Explore topic-wise MCQs in English Literature .

This section includes 196 Mcqs, each offering curated multiple-choice questions to sharpen your English Literature knowledge and support exam preparation. Choose a topic below to get started.

151.

In The Book of the City of Ladies, what is the function of the character Reason ?

A. she offers real reasons as to why women are valuable to society
B. she literally helps build the city
C. she helps the narrator see the merits of women
D. All of the Above
Answer» E.
Discussion
152.

In The Book of the City of Ladies, how does Pizan treat the issue of women’s sexuality ?

A. she denies that there is a double standard
B. she says that men should be allowed to be more sexually active than women
C. she contends that women should adhere to traditional rules of women
D. she attacks double standards for the sexes
Answer» E.
Discussion
153.

In Medieval times, who were “femme soles” ?

A. anchorites who lived in seclusion
B. women who operated their own businesses without men
C. women who were villains in stories of courtly love
D. educated women
Answer» C. women who were villains in stories of courtly love
Discussion
154.

In Lanval, how does Marie de France represent King Arthur ?

A. As a historical figure with whom her audience is largely unfamiliar
B. As a warrior king
C. As someone who broken the tradition of offering lavish gifts to his supporters
D. As a modest ruler who defended his own borders
Answer» E.
Discussion
155.

In “Everyman,” which of the following provides the path to redemption in the afterlife ?

A. Faith
B. Time spent in prayer
C. Donations made to the monastery
D. Good deeds
Answer» E.
Discussion
156.

In Chaucer’s “The Miller’s Tale,” why would the miller’s determination to speak following the knight appear unsettling to the 14th century audience ?

A. The knight had not finished his tale.
B. The miller did not ask politely.
C. A member of the clergy should have spoken next.
D. The miller was far beneath the knight in social order, so the miller should have deferred to the person who ranked above him.
Answer» E.
Discussion
157.

In Caedmon’s Hymn, the poet borrows the language of which literary form ?

A. The mock epic
B. The lyric ballad
C. The lai
D. The heroic epic
Answer» D. The heroic epic
Discussion
158.

In Beowulf, what is the significance of wergild ?

A. Wergild is connected to the idea that bloodshed leads to more bloodshed.
B. Wergild contributes to the claustrophobic, doom-laden atmosphere.
C. Wergild relates to the concept of wyrd.
D. All of these answers
Answer» E.
Discussion
159.

In Beowulf, what is the significance of the term wyrd ?

A. Wyrd has to do with reparational payments exacted from people guilty of homicide.
B. Wyrd is related to the folly of earthly possessions.
C. Wyrd suggests the idea of fate.
D. Wyrd is an allusion to the impending conversion to Christianity
Answer» E.
Discussion
160.

In Beowulf, what does the representation of Hrothgar suggest about rulers ?

A. Kings often used generous gifts to recruit their followers.
B. It was necessary for kings to fight in order to keep their power.
C. The ability to attract fellow warriors was a necessary attribute of power.
D. All of these answers
Answer» E.
Discussion
161.

In Beowulf, what is the significance of the term whale-road ?

A. The term is an allusion to Beowulf’s golden torque.
B. The term represents the comitatus ethic.
C. The term is an example of kenning.
D. The term is an example of caesura.
Answer» D. The term is an example of caesura.
Discussion
162.

In Acrene Wisse, what is the author’s advice regarding priests ?

A. Priests should be used as examples of ecclesiastical life.
B. Priests should be avoided, because men are bad influences.
C. Priests should offer anchoresses their only connection to the outside world.
D. Priests should be honored, because men are naturally more spiritual.
Answer» C. Priests should offer anchoresses their only connection to the outside world.
Discussion
163.

In Acrene Wisse, the mission of the anchorite was justified through what purpose ?

A. To serve the church
B. To withdraw and meditate upon God
C. To pray
D. To preach
Answer» C. To pray
Discussion
164.

Identify the speaker of these lines: “sweet Jesus, Jesus love” ?

A. Julian of Norwich
B. Margery Kempe
C. Catherine of Siena
D. Christine de Pizan
Answer» D. Christine de Pizan
Discussion
165.

How would you describe the phrase “oralformulaic,” as you learned it in this course ?

A. As a term associated only with religious written literature
B. As a device used to describe the flaws in the oral tradition
C. As a technique that became popular after the invention of the printing press
D. As a method of composing stories in the oral tradition
Answer» E.
Discussion
166.

How was mystical literature significant ?

A. Mystical literature suggested the continued link between paganism and Christianity.
B. Mystical literature prohibited women from writing in the voice of God.
C. Mystical literature ended the trend of poems in which God was cast as a lover.
D. Mystical literature provided a place for women to write romantic and religious literature.
Answer» E.
Discussion
167.

