British Literature Final Exam

Geoffrey Chaucer

The Miller’s Prologue & Tale

Thomas Hoccleve

The Series’ “My Complaint”

Christopher Marlowe

The Tragical History of Dr. Faustus

William Shakespeare

Selection of Sonnets (18, 23, 55, 71, 116, 135, 143, 147, 153-154)

John Webster

The Dutchess of Malfi

Lady Mary Wroth

Pamphilia to Amphilanthus (1, 6 – 7, 13 – 15, 22 – 23, 35, Song)

John Milton

Paradise Lost

Margaret Cavendish

Selection of Poems (“The Poetess’s Hasty Resolution,” “An
Excuse for so Much,” “A World Made by Atoms,” “The Motion of the Blood,” “Of
Many Worlds in this World,” “A World in an Earring,” “A Dialogue betwixt the Body
and the Mind,” “Earth’s Complaint,” “The Hunting of the Hare,” “Nature’s Cook”)

Selections from The Description of a New World, Called the
Blazing World (“To the Reader,” “The Description,” “[The Lady Becomes Empress],”
“[The Empress Brings the Duchess],” “[The Duchess and the Empress],” “The
Epilogue to the Reader”)

Jonathan Swift

A Modest Proposal

Beowulf:

Which Biblical figure is said to be the distant relative of Grendel and his kin? 
Samson

Cain

Moses

Abraham

Cain

Beowulf:

Who publicly attempts to dismiss Beowulf’s reputation of strength and valor in the mead-hall?
Wiglaf

Wealtheow

Unferth

Hrothgar

Unferth

Beowulf:

How does Beowulf explain the circumstances of his loss to Breca in their swimming race across the sea?

He needed to stop to eat

His armor was cursed

Several sea monsters slowed his pace

A ghost ship blocked his path

Several sea monsters slowed his pace

Beowulf:

Once the battle commences, why was Beowulf’s decision to not use weapons made even more important?

Grendel had previously cursed man-made weapons

Beowulf's weapons were still on his ship

Grendel possessed an enchanted helmet

Beowulf's weapons had been stolen

Grendel had previously cursed man-made weapons

Beowulf:

The only remaining medieval copy of Beowulf was recorded in what language?

Old English

Shakespearean English

Middle English

New English

Old English

Beowulf:

What is the name of Hrothgar’s mead-hall “which the sons of men should remember forever”?

Ale-Bringer

Heorot

Beowulf

Canterbur

Heorot

Beowulf:

True or false: Grendel dies in the mead-hall for all to witness.

True

False

False

Beowulf:

True or false: Beowulf manages to rip Grendel’s arm from his body.

True

False

True

Beowulf:

What specific phrase does the poem use to describe Scyld Scefing?

That was a learned scholar!

That was a good king!

That was a righteous priest!

That was a stalwart knight!

That was a good king!

Beowulf:

Why does Beowulf initially decide to fight Grendel in hand-to-hand combat?

Grendel does not fight with weapons

To bring more honor to his lord, Hygelac

Grendel asked him to only use his hands

Both A & B

Both A & B

The Miller’s Tale:

What is the name of the student (astrologist) /educated clerk who lusts after Alison?

Nicholas

John

Jervis

Robin

Nicholas

The Miller’s Tale:

The Miller's condition as he tells tale.

Sober

Scared

Drunk

Elated

Drunk

The Miller’s Tale:

The name of the carpenter's 18 year old wife was_______.

Jill

Robin

Jervis

Alison

Alison

The Miller’s Tale:

Who is the pilgrim telling the tale?

The Knight

The Miller

The Pardoner

The Wife of Bath

The Miller

The Miller’s Tale:

What is the name of Alison's husband?

Nicholas

Michael

Jack

John

John

The Miller’s Tale:

Who was the person that foretold of the flood?

Nicholas 

John  

Alison

Jervis

Nicholas

The Millers Tale:

What trio waited in tubs on the roof?

Absolom, Alison, Jervis

John, Alison, Nicholas

John, Alison, Absolom

Absolom, John, Alison

John, Alison, Nicholas

The Miller’s Tale:

Who was the parish clerk that loved Alison?

John

Jervis

Absolom

Nicholas

Absolom

The Miller’s Tale:

What does Absolon demand before he will go away?

A kiss from Alison

What trick or prank does Alison play on Absolon?

She sticks her butt out the window to be kissed.

The Miller’s Tale:

What does Absolon do to Nicholas in retaliation to him farting?

After he calls out for another kiss, he sticks the hot coulter in the butt and burns him

Dutchess of Malfi:

After resolving to Kill the Cardinal, who does Bosola mistakenly stab first?

Antonio

Ferdinand

Delio

Malateste

Antonio

Dutchess of Malfi:

True or false: when Ferdinand sneaks into the Duchess's room and suggests that she kill herself, he provides her with a pistol with which to do so.

True

False

False

Dutchess of Malfi:

Bosola shows the Duchess a scene obscured by a curtain. What does this scene contain?

the skeleton of a large horse

wax figures of her dead family

the corpse of her first husband

a staged reenactment of her engagement

wax figures of her dead family

Dutchess of Malfi:

What does Ferdinand task Bosola with doing while acting as provisor of the Duchess's horses?

courting her affections

slowly poisoning her

teaching her Latin

spying on her behavior

spying on her behavior

When the Duchess proposes marriage to Antonio, the Duchess assures him that she is ready to remarry by telling him that she is not like what object?

a well-worn book

a pistol

a lioness

an alabaster figure

an alabaster figure

Dutchess of Malfi:

Antonio describes the Cardinal and Ferdinand in similar terms. What are those terms?

kind and generous

greedy and deceptive

humble but aloof

shy and self-conscious

greedy and deceptive

Dutchess of Malfi:

What disease does the Doctor claim afflicts Ferdinand?

lycanthropia

agoraphobia

leprosy 

coulrophobia

lycanthropia

Dutchess of Malfi:

After investing the sound of the Duchess's screams, what does Bosola find that Antonio has mistakenly left behind?

a receipt

a sonnet

the child's horoscope

a love letter

the child's horoscope

Dutchess of Malfi:

What does Bosola give the Duchess to confirm her pregnancy?

chocolate

apricots

vinegar 

strong coffee

apricots

Dutchess of Malfi:

When the play opens, Delio welcomes Antonio back to the court of Amalfi. Where has Antonio been?

the Turkish court

the English court

the French court

the Spanish court

the French court