that includes sexual references and bathroom
humor, such as ''The Miller's Tale'' in The Canterbury Tales.
Middle English correct answers Developed in the 1100s with French influence and
spoken until the 1400s. It is more recognizable to modern English than Old English,
which was spoken for about 500 years before.
Translate:Whan that Aprille, with hise shoures soote, The droghte of March hath perced
to the roote And bathed every veyne in swich licour, Of which vertu engendred is the
flour When April with his showers sweet, The drought of March has pierced to the root,
And bathed every vein in such liquid, By which the power of the flower is engendered
correct answers
Defining feature of chivalric romance correct answers A story that features a medieval
knight on an adventure, such as ''The Knight's Tale'' and ''The Wife of Bath's Tale'' in
Chaucer's The Canterbury Tales.
Years Old English was commonly spoken correct answers Circa 450 AD to 1150 AD
''The Prioress's Tale'' correct answers A story in Chaucer's The Canterbury Tales told
by a head nun that is full of anti-Semitism.
''The Pardoner's Tale'' correct answers A story in Chaucer's The Canterbury Tales in
which the main characters die because they are too greedy.
,Most famous work in Old English correct answers Beowulf is the oldest and most
studied work of Old English still extant.
Frame narrative correct answers Famously used in the prologue of The Canterbury
Tales, this is a literary device that sets up the plot of a story or tells a story within a
story.
Brutus in 'Julius Caesar' correct answers Friend of Caesar's who is led to believe that
killing Caesar is the right thing to do for RomeKills himself in battle and is remembered
as a good man by Mark Antony
Julius Caesar correct answers A work of historical fiction in play form written by
Shakespeare about the events surrounding the murder of Julius CaesarLikely written in
response to the political issues of Shakespeare's time
Lord Chamberlain's Men correct answers Theater company that performed at London's
Globe Theater starting in 1599 whose players were written by William Shakespeare
''A horse! A horse! My kingdom for a horse!'' correct answers Famous line said by
Richard III in Act V of Shakespeare's ''Richard III'' after his horse is killed in battle
Desperate Richard is willing to trade being king for a horse to continue fighting
Richard III correct answers A work of historical fiction in play form written by
Shakespeare about the rise to power and death of a deformed English Duke who
becomes a villain and a murderer to become King
Cassius in 'Julius Caesar' correct answers Jealous of Caesar being chosen to be king
Organizer of the conspiracy to kill Caesar and deceives Brutus into joining the
conspiracy Kills himself in battle when he thinks his side is losing
Romeo and Juliet correct answers A tragedy written by Shakespeare set in Verona, Italy
about star-crossed lovers from feuding families who take their own lives''
...deeds, and language, such as men do use:And persons, such as comedy would
choose, When she would show an image of the times, And sport with human follies, not
with crimes.'' correct answers From the prologue of Jonson's ''Every Man in His
Humour'' Indicates that the intention of his work is to present contemporary life
Prospero correct answers A main character in Shakespeare's 'The Tempest' Former
Duke banished by his brother to an island, which he rules with the use of magic ''Lo I
the man, whose Muse whilome did maske, As time her taught, in lowly Shepheards
weeds, Am now enforst a far unfitter taske,
, For trumpets sterne to chaunge mine Oaten reeds...'' correct answers Opening lines of
Spenser's ''The Faierie Queen'' Is the first quatrain of iambic pentameter in a
Spenserian stanza
King Lear correct answers A tragedy written by Shakespeare about the events
surrounding an aging king dividing his kingdom amongst his daughters Theme:
metaphorical and physical blindness to what's in front of you
Othello correct answers The main character and sympathetic hero of Shakespeare's
'Othello' who kills his wife and himself after being deceived by Iago Is a Moor (from
North Africa)
The Renaissance correct answers Occurred between the late 1300s-1600s in Europe
Characterized by an explosion of arts and literature Helped by the printing press'
invention and the end of the Hundred Years' War and the plague
Couplet correct answers A set of two of something In Shakespeare, two consecutive
lines in a verse that rhyme Example: ''So long as men can breathe, or eyes can see, So
long lives this, and this gives life to thee.''
