Literary Criticism Question bank with Answers

Question Bank 38 Pages

Mizoram University

English

Contributed by

Prajwal Hallale

DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH
PAPER-XI
LITERARY CRITICISM, ENG/VI/CC/11
SEMESTER- VI

UNIT-I: PREFACE TO THE PLAYS OF SHAKESPEARE- Dr. SAMUEL JOHNSON

I. MULTIPLE CHOICE QUESTIONS:
1. Shakespeare‟s drama reflects
a) life
b) nature
c) chaos
d) order
2. The object of all criticism according to Johnson is to make the obscure and the
confused
a) clear and understood
b) focused and precise
c) unobscured
d) orderly
3. Johnson tries Shakespeare by the test of
a) Coherence and cogence
b) relevance and contemporariness
c) relativity, clarity and imaginativity
d) time, Nature and Universality
4. Shakespeare‟s characters portrays
a) humanity
b) nature
c) art
d) truth
5. Who is the 'father of English poetry', the well of English undefiled according to
Arnold?
a) Milton
b) Dante
c) Shakespeare
d) Chaucer
6. Samuel Johnson defended Shakespeare's use of the
a) comedy
b) tragedy
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c) tragi-comedy
d) none of the above
7. The defect or fault in Shakespeare according to Johnson is that
a) He sacrifices virtue to convenience
b) He is so much more careful to please than to instruct
c) He seems to write without any moral purpose.
d) All of the above
8. Johnson said that Shakespeare showed no regard to
a) The unity of time and place
b) The unity of action
c) Characterization
d) Poetic language
9. According to Johnson what type of drama did Shakespeare write with much labour?
a) Comedy
b) Tragedy
c) Tragi-comedy
d) None of the above
10. Samuel Johnson was a writer of the
a) 17th Century
b) 18
th
Century
c) 19th Century
d) 20th Century
11. Johnson said that Shakespeare often surpassed expectation or desire when he wrote
a) Comedy
b) tragedy
c) Tragi-comedy
d) All of the above

12. Samuel Johnson‟s Preface to Shakespeare was published in _________.
a) 1756
b) 1770
c) 1800
d) 1765
13. In Preface to Shakespeare, Johnson defended Shakespeare‟s use of _________.
a) tragic-comedy
b) tragedy
c) comedy
d) None of the above
14. “Shakespeare was the man, who, of all modern and perhaps ancient poets, had the
largest and most comprehensive soul” was said by –
a) Samuel Johnson
b) Matthew Arnold
c) John Dryden
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d) Boyle
15. Johnson is of the opinion that Shakespeare writes without moral purpose and is more
careful to please than to ___________.
a) dictate
b) instruct
c) sacrifice
d) inform
16. Johnson praises Shakespeare and comments that his drama is the mirror of
__________.
a) himself
b) nature
c) life
d) his family members
17. The two modes of imitation according to Dr. Johnson are
a) Tragedy and comedy
b) Tragedy and tragicomedy
c) Tragicomedy and Comedy
d) None of the above
18. Johnson insists that Shakespeare‟s mode of composition
(a) Was inconsistent
(b) Lacked seriousness
(c) Remained the same
(d) Changed constantly
19. Shakespeare‟s first defect according to Johnson was that Shakespeare
(a) Sacrifices virtue to convenience
(b) He disregarded the distinction of time and place
(c) His plots are loose
(d) His declamations are cold and weak
20. According to Johnson, the plays of Shakespeare were originally classified into
a) Comedies and tragedies
b) Comedies, tragedies and histories
c) Comedies, tragedies and love stories
d) None of the above
21. In the violation of Unities, Johnson
a) Criticizes Shakespeare
b) Praises Shakespeare
c) Follows Shakespeare
d) Defends Shakespeare
22. According to Johnson, Shakespeare presented nature
a) Faithfully
b) Artificially
c) Foolishly
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d) Unrealistically
23. When we read a Shakespearean play, we are not bothered by consideration of
a) Characterization
b) Dialogue
c) Time and Place
d) Humour and Pathos
24. Which of the following critics preferred Shakespeare's comedies to his tragedies?
a) Dryden
b) Pope
c) Johnson
d) Addison

