English Literature MCQs | History of Novel, Poetry, Drama

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Learn and get important English literature MCQs with answers. These are very important and crafted from English Literature lessons. This is an online quiz platform.   
 
1. The oldest period in the history of English literature?
(A) Romantic Period
(B) Anglo-Saxon Period
(C) Middle English Period
(D) Victorian age
 
2. The Year of Norman Conquest?
(A) 1066
(B) 1077
(C) 1088
(D) 1026
 
3. Which people started their invasion and conquest of south-western Britain around 450?
(A) The Normans
(B) The Geats
(C) The Celts
(D) The Anglo-Saxon
 
4. Words from which language began enter English vocabulary around the time of the Norman Conquest in 1066?
(A) French
(B) Norwegian
(C) Spanish
(D) Hungarian
 
5. Who would be said the English Homer and father of English poetry?
(A) Bede
(B) Sir Thomas Malory
(C) Geoffrey Chaucer
(D) Caedmon
 
6. Who was the first English Christian king?
(A) Alfred 
(B) Richard III
(C) Richard II
(D) Ethelbert 391
 
7. In the heroic poetry of Anglo-Saxons, what do you say that the fate of those who fail to observe the sacred duty of blood vengeance?
(A) Banishment to Asia
(B) Everlasting shame
(C) Conversion to Christianity
(D) Mild melancholia
 
8. Tick a language that did not coexist in Anglo-Norman England?
(A) Latin
(B) Dutch
(C) French
(D) Celtic
 
9. Which 12fth-century poet or poets were indebted (obliged) to Breton storytellers for their narratives?
(A) Geoffrey Chaucer
(B) Marie de France
(C) Chrétien de Troyes
(D) b and c only
 
10. In addition to Geoffrey Chaucer and William Langland, the “flowering” of Middle English literature is apparent in the works of which of the following writers?
(A) Geoffrey of Monmouth
(B) the Gawain poet
(C) The Beowulf poet
(D) Chrétien de Troyes
 
11. The literary form, developed in the 15th century, personified vices and virtues?
(A) The short story 
(B) The heroic epic
(C) The morality play
(D) The romance
 
12. Which of the following authors is considered a devotee to chivalry, as it is personified in Sir Lancelot?
(A) Julian of Norwich
(B) Margery Kemp
(C) William Langland
(D) Sir Thomas Malo
 
13. What is the earliest surviving European poem?
(A) The Homeric epic
(B) The Gilgamesh epic
(C) The Deluge epic
(D) The Hasidic ode
 
14. Which one of the following is not a poetic tradition?
(A) The Epic
(B) The Comic
(C) The Occult
(D) The Tragic
 
15. Who wrote Canterbury Tales?
(A) Geoffrey Chaucer
(B) Dick Whittington
(C) Thomas Lancaster
(D) King Richard II
 
16. Difference between a simile and a metaphor?
(A) No difference. Two different ways of referring to the same thing.
(B) A smile is more descriptive.
(C) A simile uses as or like to make a comparison and a metaphor doesn’t.
(D) A simile must use animals in making comparisons.
 
17. Which is not poetry form?
(A) Epic
(B) Tale
(C) Balled
(D) Sonnet
 
18. Which of the following is not a poet?
(A) William Shakespeare
(B) Terry Saylor
(C) Elizabeth B. Browning
(D) Emily Dickinson
 
19. What is a sonnet?
(A) A poem of 6 lines
(B) A poem of 8 lines
(C) A poem of 12 lines
(D) A poem of 14 lines
 
20. Which is not an English poet from England?
(A) Victor Hugo
(B) Alexander Pope
(C) John Milton
(D) S. T. Coleridge

English literature MCQs

21. How many children Chaucer had?
(A) 4
(B) 1
(C) 0
(D) 2
 
22. Identify the writer who first used blank verse in English poetry?
(A) Sir Thomas Wyatt
(B) William Shakespeare 
(C) Earl of Surrey
(D) John Milton
 
23. A verse form using a stanza of eight lines with 11 eleven syllables?
(A) Spenserian Stanza
(B) Ballad
(C) Ottava Rima
(D) Rhyme Royal
 

