English Test Questions

The following three questions concern this passage from *Beowulf*:

Then a powerful demon, a prowler through the dark, nursed a hard grievance. It harrowed him to hear the din of the loud banquet every day in the hall, the harp being struck and the clear song of the skilled poet telling with mastery of man's beginnings...

Who is this "powerful demon"?

Grendel

Then a powerful demon, a prowler through the dark, nursed a hard grievance. It harrowed him to hear the din of the loud banquet every day in the hall, the harp being struck and the clear song of the skilled poet telling with mastery of man's beginnings...

What does this passage imply about the source of Grendel’s "hard grievance"?

He is bitter and resentful at being excluded from the rituals of the mead-hall.

Then a powerful demon, a prowler through the dark, nursed a hard grievance. It harrowed him to hear the din of the loud banquet every day in the hall, the harp being struck and the clear song of the skilled poet telling with mastery of man's beginnings...

The Monster's Lair and Beowulf's Battle with Grendel's Mother best symbolize_____

marginalization and a baptismal purging of evil

Before the final battle, how much time passes for Beowulf?

50 years

Who is the author of “Beowulf?”

An Anonymous poet

Why does “Beowulf” begin with a description of Schyld Schefling (discussion of ancestry)?

a person’s ancestry was important to Old English culture and a warrior's ethos.

Who was in possession of the manuscript in 1731 when it was damaged by a fire?

Sir Robert Cottin

What last thoughts does Beowulf express while he is dying?

fear that the kingdom of the Geats will disintegrate after he dies

Which of the following words has a meaning which would **NOT** describe Grendel?

a) hesitant

b) monstrous

c) sinister

d) joyful

joyful

How does Beowulf die?

He is defeated by a dragon.

“Beowulf” as a text is perhaps most important in its inclusion of both

a) good and evil

b) Kingdom society and national government

c) Christianity and pagan elements

d) historical dates with incorrect histories

e) both a and c

both a and c

From which fact can the reader infer that Beowulf is fair and honorable in the first battle? 

a) Beowulf is the strongest of the Geats

b) Beowulf vows to ambush Grendel and destroy the monster.

c) Beowulf refuses to use weapons because Grendel uses none

d) Higlac is Beowulf’s cousin

Beowulf refuses to use weapons because Grendel uses none

When dying Beowulf gives Wiglaf his gold necklace, the gesture means that

Beowulf is passing on the rulership of Geatland to Wiglaf

Which figurative device is used in the underlined passage?

“Whose soldiers are you, / You who've been carried in your deep-keeled ship across the sea-road to this country of mine?”

kenning

Beowulf's uncle; King of the Geats at the beginning of the poem

Higlac

He is Beowulf's Father

Edgetho

Hero of the poem; notes as the strongest of the Geats

Beowulf

Demon monster who seeks vengeance for son's death

Grendel’s Mother

King of the Danes

Hrothgar

Demon descendant of Cain; terrorizes the Danes

Grendel

The person who guards danish shores from intruders

The watchman

Beowulf’s sword is called

hrunting

This is the name of the kingdom’s center or heart  called “the hall of halls”

Herot

The Mead hall in the beginning of the epic symbolizes _____and _____.

beauty and goodness

This is fermented honey or Old English lager

mead

Several different groups invaded England in the almost two thousand years covered in this unit. As a result, our language has moved through three major categorized versions.                                                                                 **_____, _____, and _____.**

middle english, modern english, and old english

The **_____ _____ _____**marks one of the most significant changes in English Pronunciation. This specifically refers to the process where various vowels slid upwards and backward in the throats of English speakers. 

Great Vowel Shift

**_____  _____** sets up the first printing press in England. This allowed literature (and other written work) to be reproduced rapidly and inexpensively. This kind of access literally puts works like the Bible in the hands of the people. 

William Caxon

Old English/Anglo-Saxon Literacy developed after Christianisation in the late 7th century and was transmitted orally by **_____.** This is the name for traveling minstrels who composed or memorized oral literature and passed it down from generation to generation. Despite its world prominence today, English, the language of the common people was regarded as a “vulgar tongue.”

scops

Grendel’s character type is considered an **_____.** This refers to the consistent repetition of an image or pattern that remains so consistent throughout a literary work or series of works that it is enough to be considered a universal concept.

archetype

This _____(genre) is a product of oral tradition and is set in 6th century Scandinavia. When this text was finally written down, it marks the beginning of English Literature.  Beowulf tells the story of a great pagan warrior renowned for his courage, strength, and dignity.

a national folkloric heroic epic poem

**Wyrd** is an Old English word that translates to _____.

fate

**Wergild** translates to _____ and means_____.

man-price/death price and means that if someone dies, their stuff will get passed on to the next person

Which of the following is NOT a request Beowulf makes before battling Grendel's mother?

a) He asks Hrothgar to take care of his men.

b) He wants Unferth to have his sword.This answer is incorrect.

c) He wants his gold sent back to Higlac.

d) He wants all of the Fame and Glory to be given to his people instead of himself.

