Free Literary Movements and Periods MCQs with Answers
529 Literary Movements and Periods MCQs from English Literature, each with the correct answer and a written explanation of why it is correct. Free and unlimited, with no account needed.
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- A. the triptych
- B. the flail
- C. the rudder
- D. the letter press
Explanation: The printing press, or letterpress, made books faster and cheaper to produce, greatly widening access to reading material and supporting…
Correct answer: the letter press- A. it includes issues that pertain to the heart
- B. it refers to anchoress' everyday behavior
- C. it is part of the anchoress' inner self
- D. it is the most important part of Ancrene Wisse
Explanation: In Ancrene Wisse, outer rule concerns an anchoress's external and everyday conduct, while inner rule concerns spiritual discipline and the…
Correct answer: it refers to anchoress' everyday behavior- A. most medieval women had some property
- B. married women could hold property once they had children
- C. married women could hold property without their husband's consent
- D. widows could hold property
Explanation: Medieval legal customs generally allowed widows to inherit or control property, although the rights of married women were usually…
Correct answer: widows could hold property- A. medieval lay
- B. courtly love
- C. hagiography
- D. romance
Explanation: The Passion of Saints Perpetua and Felicity recounts the lives, suffering and martyrdom of Christian saints, making it a work of…
Correct answer: hagiography- A. the value of practical virtues over traditional feminine virtues
- B. the merit of women
- C. the lack of truth in men's stereotypes about women
- D. All of the Above
Explanation: Christine de Pizan's Book of the City of Ladies defends women's merit, challenges male stereotypes, and values women's practical and moral…
Correct answer: All of the Above306. What was a Lollard ?
- A. a hero in a courtly romance
- B. a member of a sect that was considered heretical
- C. a female mystic
- D. an illiterate anchoress
Explanation: The Lollards were followers of John Wycliffe whose religious ideas challenged established Church doctrine and were condemned as heretical.
Correct answer: a member of a sect that was considered heretical- 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
Explanation: Printing made texts cheaper and more plentiful, allowed them to circulate beyond restricted manuscript communities, and improved the…
Correct answer: All of the Above- A. she said that the institution was too flawed
- B. she claimed she was already married to God
- C. she wanted to make a political statement against the Church
- D. she was concerned about loss of property
Explanation: Catherine of Siena regarded herself as mystically married to Christ and therefore chose religious virginity instead of an earthly…
Correct answer: she claimed she was already married to God- A. a type of literature concerned with the behavior of anchorites
- B. a type of early literature produced solely by medieval women writers
- C. a literary convention based on the code of behavior associated with chivalrous romance
- D. a method of oral transmission
Explanation: Courtly love was a literary ideal shaped by chivalric conduct, in which the lover served and praised an often socially superior beloved.
Correct answer: a literary convention based on the code of behavior associated with chivalrous romance- 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
Explanation: In a patriarchal society, a wife’s virginity was treated as evidence that her husband could trust the paternity of her children.
Correct answer: it assured him that his children were his own- A. nobility
- B. adultery
- C. chastity
- D. All of the Above
Explanation: Courtly-love literature commonly combines aristocratic nobility, idealized chastity, and illicit or adulterous desire.
Correct answer: All of the Above- A. people who attempt to found their own religious orders
- B. people who reject asceticism and contemplation
- C. people who attempted to contact God without the intervention of an established religious order
- D. people who were formally tied to religious orders
Explanation: Lay mystics sought a direct experience of God without belonging to, or relying entirely on, an established religious order.
Correct answer: people who attempted to contact God without the intervention of an established religious order- A. pilgrimages
- B. charitable donations
- C. prayers on the sinner's behalf
- D. All of the Above
Explanation: Pilgrimage, charitable giving, and prayers for sinners were all recognised forms of medieval devotion.
Correct answer: All of the Above- 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
Explanation: Crusading travel increased contact between Western Europe and the East, bringing new stories, luxury goods, artistic influences, and…
Correct answer: All of the Above- A. 9th century
- B. 10th century
- C. 11th century
- D. 12th century
Explanation: The Norman Conquest began in 1066, when William, Duke of Normandy, defeated Harold at the Battle of Hastings.
Correct answer: 11th century- A. The Romance of the Rose
- B. "Book of Hours"
- C. The Bible
- D. The Art of Courtly Love
Explanation: The Bible was copied more extensively than any other medieval book because it was the central text of Christian worship and learning.
Correct answer: The Bible- A. teachers
- B. scribes
- C. authors
- D. All of the Above
Explanation: Medieval nuns could teach, copy manuscripts as scribes, and compose religious writings as authors.
Correct answer: All of the Above- A. recitations by poets
- B. knightly tournaments
- C. games
- D. All of the Above
Explanation: Medieval court life combined cultural entertainment and aristocratic display, including poetry recitations, tournaments, and games.
Correct answer: All of the Above- A. women are always villains, while men are always heroes
- B. women are always involved in supernatural plots while men's storylines tend to be more realistic
- C. men are allowed to boast about their affairs, while women must keep them secret
- D. men are represented as immoral while women are always presented as chaste
Explanation: Courtly-love narratives commonly allowed male lovers to boast of sexual or romantic exploits while requiring women to preserve secrecy and…
Correct answer: men are allowed to boast about their affairs, while women must keep them secret- A. a medieval female hermit
- B. a woman who rejects the support of the community because she feels it is sexist
- C. a male anchorite
- D. a religious teacher in the medieval era
Explanation: An anchoress was a woman who withdrew from ordinary society to live a life of religious seclusion, usually in an enclosed cell attached to…
Correct answer: a medieval female hermit