Twelfth Night correct answers A comedy written by Shakespeare about twins separated
by shipwreck who become entangled in a confusing love triangle that includes the
woman twin deceivingly pretending to be a man
Renaissance correct answers A term that means 'rebirth' or 'revival' in French
Christopher Marlowe correct answers Playwright who preceded and influenced
Shakespeare Famous works: 'Dido, Queen of Carthage,' 'Tamburlaine the Great,' 'The
Jew of Malta,' 'Edward II,' 'The Massacre at Paris,' 'Doctor Faustus''
'Now is the winter of our discontent Made glorious summer by this sun of York;'' correct
answers Famous line said by Richard III in Act I of Shakespeare's ''Richard III''
Means that a difficult time has come to an end thanks to the newly crowned King
Edward IV ''...List, list, O list!; If thou didst ever thy dear father love--;Revenge his foul
and most unnatural murder.'' correct answers Famous line said by the Ghost in Act I of
Shakespeare's ''Hamlet''The Ghost, Hamlet's father, is asking Hamlet to avenge his
murder
''The Tragical History of the Life and Death of Doctor Faustus'' correct answers Famous
play written by Christopher Marlowe Based on a German legend of a person selling the
devil their soul
Caliban correct answers A main character in Shakespeare's 'The Tempest' A native of
the island Prospero is banished to who becomes Prospero's slave after trying to rape
his daughter
Vernacular correct answers Common language spoken by the people.
Beowulf correct answers A famous work of Old English that describes an epic
adventure ending with a heroic death.
Beast fable correct answers A story that includes animals with human qualities as
central characters.
Caesura correct answers In poetry, it divides a line of verse. In Beowulf, it creates a
pause in the middle of the four stressed syllables in each line to create a rhythm.
Premise of Chaucer's The Canterbury Tales correct answers Several travelers gather at
an inn while on pilgrimage and engage in a tale-telling contest.
The Canterbury Tales correct answers Geoffrey Chaucer's most famous work, written in
Middle English, which was the common language of the people.
Alliterative verse correct answers Poetry written with repeated letter sounds (alliteration)
instead of a rhyme scheme.
Fabliau correct answers A short story that includes sexual references and bathroom
humor, such as ''The Miller's Tale'' in The Canterbury Tales.
Middle English correct answers Developed in the 1100s with French influence and
spoken until the 1400s. It is more recognizable to modern English than Old English,
which was spoken for about 500 years before.
Translate:Whan that Aprille, with hise shoures soote, The droghte of March hath perced
to the roote And bathed every veyne in swich licour, Of which vertu engendred is the
flour When April with his showers sweet, The drought of March has pierced to the root,
And bathed every vein in such liquid, By which the power of the flower is engendered
correct answers
Defining feature of chivalric romance correct answers A story that features a medieval
knight on an adventure, such as ''The Knight's Tale'' and ''The Wife of Bath's Tale'' in
Chaucer's The Canterbury Tales.
Years Old English was commonly spoken correct answers Circa 450 AD to 1150 AD
''The Prioress's Tale'' correct answers A story in Chaucer's The Canterbury Tales told
by a head nun that is full of anti-Semitism.
''The Pardoner's Tale'' correct answers A story in Chaucer's The Canterbury Tales in
which the main characters die because they are too greedy.
,Most famous work in Old English correct answers Beowulf is the oldest and most
studied work of Old English still extant.
Frame narrative correct answers Famously used in the prologue of The Canterbury
Tales, this is a literary device that sets up the plot of a story or tells a story within a
story.