He wants all of the Fame and Glory to be given to his people instead of himself.

Who went home instead of waiting to see if Beowulf killed Grendel's mother?

The Danes

Beowulf is vulnerable during his final battle because of ALL of the following EXCEPT...

a) He is old

b) he lost his memory

c) his shield melts

d) his sword breaks

he lost his memory

In Beowulf's final battle, all the men deserting him except one is meant to show that the Anglo-Saxons valued *which* quality?

loyalty

Why does Beowulf want a tower built for his memorial?

He wants people to remember his name and his deeds.

Which rhetorical appeal does Beowulf most heavily rely upon in this story? The appeal reflects the Anglo-Saxon value of reputation to help establish trust.

ethos

How much time passes between the battle with Grendel's mother and the last battle?

50 years

Identify the Canterbury Tales character described in the general prologue.

This character is a hunter who wears fur and doesn’t spend time in prayer as one might expect. As the general prologue notes, “The rules of good St. Benet or St. Maur He tended to ignore. He let go the things of yesterday and took the modern worlds more spacious way”

the monk

This character is extremely thin and poor and loves books. He would gladly spend his time learning and teaching rather than focusing on worldly possessions. “Whatever money from his friends he took/ He spent on learning or another book.”

the oxford cleric

This character deceives people with fake religious relics and is rather effeminate in appearance. He also interrupts the Woman of Bath when she is delivering advice during her prologue. He is heavily criticized by Chaucer for his misusing his power for personal gain.   The text notes, “His chin no beard had harbored, nor would harbor, Smoother than ever chin was left by a barber. I judge he was a gelding or a mare.”

the pardoner

Chaucer characterized this person as a great soldier, generous and honorable but was not really concerned with his looks. “ He wore a fustian tunic stained and dark/With smudges where his armor left its mark.”

the knight

This character loves sensual pleasures and opens up his home for many parties. The narrator compare's him to St. Julian, the patron saint of hospitality. As the text notes, “He loved a morning sop of cake and wine….He is known as Epicurus ‘ son”

the franklin

This character was married five times; goes on pilgrimages, not for religious purposes, but to boast about it; and loves fine clothes.  Chaucer uses red color imagery, related to the theory's about the four humors to describe this character's temperament as assertive and passionate.

the woman of Bath

This character is an illiterate purchaser for the wealthy who shrewdly holds out money for himself. Despite his lack of formal education, he is smarter than the 30 lawyers he works for.

the manciple

This character is noted for their love of small animals and food. This character  lives well, which is indicated by large size This person's” greatest oath was only ‘By St. Loy! ’And was known as Madam Eglantyne.”

the prioress (nun)

He loves gold and works with an apothecary to get it. “Yet he was rather close as to expenses And kept the gold he won in pestilences. He used Natural Magic to make healing potions and made money from others guile”

the doctor

This character is one of the very few that Chaucer does not aim to satirize heavily. Unlike most on the journey, this character practices what he preaches. The text notes, “This proverb he would add thereto That if gold rust, what then will iron do?”

the parson

This character prefers the rich over the poor because they pay more in penance.  “For though a widow mightn’t have a shoe So pleasant was his holy how-d’ye-do He got his farthing just the same.” He is also known for taking advantage of women.

the friar

This character is noted as big and brawny and is one who tells naughty stories. He has a red beard and a violent temperament. “he was a master hand at stealing grain…he had a store of tavern stories, filthy in the main. A chap of sixteen stone, A great stout fellow big in brawn and bone…who  has a thumb of gold.”

the miller

This character is a well-dressed knight in training and is noted as a “lover and a cadet.” Chaucer describes him in terms of his dress and hobbies instead of his service.

the squire

This character is the judge of the tales during the pilgrimage“That he should act he proposed to do, Become our Governor, in short, a Judge of our tales and general referee.”

the host

This character is basically an accountant/ overseer of a manor who is feared by his underlings. The narrator describes him as a smart man who knows how to use the system to his advantage. “ He rode the hindmost of our cavalcade.”

the reeve

At 20 years of age “He was embroidered like a meadow bright /And full of freshest flowers, red and white. ”

the squire

He is a man without any hesitations. He drinks his trader's wine without permission and doesn't feel any guilt. He is considered to be skilled at his profession but feels out of his element on this land-based journey. “Currents and many another risk besides, Moon, harbors, pilots, he had such dispatch/ That none from Hull to Carthage was his match.”

the skipper

“Sweetly he heard his penitents at shrift/With pleasant absolution, for a gift.”

the friar

“He was an expert at currency exchange” Yet the narrator notes that his clients did not realize that he was in debt. Chaucer notes him as pompous and arrogant.

the merchant

At the beginning of the General Prologue, Chaucer notes that the pilgrims are going on a pilgrimage “To seek the holy blissful martyr quick/To give his help to them when they were sick.” Who are they “seeking?”

