English 5 Exam 1 MCQ

Why is the Miller talking in his prologue about husbands, wives and “God’s pryvetee” : this concept is the key to the moral of the tale.

Don’t peep into God’s mystery. The husband (John) shouldn’t be inquisitive of his wife’s privates (private parts/private things) just as he shouldn’t with God.

What does Chaucer say about a Greek philosopher and Christ in his Prologue.

Chaucer says that Jesus didn’t censor or hold back on what he spoke so neither will Chaucer. Chaucer also uses Plato as a non Christian example of the same reason for why he writes like this.

Chaucer’s class position etc..

Chaucer is a part of the middle bougie lifestyle but while being in the middle class he is able to understand both the upper and the lower classes. Class fluidity and knowledge which leads to how he is able to right the way he is.

Understand Bede’s story about Caedmon…what is a hagiography?

A hagiography is a writing of the lives of saints

Be able to spot examples of “kenning”

A compound of two words in place of another. Examples: sea into whale road, body into life house

Why is our peace weaver a wraeccas....

Our peace weaver (The Wife’s Lament) is a wraeccas because she feels wretched because she has been exiled an

Can you read/identify /understand a bit of The Dream of the Rood.?

Or any one of our readings that we have done.

Two “diametrically opposed” concepts are in The Dream of the Rood….??

The two diametrically opposed concepts are the Christian and the Heroic. Christ is heroic and christian and so is the cross.

Pentangle knowledge…

The pentangle in Gawain and the Green Knight is a five pointed star that the knight is fighting to defend. The five wounds of Christ. The five joys of Mary. The five senses. The five fingers will not sin. The five virtues.

Can you read the character of the Clerk (in the original not a modern trans..) correctly? In the prologue…

The clerk is a student of Oxford in Chaucer. The Clerk didn’t want to work so he does as little as he can to make money to buy the books he desires.

The big reveal in Gawain at the end....who did it and why?

The big reveal is that the green knight is Bertilak and his wife is Morgan le Fay. Morgan says she did it on purpose to put the pride of King Arthur’s court on trial or test it.

What always has a tripartite structure?

Romance 1. Starts with a community that is integrated and structured 2. The middle part of the story is the disintegration of the community 3. The ending is the reintegration of the community and the putting back together Lanval and Gawain and the Green Knight are the only Romances we have read.

Eight words for God in someone’s song?

Meotod, Wuldor-Faeder, Drihten, Weard, Scyppend,…

What is the conclusion of The Wanderer?

The conclusion of the Wanderer is a conclusion written by a monk that puts a Christian outlook on all the ideas of what the Wanderer said

Chaucer’s two fictions?

Chaucer’s two fictions are the ideas of the pilgrims going on a pilgrimage which in itself is already a fiction. The second fiction is the tales themselves being told by the pilgrims.

Dream of the Rood what do the disciples do after the crucifixion….

After the crucifixion the disciples make Jesus a sepulcher and put him in a little grave then they leave and go back home

What audience does the end of The Wanderer imply? Which social system?

The end of the Wanderer implies that there is God in heaven which implies Feudalism. Kingdom in heaven God=King

Chaucer and verisimilitude...that whole chunk of the page really…

Verisimilitude- lifelikeness Chaucer is not interested in verisimilitude(lifelikeness)

Chaucer focuses more on artistry rather than documentary accuracy

None of the pilgrims features and descriptions are meant to be real but are meant to clue the reader of their social rank and their moral and spiritual condition

Can you read the character properly of the Nun in the prologue.

The nun is a snob. She speaks French, her nickname is Rose, she goes to great lengths of the manner of the court(the nobles), she is not like what you would expect a typical nun to be like, values vanity, nothing about religion is mentioned.

Estates satires are what?

The estate satires are a satire of the three estates which are the nobility, the church, and the commoners

Basics of the Bede intro..

Bede is writing an ecclesiastical history of the Church of England and he included Caedmon’s hymn because his story was considered a miracle during the time. Bede uses that proof that God chose England for the Church

Anglo Norman manuscript production: by and for who?

The production of Anglo Norman manuscript is written by the priests for themselves.

Last paragraph of intro: who? Which writer? Famous for what? (p21)

Sir Thomas Malory who was famous for translating French Arthurian romances into English.

Find the weasel! Who?

The weasel is Alisoun.

What happens at the end of The Miller’s Tale: plot... “wood” and “swived”?

At the end of the Miller’s tale the carpenter, John, is considered “wood” or crazy and his wife is “swived” fucked in the end despite his guarding and jealousy.