British Literature Spring Midterm

growing disdain of religious themes

Which one of the following was not a significant cultural change during the Tudor era that allowed drama to move in a secular direction?

they are typically shorter than tragedies

Which of the following is not a characteristic of comedies?

Malcolm and Donalbain

Who are Duncan's sons?

Duncan

Who gave the title of "Thane of Cawdor" to Macbeth?

he would be Thane of Cawdor

Which of the witches' three prophecies about Macbeth is the only one not fulfilled by the end of Act I?

Banquo

Whom are the witches addressing in the following lines?

"Lesser than Macbeth, and greater. / Not so happy, yet much happier. / Thou shalt get kings, though thou be none."

the bell

All of the following are images of evil that are prominently associated with Duncan's murder except

natural

What order did Lady Macbeth violate in her invocation to spirits and in her claim to be willing to kill her child?

serpent

Lady Macbeth instructs her husband to "look like th' innocent flower / But be the _?_ under't?"

social

What order did Lady Macbeth violate in mocking her husband for his hesitation to kill Duncan?

the sight of an imaginary dagger

Macbeth's soliloquy at the start of Act II is prompted by

ambition

All of the following are things that Macbeth forfeits because of his treason except

Macbeth intends to prevent Banquo's coming by murdering him

What is ironic about Macbeth's inviting Banquo to the banquet?

situational irony

The appearance of Banquo's ghost at the banquet in his honor is an example of

Macbeth's fear that Banquo has told Malcolm that Macbeth murdered Duncan

Which of the following is not one of Macbeth's motives for murdering Banquo?

Macbeth's realization that Fleance escaped

What situation is the crisis of Macbeth?

Macbeth

The witch's pronouncement that "something wicked this way comes" refers to which character?

Lady Macbeth's death

What news prompts Macbeth's famous "Tomorrow" speech?

Life is brief and meaningless

In the following lines, what does Macbeth indicate about his perspective on life?

"Life's but a walking shadow, a poor player,

That struts and frets his hour upon the stage,

And then is heard no more. It is a tale

Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury,

Signifying nothing."

Macduff

Who "was from his mother's womb / Untimely ripp'd"?

false

During the 1500s, actors generally had a good reputation and were respected in society.

true

The Theatre was built in 1576 by James Burbage as the first building erected in London solely for staging plays.

false

The highest-paying audience members at the medieval theatre got floor seats closest to the stage.

true

Macbeth is also called "The Scottish Play" because of the theatrical superstition that speaking the name "Macbeth" in the theater invites a curse.

true

In Macbeth, nature's events generally mirror the events of the play.

true

Macbeth was not expecting to receive the titles that the witches greeted him with when he first interacted with them.

true

When Duncan first arrives as a guest, Macbeth's castle has a "pleasant" atmosphere.

true

Macbeth kills the king's two grooms who are suspected of killing Duncan.

true

Lady Macbeth is most preoccupied with washing the blood off her hands as she sleepwalks.

true

Malcolm gives the last speech of the play.

setting

the time and place of a written piece

falling action

the events that unfold from the crisis and lead to the conclusion

imagery

descriptions based on sense perceptions that ignite audiences' imaginations and evoke ideas beyond the printed text or performed line

plot

a connected series of events arranged to produce a definite sense of movement toward a specific goal

climax

the point at which the plot reaches the moment of highest emotional intensity

theme

a recurring or emerging idea that provides coherences as it embodies and emphasizes a work's message

dramatic irony

when a reader or audience is made aware of important information that is unknown to a story's characters

blank verse

unrhymed iambic pentameter

tragic plot

a description of the action surrounding a regrettable decision made by a character

verbal irony

when a speaker means something other than what he says

hyperbole

exaggeration; an obvious overstatement to make a point or emphasize meaning

tragic flaw

a problem an individual has in his perspective or character

atmosphere

a story's mood or emotion that helps shape readers' expectations

conflict

the opposition of two or more characters or forces

rising action

the events that follow the inciting incident and lead up to the crisis

crisis

the major turning point for the protagonist; when something happens that affects the outcome of the story and determines the future of the main character

inciting incident

the event that introduces the conflict and sets it in motion

motif

repeated elements that support a theme

sarcasm

mock praise; text meaning the opposite of what the speaker says

tragic hero

a character who is not inherently bad but who makes a bad decision as the result of a tragic flaw

soliloquy

text spoken by an actor who is alone or thinks he is alone on stage

aside

a brief disclosure made by one actor in the presence of other actors who, by convention, are thought not to hear him

tragedy

a type of classical drama that tells the stories of kings and nobles whose actions affected the destinies of nations

characters

individuals around whom and about whom a story is told

exposition

an introduction to the setting, characters, and situation

denouement

the final outcome of a story; the last element of the plot in which the major complications are explained or settled

the Globe

Which 3,000-seat theater showcased some of Shakespeare's greatest plays in London?

