English Literature

By
Prof. Aishwarya Puri
What significant event marked the beginning of the Anglo-Norman Age?

a) The Battle of Hastings in 1066

b) The signing of the Magna Carta in 1215
c) The Viking raids on England in the 9th century
d) The reign of Alfred the Great in the 9th century
Correct answer: a) The Battle of Hastings in 1066

Explanation: The Anglo-Norman Age began with the Battle of Hastings in

1066, where William the Conqueror, Duke of Normandy, defeated King
Harold II of England. This event led to the Norman conquest of England
and the establishment of Norman rule over the country.
Which document, issued in 1086, recorded details about landholding and
taxation in England during the Anglo-Norman period?

a) The Domesday Book

b) The Canterbury Tales
c) The Bayeux Tapestry
d) The Book of Kells
Correct answer: a) The Domesday Book

Explanation: The Domesday Book, commissioned by William the

Conqueror in 1086, was a comprehensive survey of landholdings and
resources in England. It was used to assess taxation and provided valuable
insights into the social and economic structure of the country during the
Anglo-Norman period.
Which English king was responsible for instituting a system of royal justice
and legal reforms during the Anglo-Norman period?

a) William the Conqueror

b) Henry II
c) Edward the Confessor
d) Richard the Lionheart
Correct answer: b) Henry II

Explanation: Henry II, who ruled from 1154 to 1189, implemented

significant legal reforms during the Anglo-Norman period. He established
the system of royal justice, introduced the concept of juries, and expanded
the authority of royal courts, laying the foundation for English common law.
What architectural style emerged during the Anglo-Norman
period, characterized by its massive stone walls and round
arches?

a) Romanesque
b) Gothic
c) Baroque
d) Renaissance
Correct answer: a) Romanesque

Explanation: The Romanesque architectural style flourished during the

Anglo-Norman period. It is characterized by thick walls, rounded arches,
and sturdy pillars, as seen in structures such as Durham Cathedral and the
Tower of London, reflecting the influence of Norman builders on English
architecture.
Which of the following is considered one of the earliest surviving Anglo-
Norman Romances?

a) "Sir Gawain and the Green Knight"

b) "Tristan and Iseult"
c) "The Tale of Gamelyn"
d) "Layamon's Brut"
Correct answer: b) "Tristan and Iseult"

Explanation: "Tristan and Iseult" is one of the earliest surviving Anglo-

Norman Romances, dating back to the 12th century. It tells the story of the
tragic love affair between Tristan, a Cornish knight, and Iseult, an Irish
princess.
Who is the legendary knight associated with the quest for the Holy Grail in
Arthurian literature?

a) Lancelot
b) Gawain
c) Percival
d) Tristan
Correct answer: c) Percival

Explanation: Percival is the knight traditionally associated with the quest

for the Holy Grail in Arthurian literature. This quest is a central theme in
many Anglo-Norman Romances, including "Perceval, the Story of the
Grail" by Chrétien de Troyes.
Who is the author of "The Lais of Marie de France," a collection of
Anglo-Norman Romances?

a) Marie de France
b) Chrétien de Troyes
c) Geoffrey Chaucer
d) Thomas Malory
Correct answer: a) Marie de France

Explanation: Marie de France is the author of "The Lais of Marie de France,"

a collection of Anglo-Norman Romances composed in the 12th century. The
lais are narrative poems that often feature themes of love, adventure, and
the supernatural.
Which Anglo-Norman Romance tells the story of a knight who embarks on
a perilous journey to rescue his lady love from an enchanted garden?

a) "Lanval"
b) "Sir Gawain and the Green Knight"
c) "Tristan and Iseult"
d) "The Knight of the Cart"
Correct answer: a) "Lanval"

Explanation: "Lanval" is an Anglo-Norman Romance attributed to Marie de

France. It follows the adventures of Lanval, a knight of King Arthur's court,
as he rescues his beloved from captivity in an enchanted garden.
Which Anglo-Norman Romance is believed to have influenced J.R.R.
Tolkien's "The Lord of the Rings"?

a) "Sir Gawain and the Green Knight"

b) "Tristan and Iseult"
c) "Sir Orfeo"
d) "The Lay of the Völsungs"
Correct answer: d) "The Lay of the Völsungs"

Explanation: "The Lay of the Völsungs," an Old Norse epic poem, is

believed to have influenced J.R.R. Tolkien's "The Lord of the Rings" with
its themes of heroism, fate, and the quest for a powerful ring.
Which Anglo-Norman Romance features the character of King Arthur
and his Knights of the Round Table?

a) "Sir Gawain and the Green Knight"

b) "Tristan and Iseult"
c) "Lancelot, the Knight of the Cart"
d) "Le Morte d'Arthur"
Correct answer: d) "Le Morte d'Arthur"