Brutus in 'Julius Caesar' correct answers Friend of Caesar's who is led to believe that
killing Caesar is the right thing to do for RomeKills himself in battle and is remembered
as a good man by Mark Antony
Julius Caesar correct answers A work of historical fiction in play form written by
Shakespeare about the events surrounding the murder of Julius CaesarLikely written in
response to the political issues of Shakespeare's time
Lord Chamberlain's Men correct answers Theater company that performed at London's
Globe Theater starting in 1599 whose players were written by William Shakespeare
''A horse! A horse! My kingdom for a horse!'' correct answers Famous line said by
Richard III in Act V of Shakespeare's ''Richard III'' after his horse is killed in battle
Desperate Richard is willing to trade being king for a horse to continue fighting
Richard III correct answers A work of historical fiction in play form written by
Shakespeare about the rise to power and death of a deformed English Duke who
becomes a villain and a murderer to become King
Cassius in 'Julius Caesar' correct answers Jealous of Caesar being chosen to be king
Organizer of the conspiracy to kill Caesar and deceives Brutus into joining the
conspiracy Kills himself in battle when he thinks his side is losing
Romeo and Juliet correct answers A tragedy written by Shakespeare set in Verona, Italy
about star-crossed lovers from feuding families who take their own lives''
...deeds, and language, such as men do use:And persons, such as comedy would
choose, When she would show an image of the times, And sport with human follies, not
with crimes.'' correct answers From the prologue of Jonson's ''Every Man in His
Humour'' Indicates that the intention of his work is to present contemporary life
Prospero correct answers A main character in Shakespeare's 'The Tempest' Former
Duke banished by his brother to an island, which he rules with the use of magic ''Lo I
the man, whose Muse whilome did maske, As time her taught, in lowly Shepheards
weeds, Am now enforst a far unfitter taske,
, For trumpets sterne to chaunge mine Oaten reeds...'' correct answers Opening lines of
Spenser's ''The Faierie Queen'' Is the first quatrain of iambic pentameter in a
Spenserian stanza
King Lear correct answers A tragedy written by Shakespeare about the events
surrounding an aging king dividing his kingdom amongst his daughters Theme:
metaphorical and physical blindness to what's in front of you
Othello correct answers The main character and sympathetic hero of Shakespeare's
'Othello' who kills his wife and himself after being deceived by Iago Is a Moor (from
North Africa)
The Renaissance correct answers Occurred between the late 1300s-1600s in Europe
Characterized by an explosion of arts and literature Helped by the printing press'
invention and the end of the Hundred Years' War and the plague
Couplet correct answers A set of two of something In Shakespeare, two consecutive
lines in a verse that rhyme Example: ''So long as men can breathe, or eyes can see, So
long lives this, and this gives life to thee.''
Twelfth Night correct answers A comedy written by Shakespeare about twins separated
by shipwreck who become entangled in a confusing love triangle that includes the
woman twin deceivingly pretending to be a man
Renaissance correct answers A term that means 'rebirth' or 'revival' in French
Christopher Marlowe correct answers Playwright who preceded and influenced
Shakespeare Famous works: 'Dido, Queen of Carthage,' 'Tamburlaine the Great,' 'The
Jew of Malta,' 'Edward II,' 'The Massacre at Paris,' 'Doctor Faustus''
'Now is the winter of our discontent Made glorious summer by this sun of York;'' correct
answers Famous line said by Richard III in Act I of Shakespeare's ''Richard III''
Means that a difficult time has come to an end thanks to the newly crowned King
Edward IV ''...List, list, O list!; If thou didst ever thy dear father love--;Revenge his foul
and most unnatural murder.'' correct answers Famous line said by the Ghost in Act I of
Shakespeare's ''Hamlet''The Ghost, Hamlet's father, is asking Hamlet to avenge his
murder
''The Tragical History of the Life and Death of Doctor Faustus'' correct answers Famous
play written by Christopher Marlowe Based on a German legend of a person selling the
devil their soul
Caliban correct answers A main character in Shakespeare's 'The Tempest' A native of
the island Prospero is banished to who becomes Prospero's slave after trying to rape
his daughter