25. Regarding the observance of the three unities in a play, Dr. Johnson's view is that
a) Only the Unity of Time should be observed
b) Only the Unity of Action should be observed
c) Only the Unity of Place should be observed
d) All the three unities should be observed
26. The dialogue of Shakespeare are sometimes spoilt by:
a) Artificiality
b) Difficult Diction
c) Ruggedness
d) None of the above
27. Poetic justice is:
a) Followed by Shakespeare
b) Not at all followed by Shakespeare
c) Criticizes by Shakesperae
d) Not always followed by Shakespeare
28. Shakespeare has no heroes, his scenes are occupied by
a) Kings
b) Queens
c) Men
d) Fairies
29. Shakespeare approximates the remote, and familiarizes the
a) Marvelous
b) Wonderful
c) Beautiful
d) Magnificent
30. Shakespeare‟s drama is the mirror of
a) human beings
b) peace
c) remorse
d) life
31. Dennis and Rymer think Shakespeare‟s Romans are not sufficiently
a) Brave
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b) Roman
c) Strong
d) Loyal
32. A quibble is to Shakespeare, what luminous vapours are to
a) Adventurers
b) Farmers
c) Sailors
d) Travellers
33. Shakespeare had no regard to the unities of
a) action and place
b) time and action
c) time and place
d) action and theme
34. For Johnson, in Shakespeare‟s works, even when the agency is supernatural the
dialogue is level with ___.
a) Tragedy
b) Life
c) Nature
d) Character
35. This, therefore is the praise of Shakespeare, that his drama is the __ of life.
a) Reflection
b) Contemplation
c) Mirror
d) Study
36. Shakespeare has united the powers of exciting laughter and sorrow not only in one
mind, but in one __.
a) Composition
b) Narration
c) Genre
d) Action
37. The end of writing is to instruct, the end of poetry is to instruct by __.
a) Writing
b) Composition
c) Pleasing
d) Passion
38. An action which ended happily to the principal persons is a __.
a) Comedy
b) Tragedy
c) History
d) Tragi- comedy
39. Tragedy was not in those times a poem of more general dignity or elevation than __.
a) History
b) Tragi-comedy
c) Comedy
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d) Drama
40. According to Dr. Johnson, authors are rated by their best when they are _____.
a) In their prime
b) Matured
c) Old
d) Dead

KEY:

1. a
2. A
3. d
4. a
5. D
6. C
7. A
8. A
9. B
10. B
11. A
12. D
13. A
14. C
15. B
16. C
17. A
18. C
19. A
20. B
21. D
22. A
23. C
24. C
25. B
26. C
27. D
28. C
29. B
30. D
31. B
32. D
33. B
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34. B
35. C
36. B
37. C
38. A
39. D
40. C

II. FILL IN THE BLANKS:

1. Shakespeare‟s characters are ________, but they are individuals too.
2. Johnson tries Shakespeare by the test of time, of nature, of universality and finds him
_____ in all.
3. Through all these denominations of the drama, Shakespeare's mode of composition is
the same; an interchange of ______ and merriment.
4. Shakespeare is above all writers, at least above all modern writers, the poet of
________; the poet that holds up to his readers a faithful mirror of manners and of
life.
5. According to Dr. Johnson, authors are rated by their best when they are _____.
6. Dr. Johnson claimed that Shakespeare‟s drama is the mirror of ______
7. Voltaire censures Shakespeare‟s kings as not completely______.
8. Shakespeare has united the powers of exciting laughter and sorrow not only in one
mind, but in one________.
9. In Shakespeare‟s other works, he has well enough preserved the unity of ___.
10. A ___ was to Shakespeare the fatal Cleopatra for which he lost the world, and was
content to lose it.
11. For Johnson, in Shakespeare‟s works, even when the agency is supernatural the
dialogue is level with ___.
12. This, therefore is the praise of Shakespeare, that his drama is the __ of life.
13. An action which ended happily to the principal persons is a __.
14. Shakespeare has no heroes, his scenes are occupied by _____
15. Shakespeare approximates the remote, and familiarizes the ______
16. In Preface to Shakespeare, Johnson defended Shakespeare‟s use of _________.
17. Johnson is of the opinion that Shakespeare writes without moral purpose and is more
careful to please than to ___________.
18. Johnson said that Shakespeare often surpassed expectation or desire when he wrote
______
19. An action which ended happily to the principal persons is a __.
20. A ______ is to Shakespeare what luminous vapours are to travellers.