How was Christine de Pizan a unique female writer for her time ?

A. she was the only woman to work in the oral tradition
B. she was the first female mystic
C. she wrote in order to support herself
D. she was the only woman to write medieval lays
Answer» D. she was the only woman to write medieval lays
Discussion
168.

How is the lai similar to a medieval romance ?

A. Both include stacked tales in a single sequential narrative.
B. Both have courtly love as their central theme.
C. Both are designed in an episodic manner.
D. Both are usually intended to be sung as hymns.
Answer» C. Both are designed in an episodic manner.
Discussion
169.

How does The Cross, as speaker, portray Jesus in The Dream of the Rood ?

A. As the suffering Christ
B. As the ransom God demands for the sins of humanity
C. As a special Jewish teacher
D. As the heroic noble warrior
Answer» E.
Discussion
170.

How do the themes of Marie de France’s Lanval and Chretien de Troyes Yvain compare ?

A. Both use the comitatus ethic to explain their hero’s motivations.
B. Both include references toWilliam the Conqueror.
C. Both include the theme of broken promises between lovers.
D. Both feature mentions of the conversion from paganism.
Answer» D. Both feature mentions of the conversion from paganism.
Discussion
171.

How do historians explain the increase in the number of troubadours in the Middle Ages ?

A. the public disinterest in popular tales about romance
B. the increased interest in stories written in medieval Latin
C. the decreased public interest in religious stories
D. the French lords’ lack of interest in tales of courtly love
Answer» D. the French lords’ lack of interest in tales of courtly love
Discussion
172.

How did travel at the time of the Crusades impact Western Europe ?

A. people brought tales of romance from different literary and cultural traditions back from their trips
B. merchants started to import rare silks and spices from new trade roots
C. architects from Western Europe were influenced by new Eastern styles
D. All of the Above
Answer» E.
Discussion
173.

How did the printing press alter medieval culture ?

A. it improved communication between societies
B. it increased the amount of printed material available to the masses
C. it created a more unrestricted circulation of texts
D. All of the Above
Answer» E.
Discussion
174.

How did the Norman Conquest affect the international political situation in England ?

A. The Norman Conquest increased the French influence.
B. The Norman Conquest marked the last attempt for a Scandinavian nation to overtake England.
C. The Norman Conquest ended cultural interaction with Norway and Denmark.
D. All of these answers
Answer» E.
Discussion
175.

How did the Normans revolutionize English poetry ?

A. They introduced alliterative verse.
B. They introduced rhyming octosyllabic couplets.
C. They introduced iambic pentameter.
D. They introduced metaphor.
Answer» C. They introduced iambic pentameter.
Discussion
176.

How did the interaction between the English and the Bretons affect literature ?

A. The exposure to new forms ended the production of lais.
B. This interaction led to the influence of Arthurian legend on French literature.
C. This interaction led to more stories about the English conversion to Christianity.
D. The cultural exchange led to more stories about ancient myths.
Answer» C. This interaction led to more stories about the English conversion to Christianity.
Discussion
177.

How did the increase in universities affect most middle-class women ?

A. they were exposed to new opportunitiesto learn in universities
B. they were not able to attend so they were virtually unaffected
C. they were not able to attend so their education levels declined, compared to men
D. most of them were unable to read, so they were not admitted
Answer» D. most of them were unable to read, so they were not admitted
Discussion
178.

How did the fall of Roman imperialism affect Britain ?

A. it led to the rise of Germanic cultures
B. it created a conflict Christianity and paganism
C. it led to the end of Roman forms of governing
D. All of the Above
Answer» E.
Discussion
179.

How did the development of nation-states in the late Middle Ages affect women ?

A. they lost the ability to be anchoresses
B. they lost much of their political and economic power
C. they were able to acquire more political capital
D. they took on more important roles in the economy
Answer» C. they were able to acquire more political capital
Discussion
180.

How did the Christian laws about marriage differ from those of Germanic tribes’ customs ?

A. the Germanic tribes allowed relationships between family members, while the Church prohibited marriage between relatives
B. the Church outlawed marriages between children, while Germanic tribes tolerated them
C. the Germanic tribes tolerated polygamy, while the Church made monogamy the only acceptable type of union
D. All of the Above
Answer» E.
Discussion
181.

How did lay literacy affect traditional devotional practices ?

A. people stopped reading the Bible
B. people increasingly turned to visual art in order to learn about religion
C. people could be religious without the help of a clergy
D. interest in the Church history declined rapidly
Answer» D. interest in the Church history declined rapidly
Discussion
182.

How did increased lay participation in religious life impact monasteries ?