St. Thomas Beckett

This character is experienced in his position. However, the text satirically notes, “Nowhere a man as busy as he, but was less busy than he seemed to be.”

The Sergeant at the Law

These men have risen in their professional status, increased their wealth, and become a part of the emerging middle class. Their wives also enjoy the societal benefit of this status increase.

the guildsmen

T of F: Chaucer’s portrayal of the people of his time reflects his entirely cynical attitude towards humanity.

false

T or F: The outer frame of *Canterbury Tales* is a story-telling contest taking place during a pilgrimage

true

T or F: The inner frame of *Canterbury Tales* consists of stories that each character tells along the pilgrimage.

true

T or F: The rich aristocracy is the main target of Chaucer’s satire.

false

T or F: Chaucer reluctantly portrayed the medieval church in a positive manner because he was afraid of the church’s power.

false

T or F: The medieval church is often portrayed as hypocritical in the prologue of *Canterbury Tales*.

true

T or F: Chaucer's *Canterbury Tales* were written in the Old English

false

T or F: Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales take place in  late 16th Century England

false

T or F: The General Prologue initiates one of the most famous multi-genre examples in literature of the frame narrative.

true

T or F: Chaucer wrote Canterbury Tales early in his life and completed all of the tales he intended to write.

false

T or F: Chaucer only intended to write for the intention of critiquing the middle-class section of society.

false

T or F: The setting of the general prologue takes place in the winter months.

false

T or F: The guildsmen represent the emerging middle-class sector of society coming out of the Feudal system.

true

T or F: Chaucer was one of the first authors to write “serious literature” in the English language or “common vernacular”.

true

In the "Wife of Bath's Tale" What does the knight do that results in his being put on trial?

he rapes a woman

Who appeals that the knight be given clemency?

the queen

What is the nature of the quest that the knight is sent on? 

The Knight is sent on a quest to understand what women most desire in relationships.

How long will the knight have to fulfill his quest?

one year and one day

What will happen to him if he should fail?

He will be sentenced to death for his crimes.

What problem does the knight find when he starts asking people the question of the riddle?

None of them ever come to an agreement on the answer.

What did the main character in the Wife of Bath’s tale see on the evening before he was to return to the queen?

a group of dancing women

What does the vision that appears to the knight turn into? 

an old hag

What price must the knight pay to obtain an answer to the question he seeks? 

he must give his hand in marriage

According to the Wife of Bath, what do women most desire? 

sovereignty over their husbands

Which of the following choices is the knight NOT suggested to the knight by his wife.

a) Have a wife that is old and ugly, but faithful and wise.

b) Have a wife that has equal power in the decision making within the relationship

c) Have a wife that is beautiful but unfaithful.

d) Not have a wife at all, but rather commit his life to God and the church.

Not have a wife at all, but rather commit his life to God and the church.

How many husbands has the Wife of Bath had?

5

Four literary genres are found in The Canterbury Tales: Fabliau, English Romance, Beast fable, and Exemplum. What genre represents the "Wife of Bath's Tale?"

exemplum

Which prologue character is the wife of bath specifically addressing when she tells her tale? 

the pardoner

Which statement is true about the wife of bath's tale?

a) The main character in the tale learned a valuable lesson but ended up poor.

b) The main character in the tale ended up with the best of both worlds.

the main character in the tale ended up with the best of both worlds

T or F: Chaucer's feminist approach to literature aims to examine evidence of misogyny, unjust or inaccurate portrayals of women and women's interests, and the persistence of negative female stereotypes. He uses the wife of bath's character to illustrate the imbalance of power in a male-dominated 14th-century English society.

true

T or F: "Self-same sovereignty" in The Wife of Bath's Tale aims to provide women the opportunity to have equality in their relationships even if they do not have equality in the workplace. During Chaucer's time, women were mostly identified by their occupations rather than their relationships with men. 

false

T or F: The Wife of Bath strongly believes that her knowledge about relationships is more reliable than other characters because it is based on personal experience rather than church doctrine of the time period. 

true

Before Macbeth makes his first appearance in the play, the audience learns about his

bravery in battle

When do the Witches decide to meet again as they leave each other in Act 1 Scene 1?

when the battle is over

After King Duncan declares that Macbeth is the new Thane of Cawdor, who does he declare as the Prince of Cumberland and the heir to his throne?

Malcolm

Which of the following is **not** a part of the three prophecies that the Witches tell Macbeth and Banquo?

a) Banquo’s sons, grandsons, etc. will be kings and rulers for many years

b) Macbeth will be Thane of Cawdor

c) Banquo will be a king

d) Macbeth will be King of Scotland

Banquo will be a king

What does Lady Macbeth mean when she says “un-sex me here” in her soliloquy in Act I scene 5?

She is asking for the courage, thoughts, and cunningness of a man

Why does Macbeth tell Lady Macbeth that they will not kill King Duncan at first?

He wants to stay loyal to King Duncan and let fate run its course