English literature quiz

Quiz

By Beata Viggins

The Epic of Gilgamesh

Open Ended

Tell in short, what you remember about „The Epic of Gilgamesh“.

Multiple Choice

Who is Gilgamesh's close companion and friend?

• Humbaba

• Utnapishtim

• Enkidu

• Ishtar

Explanation

Humbaba - a fearsome monster appointed by the god Enlil to guard the Cedar Forest. Humbaba represents the untamed, natural world and is a test of heroism for Gilgamesh and Enkidu.
Utnapishtim - a mortal man who survived the Great Flood and was granted immortality by the gods
Enkidu - A wild man created by the gods to be Gilgamesh’s equal and to temper his arrogance. Enkidu becomes Gilgamesh’s best friend and companion. His death profoundly impacts Gilgamesh and drives the central journey of the epic.
Ishtar - The goddess of love and war. Ishtar proposes marriage to Gilgamesh, but he scornfully rejects her, which enrages her. In retaliation, she sends the Bull of Heaven to punish him, which leads to Enkidu’s death.

Multiple Choice

What creature guards the Cedar Forest?

• The Bull of Heaven

• Humbaba

• Anu

• Scorpion men

Multiple Choice

Why does the goddess Ishtar become angry with Gilgamesh?

• He destroys her temple

• He refuses to marry her

• He kills her pet lion

• He insults her father

Multiple Choice

What punishment do the gods decree for Enkidu?

• Eternal life

• Exile

• Death

• Madness

Multiple Choice

What is the main reason Gilgamesh seeks out Utnapishtim?

• To learn how to build a boat

• To avenge Enkidu

• To gain immortality

• To become a god

Draw

Circle the correct answer:

Gilgamesh succeeds in gaining immortality at the end of the story.

EXPLANATION

FALSE

Though he finds Utnapishtim and hears the story of the Flood, Gilgamesh ultimately fails in his quest for eternal life.

“You will never find that life for which you are looking.” (Tablet X)

Draw

Circle the correct answer:

Enkidu was created by the gods to challenge Gilgamesh's arrogance.

EXPLANATION

TRUE

The people of Uruk pray to the gods to deal with Gilgamesh’s tyranny. In response, the gods create Enkidu to humble him.

“You made him, O Aruru, and now create his equal; let them contend together.” (Tablet I)

Draw

Circle the correct answer:

The plant that restores youth is stolen by a serpent.

EXPLANATION

TRUE

After finding a plant that restores youth, Gilgamesh leaves it unattended, and a serpent steals it.

“A serpent darted out; it snatched the plant away and immediately sloughed its skin.” (Tablet XI)

The Myth of Hades and Persephone

Multiple Choice

What was Persephone doing when Hades abducted her?

• Harvesting wheat

• Gathering flowers

• Swimming in a river

• Visiting Hecate

Explanation

Persephone was picking flowers in a meadow when the earth opened and Hades emerged to abduct her.

“She was gathering flowers...when the earth yawned open and Hades sprang forth.”

Multiple Choice

Which goddess causes a famine by refusing to let crops grow?

• Hera

• Artemis

• Demeter

• Aphrodite

Explanation

In her grief, Demeter withdraws her gifts from the earth, and crops stop growing, causing famine.
Demeter was grieving the loss of her daughter, Persephone, who was abducted by Hades and taken to the Underworld to be his queen.

Multiple Choice

Why must Persephone return to the Underworld each year?

• She agreed to stay with Hades

• She was cursed by Zeus

• She ate food from the Underworld

• Hades enchanted her

Explanation

Persephone ate pomegranate seeds, which bound her to the Underworld for part of the year.

“If you eat or drink anything in the Underworld, you must stay there.”

Open Ended

What does the myth of Hades and Persephone symbolize or explain in nature or human life?

Explanation

The myth explains the changing seasons—Persephone's time in the Underworld brings autumn and winter; her return brings spring and summer.

It also explores themes like death and rebirth, loss, love, and cycles in life.

William Shakespeare

Multiple Choice

“To be, or not to be” comes from...

• Macbeth

• Hamlet

• Othello

• King Lear

Multiple Choice

In which city is Romeo and Juliet set?

• Venice

• Florence

• Verona

• Athens

Multiple Choice

Which of these is a Shakespearean comedy?

• Macbeth

• The Tempest

• Julius Caesar

• Richard III

Multiple Choice

What is the name of Shakespeare’s wife?

• Elizabeth Popkins

• Mary Leeroy

• Anne Hathaway

• Catherine Tate

Draw

Circle the correct answer:

Shakespeare wrote over 150 sonnets.

Explanation

He wrote 154 sonnets, many of which explore themes of time, love, and beauty.

Draw

Circle the correct answer:

The Globe Theatre was located in London.

The original Globe Theatre was built in 1599 in London by Shakespeare’s playing company, the Lord Chamberlain’s Men.

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Explanation

Open Ended

What is Beatrice implying when she says, “nobody marks you”?

Open Ended

How does Benedick respond to Beatrice’s initial insult?

Open Ended

What does Benedick claim about women’s feelings toward him?

Open Ended

Do Beatrice and Benedick genuinely dislike each other, or is their “war of words” masking deeper feelings?