English Literature Quiz

Which selection is considered one of the first works in English literature?

• Petrarch's Sonnet 18

• Beowulf and Grendel

• The Canterbury Tales

• Shakespeare's Sonnet 130

Which selection is considered one of the first works in English literature?

• Petrarch's Sonnet 18

• "Beowulf and Grendel"

• The Canterbury Tales

• Shakespeare's Sonnet 130

What characteristic of Beowulf is revealed when he refuses to use weapons to fight the monster Grendel?

• confidence

• humiliation

• loyalty

• compassion

In "Beowulf and Grendel," Beowulf's victory is primarily symbolic of _______.

• a divine plan

• Grendel's weakness

• harsh environments

• incomprehensible evil

In "Beowulf and Grendel," Beowulf's victory is primarily symbolic of _______.

• a divine plan

• Grendel's weakness

• harsh environments

• incomprehensible evil

Which of the following characters exhibits irony in The Canterbury Tales?

• the Wife of Bath, who sells cloth

• the Miller, who steals the grain he grinds

• the Parson, who takes care of his parish

• the Plowman, who works hard in the fields

Which of the following characters exhibits irony in The Canterbury Tales?

• the Wife of Bath, who sells cloth

• the Miller, who steals the grain he grinds

• the Parson, who takes care of his parish

• the Plowman, who works hard in the fields

Unlike the Parson, the Pardoner in The Canterbury Tales _______.

• sells false relics, sings, and preaches to make money

• gives sacrificially from his already meager salary

• carries out the church's mission for the good of others

• spends most of his time hunting in the woods

Unlike the Parson, the Pardoner in The Canterbury Tales ________.

• sells false relics, sings, and preaches to make money

• gives sacrificially from his already meager salary

• carries out the church's mission for the good of others

• spends most of his time hunting in the woods

Based on her tale, which of the following is true about the Wife of Bath?

• She is intimately connected to her tale's characters and content.

• She knows that she will never marry again.

• She tells falsehoods about her own past marriages.

• She wishes she had more knowledge about marriage and relationships.