24. Geoffrey Chaucer served which king?

(A) Richard III

(B) James 1

(C) Edward III

(D) Henry II

 

25. The dominant feature of Chaucer’s humor is its:

(A) Urbanity

(B) Crudity

(C) Triviality

(D) Sanctity

 

26. What was the occupation of Chaucer’s father?

(A) Leather merchant

(B) Civil servant

(C) A vintner

(D) None of these

 

27. What was the duration of a hundred year’s war?

(A) 1300 to 1350

(B) 1337 to 1453

(C) 1302 to 1343

(D) None of these

English literature MCQs

28. Chaucer was released from legal action by … … … ……. In a deed of May 1, 1380 from rape and abduction?

(A) Miss Cecily Chaumpaigne

(B) Philippa de Roet of Flanders

(C) Agnes de Copton

(D) None of these

 

29. Chaucer became a Member of Parliament in…….?

(A) 1386

(B) 1300

(C) 1343

(D) None of these

 

30. “Renaissance” is a:

(A). French word

(B) Italian word

(C) Greek word

(D) Spanish word

 

31. What is the meaning of “Renaissance?”

(A) Rebirth, revival, and re-awaking

(B) Reveal, revel and reverie

(C) Raillery, renunciation, and recoup

(D) None of these

 

32. Renaissance first came to the:

(A) France

(B) Italy 

(C) England

(D) Romeo

 

33. Which century is known as the Dawn of Renaissance?

(A) 14th

(B) 15th

(C) 16th

(D) 14th and 16th

 

34. He was not a Renaissance writer.
(A) William Shakespeare
(B) Sir Philip Sidney 
(C) Christopher Marlowe
(D) Sir Thomas Malory
 
35. The period of maturation, intellectual growth, and social graces during the Renaissance is called the:
(A) Aristocracy
(B) New age
(C) Reformation
(D) Enlightenment
 
36. Utopia was written by:
(A) Cervantes
(B) Machiavelli
(C) Poliziano
(D) Thomas More
 
37. The northern Renaissance differed from the Italian Renaissance:
(A) Growth of religious activity among common/general people
(B) Earlier occurrence
(C) Greater appreciation of pagan writers
(D) Decline in the use of Latin
 
38. Utopia was first printed in:
(A) 1615
(B) 1516
(C) 1517
(D) 1518 0
 
39. Philip Sidney was born on 30th November:
(A) 1553
(B) 1554
(C) 1555
(D) 1550
 
40. Who wrote “Holy Sonnets”?
(A) Edmund Spenser
(B) John Donne 
(C) Shakespeare
(D) John Milton
 
41. “On his blindness”, a collection of sonnets is produced by:
(A) Edmund Spencer
(B) John Milton
(C) Shakespeare
(D) Sir Philip Sidney
 
42. Spencer got married on June 11, 1594. To whom did he get married?
(A) Elizabeth Wilton Daughter Of Lord Grey De Wilton
(B) Elizabeth Raleigh Daughter Of Walter Raleigh
(C) Elizabeth Boyle Daughter Of James Boyle
(D) Elizabeth Boyle Daughter Of Richard Boyle
 
43. John Donne’s “The Anniversaries” is a:
(A) An elegy in two parties
(B) An epic in three parts
(C) A ballad in four parts
(D) None of these
 
44. What are the beginning and ending dates of the Elizabethan era?
(A) 1558-1603
(B) 1500-1520
(C) 1560-1570
(D) 1575-1600
 
45. Who was the mother of Elizabeth I?
(A) Catherine of Aragon
(B) Jane Seymour
(C) Catherine Howard
(D) Anne Boleyn
 
46. In what year did England and Spain fight a famous sea battle?
(A) 1500
(B) 1588
(C) 1600
(D) 1575
 
47. Which relative did Elizabeth I have executed?
(A) Anne Boleyn
(B) Mary I
(C) Mary, Queen of Scots
(D) Catherine of Aragon
 