paradox, parallelism, chiasmus

"Fair is foul, and foul is fair" is an example of what rhetorical device?

deceiving appearances or reversal of values

The statement that "fair is foul, and foul is fair" introduces which major theme of Macbeth?

ambition

What character trait of his does Macbeth use a horse metaphor to describe?

weather, battles, killings and blood, supernatural, light and darkness

Name three motifs Shakespeare uses to develop his themes.

Fleance

Who is Banquo's son whom Macbeth sought to kill in order to prevent Banquo's line from taking the throne?

to test Macduff's loyalty to Scotland

Why does Malcolm at first claim that he would be worse than Macbeth as king?

Blood is used throughout the play to symbolize guilt. She is equally responsible for the murder of the king. She is desperate to stop being confronted by her evil deeds. She is incapable of removing the stain of her own sin.

What is the significance of Lady Macbeth's hand washing?

He accepts the news calmly, even coldly, and remarks on the emptiness of life.

How does news of Lady Macbeth's death affect Macbeth?

the Glorious Revolution, the English Civil War, the Restoration

Which event had life-changing effects in practical circumstances and in the intellectual and emotional life of England?

Areopagita

Which work was written for the purpose of defending the freedom of the press?

excessively ornamented style

Which of the following elements does not characterize Cavalier poetry?

alliteration

What device is present in the following excerpt from "To the Virgins"?

"And while ye may, go marry"

personification

What device is present in the following excerpt from "To the Virgins"?

"And this same flower that smiles to-day"

love and honor

What two competing affections are revealed in "To Lucasta: Going to the Wars"?

rational arguments, wit, and striking imagery to explore a topic

What elements define metaphysical poetry?

hyperbole

What device does Marvell use when the speaker makes the following statement in "To His Coy Mistress"?

"An hundred years should go to praise / Thine eyes"

his loss of sight

What life event is Milton discussing in Sonnet 19?

the Holy Spirit

In Paradise Lost Milton invokes whom as his muse?

Satan

Which "apostate Angel" gives the opening speech in Paradise Lost?

It appeals to sensory details.

What is the least important reason that Pepys's Diary is significant to historians?

written in blank verse

Which of the following does not describe the epic conventions present in Paradise Lost?

He credits God.

How does Robinson Crusoe credit his deliverance from his difficult time in the boat away from the island?

periodical of commentary

Like Defoe's Review, the Tatler became a

the practice of dueling

What is the topic that Steele satirizes in the Tatler excerpt in the text?

verbal irony

The letter at the end of Steele's "On Dueling" is an example of what literary technique?

It illustrated the many issues and groups that people did not want Addison to satirize.

What was the point of the woman's plucking her husband's hair out in the excerpt from the Spectator?

Why does evil exist?

What fundamental question does An Essay on Man seek to answer?

man

According to Pope in An Essay on Man, what is "the proper study of mankind"?

true

Milton's Sonnet 19 follow the Italian sonnet form by presenting the problem in the first eight lines and the answer or resolution in the last six.

false

All events featured in Pepys's diary concern him and a few other people; none provide information that is significant on a national level.

true

Robinson Crusoe repeatedly compares the island to a kingdom and himself to a ruler.

false

At the end of the excerpt from the Spectator, Addison resolves to avoid criticizing lawyers and country squires because of their significant contributions to English society.

false

Both Addison's and Steele's excerpts in this unit illustrate Juvenalian satire.

true

Both Alexander Pope and John Milton wanted to "justify the ways of God to men"; Pope relied on reason as his guide, whereas Milton relied on Christian doctrine and revelation.

false

According to Pope in An Essay on Criticism, it is safe to attempt "a little learning."

verisimilitude

in literature, the concept of minute, even superfluous, details creating an illusion of reality

heroic couplet

a pair of rhymed lines written in iambic pentameter that expresses a complete thought

dramatic monologue

a lyric poem revealing the speaker's character in which a character speaks to a silent audience about a critical moment in his life

pamphlet

a short publication that includes arguments and information on a single (often controversial) subject

alliteration

the repetition of initial consonant sounds

argument

the presentation of a claim (often controversial) and support for it

narrator

the individual telling a story to readers

Horatian satire

gentle mockery, often in the form of verbal irony, usually aimed at people needing correction on a specific issue or idea