A. it made them more valuable sources of information
B. it made them seem irrelevant since they separated religious life from worldly life
C. it made them more important since there were few literate lay worshipers
D. it made them symbols of the Church’s progress
Answer» C. it made them more important since there were few literate lay worshipers
Discussion
183.

How did courtly literature characterize its heroines ?

A. they were never chaste or pious
B. they always represented the evil side of love
C. they were sources of inspiration for heroic action
D. they were examples of mystical unions
Answer» D. they were examples of mystical unions
Discussion
184.

How did courtly romances break down the virgin/whore dichotomy ?

A. they deemphasized the importance of chastity
B. they redefined women as attainable vs unattainable, rather than virgin vs whore
C. they indicated that women’s sexual conduct should not be classified by men
D. they rarely explored issues of sexuality, love, or romance
Answer» C. they indicated that women’s sexual conduct should not be classified by men
Discussion
185.

How did French become the dominant language of England ?

A. King Alfred wanted all educated people to speak French.
B. Many English nobles preferred French because of the culture’s superior poetry.
C. Edward the Confessor’s wife was French, and she had great influence at court.
D. After the successful invasion of England, the language of William of Normandy became the language of the elite.
Answer» E.
Discussion
186.

From which lay is the quote “she had no equal in the kingdom” taken ?

A. “Lanval”
B. “La Fresne”
C. “Bisclavert”
D. “Equitan”
Answer» E.
Discussion
187.

Despite the fact that the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle continued well into the Norman rule of the 12th century, which king originally commissioned this work ?

A. King Harold
B. King Arthur
C. William the Conqueror
D. Alfred the Great
Answer» E.
Discussion
188.

Complete the following statement. Chaucer wrote his elegiac poem, “The Book of the Duchess,” to praise the young Duchess of Lancaster who tragically died of___________________?

A. the Black Plague.
B. unrequited love for John of Gaunt.
C. drowning in the Thames.
D. childbirth.
Answer» B. unrequited love for John of Gaunt.
Discussion
189.

Chaucer’s “The Canterbury Tales” ?

A. The court of Richard II
B. The church
C. The military
D. The literary tradition
Answer» C. The military
Discussion
190.

Chaucer’s pilgrims are a representative section of late medieval society. Which of the following economic situations is evident among this group ?

A. Landlords had growing problems with their tenants.
B. The lack of guilds led to a decline in available civic services.
C. A modern social hierarchy developed.
D. All of these answers
Answer» E.
Discussion
191.

Chaucer and Langland were contemporaries, but there were several differences between their writing styles. Which of the following best describes these differences ?

A. Langland wrote only about aristocratic characters that were similar to Arthurian legends, whereas Chaucer wrote about lower social classes.
B. Chaucer and Langland wrote in different dialects.
C. Chaucer copied French and Italian style, whereas Langland did not.
D. Most of Chaucer’s poetry was for a secular court audience, whereas Langland’s was didactic, teaching a moral lesson.
Answer» D. Most of Chaucer’s poetry was for a secular court audience, whereas Langland’s was didactic, teaching a moral lesson.
Discussion
192.

Between which movements do historians situate literature in the Middle Ages ?

A. English Reformation and Elizabethan Age
B. Civil war and the Restoration
C. Roman departure and the Renaissance
D. Romanticism and the Enlightenment
Answer» D. Romanticism and the Enlightenment
Discussion
193.

Beowulf introduces the reader to the life of a thegn. Which of the following best describes the role of the thegn ?

A. The thegn is a warrior who has sworn his loyalty to an Anglo-Saxon lord.
B. The thegn is a class of protocapitalism opposed to the guild system.
C. The thegn is a warrior who pays money in exchange for exemption from military service.
D. The thegn is an Anglo-Saxon lord who partakes in the comitatus ethic.
Answer» B. The thegn is a class of protocapitalism opposed to the guild system.
Discussion
194.

Arthur, the good King of Britain…held a rich and royal court ?

A. This line suggests that Britain was the most important place in the medieval world.
B. This line suggests that good kings are rewarded by God.
C. This line suggests that Arthur was beloved by the English, because he was good.
D. This line suggests the elegance necessary for the feudal king to display being at the top of the economic hierarchy.
Answer» E.
Discussion
195.

According to Pizan, what is the most important element in a woman’s quest for equality ?

A. chastity
B. piety
C. education
D. secular political activity
Answer» D. secular political activity
Discussion
196.

According to most historians, why was it so important for a man to marry a virgin wife ?

A. it assured him that his children were his own
B. it assured him that his wife would carry a dowry with her
C. it assured him that his wife was not a sinner
D. it assured him that her wife would never commit adultery
Answer» B. it assured him that his wife would carry a dowry with her
Discussion