48. Elizabeth had many occupational choices such as apothecary, clerk, physician, or even court jester. Although it seemed to be a myriad of careers to choose from, most people still finished up being very poor. In order to survive what illegal activity did a large number of citizens pursue?
(A) Begging
(B) Money lending
(C) Fortune-telling
(D) Wine bottling
 
49. Elizabethans were notoriously superstitious. They (Elizabethans) were afraid of witches, supposed in magical animals, and sought good luck charms. What “science” did (Elizabethans) use in trying to forecast and control the future?
(A) Alchemy
(B) Metallurgy
(C) Egocentricity
(D) Astrology
 
50. Which of the following was the Tower of London used for in the Elizabethan age?
(A) As an astronomical observation deck
(B) As a storage place for grain
(C) As a prison
(D) As a school for the royal children
 
51. Who issued an interdict against Elizabeth?
(A) Pope Pius V
(B) Pope Innocent III
(C) Pope Gregory XIII
(D) Pope Boniface
 
52. Which of the following is a ceremony in which a sovereign is officially crowned?
(A) Investiture
(B) Invocation
(C) Gala
(D) Coronation
 
53. Who was Edmund Spenser’s patron?
(A) The Earl of Leicestera
(B) Elizabeth
(C) Lord Burleigh
(D) Francis Bacon
 
54. What was a favourite entertainment in Elizabeth’s court?
(A) Swimming
(B) Gambling
(C) Jousting
(D) Backgammon
 
55. Which of the following disciplines most fascinated Elizabeth?
(A) Philology biz 
(B) Alchemy
(C) Zoology
(D) Astrology
 
56. What was Elizabeth’s nickname for Sir Walter Raleigh?
(A) Waldimor
(B) Water
(C) William
(D) Winter
 
57. The complex ranking system that Elizabethans believed ordered every single every single thing in the universe was known as:
(A) The Great Order of Life
(B) The Great Chain of Being OSD
(C) The Great System of Shakespeare
(D) The Great Sonnet Symbolism Maker
 
58. What is the name for a shift in tone or meaning of a sonnet?
(A) Octave 
(B) Volta
(C) lambic Pentameter
(D) Petrarchan 
 
59. The origin of English drama is attributed to ………..
(A) The ballad
(B) The Chaucer School
(C) The lituogy (a religious ceremony of the church)
(D) The royal clowns
 
60. Who among the following is best known as the creator of an genre, the Picaresque novel?
(A) Lily
(B) Greene
(C) Delaney
(D) Nash
 
61. Bacon had Barrowed the term Essay from the French writer………?
(A) De Meung
(B) Goethe
(C) Montiague
(D) De Loris
 
62. Bacon published the first edition of this Essay’s in………?
(A) 1589
(B) 1597
(C) 1612
(D) 1625
 
63. Who was the first great stylist in English prose?
(A) Lyly
(B) Sidney
(C) Bacon
(D) Dryden
 
64. Which of the following is not one of the satirical works of Ben Jonson?
(A) Every man in his Humour
(B) Every man out of his Humour
(C) Alchemist
(D) None of these
 
65. How many tales were actually planned by Chaucer for his Canterbury Tales, but how many could be complete? (A) 120 planned 20 completed
(B) 124 planned 24 completed
(C) 20 planned 20 completed
(D) 24 planned 24 completed
 
66. Name the longest Tale in the Canterbury Tales.
(A) The Wife of Bath’s
(B) The Franklin’s
(C) The knights
(D) The Cook’s
 
67. Who of the Following is considered the founder of English prose?
(A) King Arthur
(B) King Alfred
(C) Chaucer
(D) Aelfric
 
68. Into how many periods can we divide Chaucer’s works?
(A) 2 – French and English
(B) 3 – French and Italian
(C) 4 – French, English, Italian, and Latin
(D) 1-English only
 
69. Who wrote the Introductory Sonnets to Spencer’s Faerie Queen?
(A) Spenser’s himself
(B) Leicester
(C) Sir Philip Sidney
(D) Sir Walter Raleigha
 
70. Thomas Browne, the greatest prose writer of the puritan age, was by profession.
(A) A cobbler
(B) A doctor
(C) A hunter
(D) A pamphleteer
 