Explanation: "Le Morte d'Arthur" is an Anglo-Norman Romance written

by Sir Thomas Malory in the 15th century. It is a compilation of Arthurian
legends, including the stories of King Arthur, his knights, and the quest for
the Holy Grail.
Who is traditionally credited with writing the "Historia Regum
Britanniae"?

a) Geoffrey Chaucer
b) William Shakespeare
c) Geoffrey of Monmouth
d) Thomas Malory
Correct answer: c) Geoffrey of Monmouth Explanation: called De gestis
Britonum (On the Deeds of the Britons), is a pseudohistorical account of
British history, written around 1136 by Geoffrey of Monmouth. It
chronicles the lives of the kings of the Britons over the course of two
thousand years, beginning with the Trojans founding the British nation
and continuing until the Anglo-Saxons assumed control of much of
Britain around the 7th century.
Which king is depicted as the founder of Britain in the "Historia Regum
Britanniae"?

a) Julius Caesar
b) Vortigern
c) Brutus of Troy
d) Constantine the Great
Correct answer: c) Brutus of Troy

Explanation: In the "Historia Regum Britanniae," Brutus of Troy, a

descendant of Aeneas, is depicted as the founder of Britain. According to
Geoffrey of Monmouth, Brutus conquered the island and named it after
himself, calling it "Britain" or "Britannia."
What legendary figure is notably absent from the "Historia Regum
Britanniae"?

a) King Arthur
b) Merlin
c) Guinevere
d) Lancelot
Correct answer: d) Lancelot
What is the central theme of "The Owl and the Nightingale"?

a) Courtly love
b) The nature of wisdom
c) The struggle for power
d) The beauty of nature
Correct answer: b) The nature of wisdom

Explanation: The central theme of "The Owl and the Nightingale" is the
debate between the owl and the nightingale over their respective virtues
and the nature of wisdom.
What argument does the nightingale present against the owl?

a) The nightingale accuses the owl of being ugly.

b) The nightingale claims that the owl's singing is unpleasant.
c) The nightingale argues that beauty and joy are more important than
wisdom.
d) The nightingale challenges the owl's claim to wisdom, arguing that
true wisdom brings joy.
Correct answer: d) The nightingale challenges the owl's claim to wisdom,
arguing that true wisdom brings joy.

Explanation: The nightingale argues that true wisdom brings joy, beauty, and
the ability to appreciate the beauty of nature, qualities that the owl lacks.
What is the outcome of the debate between the owl and the nightingale?

a) The owl concedes defeat and admits that the nightingale is superior.
b) The nightingale concedes defeat and acknowledges the owl's wisdom.
c) The debate ends inconclusively, with neither bird emerging as the clear
victor.
d) The birds reconcile and agree to appreciate each other's virtues.
Correct answer: c) The debate ends inconclusively, with neither bird
emerging as the clear victor.

Explanation: The poem ends with the debate between the owl and the
nightingale remaining unresolved, leaving the outcome open to
interpretation.
What type of medieval play is "The Play of Adam"?

a) Morality play
b) Mystery play
c) Miracle play
d) Interlude
Correct answer: b) Mystery play Explanation: Le Jeu d'Adam (Latin: Ordo
representacionis Adae, English: The Play of Adam) is a twelfth-century liturgical
drama written in the Anglo Norman dialect of Medieval French. While choral texts
and stage directions are in Latin, the spoken text of the play is in the vernacular,
which makes the Adam the oldest extant play written in any old French dialect.
Which biblical event is central to "The Play of Adam"?

a) The Flood
b) The Nativity
c) The Fall of Man
d) The Crucifixion
Correct answer: c) The Fall of Man

Explanation: "The Play of Adam" focuses on the biblical story of the Fall of
Man, depicting the temptation of Adam and Eve by the serpent and their
expulsion from the Garden of Eden.
Which legendary figure from ancient Rome is the central character in
many Matter of Rome romances?

a) Julius Caesar
b) Nero
c) Aeneas
d) Romulus
Correct answer: c) Aeneas

Explanation: Aeneas, a Trojan hero and the legendary founder of

Rome, is the central character in many Matter of Rome romances. His
adventures, as depicted in Virgil's "Aeneid," form the basis of much
of this literature.
Which is the only epic preserved in the Anglo-Norman script in the British
Museum.

(a) Ipomedon
(b)Pelerinage de Charlemagne
(c) Romance of Horn
(d) None of the above
Correct Answer: (b)Pelerinage de Charlemagne
Which of these works can be attributed to Christian de Troyes?

(a) The Nightingale

(c) Lancelot
(b) Yonec
( d) The Owl and the Nightingale
Correct Answer: (c) Lancelot