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KEY:

1. universal
2. Supreme
3. Seriousness
4. nature
5. Dead
6. Life
7. Royal
8. Composition
9. Action
10. Quibble
11. Life
12. Mirror
13. Comedy
14. Men
15. Wonderful
16. Tragic-comedy
17. Instruct
18. Comedy
19. Comedy
20. Quibble

UNIT II: PREFACE TO THE LYRICAL BALLADS- WILLIAM WORDSWORTH

I. MULTIPLE CHOICE QUESTIONS:

1. For Wordsworth the function of poetry is to give
a) joy
b) happiness
c) catharsis
d) pleasure
2. To Wordsworth, poetry is a spontaneous overflow of powerful feelings, emotions
recollected in
a) images
b) tranquility
c) simple life
d) sensation
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3. Wordworth‟s poet is a man speaking to
a) everyone
b) his readers
c) men
d) nature
4. The function of poetry is both to instruct and delight, but for Wordsworth it is to give
a) exaltation
b) pleasure
c) dictation
d) purgation
5. The dominant theme of Wordsworth‟s preface is
a) poetic diction
b) poetic argument
c) poetic criticism
d) poetic license
6. Wordsworth‟s preface declares the dawn of
a) English Romantic Movement
b) British Romantic Movement
c) European Romantic Movement
d) Anglo-saxon Romantic Movement
7. Wordsworth‟s preface can be seen as a forceful plea for simplicity both in
a) idea and feeling
b) sentiment an d exposition
c) expression and elucidation
d) theme and treatment
8. Wordsworth was primarily
a) a critic
b) a poet
c) an essayist
d) a philosopher
9. The Preface to the Lyrical Ballads was published in
a) 1798
b) 1799
c) 1800
d) 1801
10. The Principal object in the Lyrical Ballads was to choose incidents and situations from
a) urban life
b) agrarian life
c) common life
d) genteel life
11. Poems of value are produced by a man who possess more than usual organic
sensibility and had also thought
a) in tranquility
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b) long and deep
c) passionately
d) calmly
12. In the Lyrical Ballads, Wordsworth's purpose was to imitate and adopt the very
language of
a) the neoclassics
b) metre
c) men
d) the classics
13. Which of the following is not true?
a) Lyrical Ballads marked the beginning of the Romantic Age
b) Wordsworth believed that simple language creates better poems than complicated
language
c) Nature is a savage force that needs to be conquered by technology
d) Lyrical Ballads received mixed reviews when it was originally published in1798
14. In what ways is the Lyrical Ballads different from much of the poetry that was popular
when it was published?
a) It features poems that focus on nature and rural community
b) It calls for rigid poetic forms
c) It sought for poems that are more complicated
d) It sought to stimulate the reasoning mind rather than produce an emotional
response
15. Wordsworth justifies the use of metre and denounces the ____________ of the Neo-
Classical poets for their artificiality.
a) verse
b) rhyme
c) poetic diction
d) tradition
16. Wordsworth quoted ____________ who said, “Poetry is the most philosophical of all
writings”.
a) Aristotle
b) Horace
c) Homer
d) Virgil

17. An Appendix on Poetic Diction was added to the Preface to the Lyrical Ballads
in_____.
a) 1800
b) 1798
c) 1805
d) 1802
18. According to Wordsworth the understanding of the reader must necessarily be in some
degree…
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Literary Criticism Question bank with Answers

Literary Criticism Question bank with Answers

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