71. Poetry in the Restoration period was
predominantly……?
(A) Lyrical
(B) Satirical
(C) Sentimental
(D) Philosophical
 
72. John Milton was born in………?
(A) 1607
(B) 1608
(C) 1600
(D) 1601
 
73. How many books are contained in Paradise?
(A) 10
(B) 4
(C) 14
(D) 12
 
74. Marlowe born in ……..
(A) 1562
(B) 1563
(C) 1564
(D) 1565
 
75. One of Marlowe’s earliest published works was his translation of the epic poem ‘Pharsalia’, written by which Roman poet?
(A) Ovid
(B) Lucan
(C) Virgil
(D) Horace
 
76. How many years of happiness was Dr Faustus promised by the Devil?
(A) 16
(B) 20
(C) 24
(D) 28
 
77. In Marlowe’s play, what was the name of the Jew of Malta?
(A) Lazarus
(B) Solomon
(C) Barabbas
(D) Shylock
 
78. The play written by Marlowe named  ‘Tamburlaine’ the Great’ was based loosely on the life of an Asian ruler, name the rule.
(A) Zhu Yuanzhang
(B) Genghis Khan
(C) Timur
(D) Kubla Khan
 
79. What is Christopher Marlowe’s Nationality?
(A) British
(B) German
(C) Dutch
(D) American
 
80. The occupation of Christopher Marlowe’s father?
(A) Carpenter
(B) Civil servant
(C) Cobbler
(D) Farmer
 
81. From where Christopher Marlowe received his early education?
(A) Corpus Christ college
(B) Cambridge
(C) Oxford
(D) Wittenberg
 
82. Marlow died which disease of? 
(A) Illness
(B) Stabbing
(C) Poisoned
(D) Hanged
 
83. Which was Marlowe’s first play?
(A) Dr. Faustus
(B) Tamburlaine
(C) The tragedy of dido
(D) The Jew of Malta
 
84. In what country is ‘Dr Faustus’ based? (A) England
(B) Italy
(C) France
(D) Germany
 
85. Which powerful figure does Faustus ridicule with his new-found powers?
(A) The Pope
(B) The Roman Emperor
(C) The King of England
(D) The King of France 
 
86. At the end of the play, Faustus is dragged down to hell, begging to repent.
(A) True
(B) False
 
87. William Shakespeare born in:
(A) 26 April 1567
(B) 26 April 1566
(C) 26 April 1565
(D) 26 April 1564
 
88. William Shakespeare was……child of john and Mary:
(A) Second
(B) Fourth
(C) Third
(D) Fifth
 
89. He married to the Anne Hathaway at the age of… in…
(A) 18, 1582
(B) 17, 1581
(C) 16, 1580
(D) 15, 1579
 
90. Ann Hathaway was… …years older than Shakespeare:
(A) 7
(B) 8
(C) 9
(D) 10
 
91. Shakespeare is buried inside the:
(A) Westminster Abbey
(B) Trinity Church
(C) Protestant Cemetery
(D) None of above
 
92. By…… Shakespeare had established himself in London as an actor and dramatist:
(A) 1590
(B) 1591
(C) 1592
(D) 1593
 
93. In which town was Shakespeare born?
(A) London
(B) Cambridge
(C) Stratford
(D) Oxford
 
94. How many children did Shakespeare have?
(A) 3
(B) 5
(C) 8
(D) 12
 
95. How many plays did William Shakespeare write?
(A) 36
(B) 37
(C) 38
(D) 39
 
96. What was Shakespeare’s first play? (A) King Lear
(B) Henry VI
(C) The Tempest
(D) Romeo and Juliet
 
97. How many sonnets did William Shakespeare write?
(A) 110
(B) 154
(C) 175
(D) 187
98. Shakespeare died on?
(A) 23rd April 1616
(B) 25th April 1616
(C) 28th April 1616
(D) 30th April 1616
99. Shakespeare died at the age of
(A) 48
(B) 52
(C) 60
(D) 63
100. Suicide occurs in Shakespeare’s plays?
(A) 7 times 
(B) 9 times 
(C) 11 times 
(D) 13 times 
 
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