| What gift does Gawain turn down? | a ring |
| Which best describes Alison in “THe Wife of Bath?” | she has the characteristics of old stories about bad women |
| literature in England was written in Anglo Saxon until the… | Norman invasion |
| What was “Norman” a contraction of? | Norseman |
| What biblical villain is Grendel compared to? | Cain |
| What year did Henry V defeat the French at Agincourt? | 1415 |
| Which grouped themes best represent the poem “Sir Gawain and the Green Knight?” | fertility, chivalry and deceit |
| What country was Chaucer sent on a diplomatic mission to in 1372 that critically influenced the rest of his work, including The Canterbury Tales? | Italy |
| Who was NOT a practitioner of the “romance” genre? | Margery Kempe |
| Who are the Shieldings in Beowulf? | descendants of Shield |
| How does Arthur react to the Green Knight’s proposal? | He is shocked and initially hesitant but then accepts the Knight’s challenge |
| How does Sir Gawain find the castle? | He prays for shelter, and the castle appears, shimmering on the horizon |
| The main centers of book production and storage during the Anglo Saxon period were… | monasteries |
| Who lends Beowulf the sword that is described by the narrator as “important?” | Unferth |
| What is a caesura? | a pause in the middle of a line of poetry |
| What medieval holiday does the Green Knight appear? | New Years |
| Why does Grendel not receive pain from swords and other metal weaponry? | Grendel is protected by a charm |
| Chaucer was sent to _____ in 1372 on a business trip, where he found admiration for the writings of poets and intellectuals | Italy |
| How does Grendel die? | Grendel’s arm and shoulder were ripped out of his socket |
| In comparison, with, say, Norman society, the Anglo-Saxon can be regarded as… | democratic |
| Which of the following is NOT used in Gawain and the Green Knight? | rhymed couplets |
| Which is not one of Gawain’s “five fives?” | the five points on the Green Knight’s crown |
| How does fratricide figure in the story of Beowulf? | Grendel is noted to be a descendant of Cain, who killed his brother, Abel |
| From the first to the fifth century, England was a province of… | the Roman Empire |
| As depicted in Beowulf, the most important social relationship in warrior society was that between: | the warrior (the thane) and his lord |
| Which of the following was contained in a manuscript with the religious poems “Pearl, Patience, and Purity?” | Sir Gawain and the Green Knight |
| Beowulf was composed about how much earlier than Sir Gawain and the Green Knight? | 500 years |
| What is a hapax legomena? | a word recorded in use only once |
| What is the name for figurative uses of language such as “whale-road” for sea and “life-house” for body? | kenning |
| Why do we find such inconsistencies in the Canterbury Tales manuscript? | a) because Chaucer wrote the tale over many yearsb) because manuscript copiers may have selected and ordered the talesc) because new tales were added by othersd) ALL OF THE ABOVE |
| Which of the following Italian poets did NOT influence Chaucer? | Michelangelo Buonarroti |
| How many manuscripts survive of Beowulf, and what is the significance? | One. The absence of manuscript variations obscures the poems history |
| During the Middle Ages, what group of people was most likely to be literate? | clerics |
| Hrothgar is to _______ as Beowulf is to _______. | Shieldings, Geats |
| Folklorists classify Gawain’s plot as originating from what is called the “Beheading Game.” The earliest written occurrence of this motif is the Middle Irish tale of: | Bricriu’s Feast |
| The tale of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight opens with the fall of which city? | Troy |
| The Venerable Bede is best know for which piece of literature? | The Ecclesiastical History of the English People |
| Which is the best title/language match? | Canterbury Tales- Middle English |
| Stanzas in Sir Gawain and the Green Knight terminate in | Bob and Wheel |
| In Beowulf, who is king of the Danes? | Hrothgar |
| Gawain’s shield is | red with a gold star, an emblem of truth |
| The Dream of the Rood was penned by | an anonymous author |
| Sections of the epic poem Beowulf were lost due to | a 1731 fire in a london library |
| In Beowulf, what moral obligation was behind Hrothgar’s grief? | Hrothgar did not exact a “death-price” from Grendel and could not seek revenge |
| In what major way does Sir Gawain differ from Beowulf? | Sir Gawain endures more mental tests than physical tests |
| Which was NOT an influence on Chaucer’s poetry? | Tasso, Gerusalemme Liberata |
| Which of the following failed Beowulf in the end? | his physical strength |
| How does the narrator of Chaucer’s General Prologue to the Canterbury Tales say he will describe the characters of the poem? | condition, degree and array |
| Which of the following alliterative extracts is taken from Sir Gawain and the Green Knight? | And first, he was faultless in his five sense, nor found ever to fail in his five fingers, and all his fealty was fixed upon the five wounds that Christ got on the cross, as the creed tells |
| This King appeared in medieval French, English and German literature | Arthur |
| How does Beowulf’s funeral differ from Shield Sheafson’s at the beginning of the poem? | Beowulf is entombed as a landmark for sailors to guide by |
| Which of the following did not work in the romance genre? | William Langland |
| Which of the following is NOT a tool Chaucer uses to illustrate the corruption of the Church? | The summoner’s attempt to use Latin to sound intelligent |
| After the year 1300 poetry and prose began to be written for what group of people? | sophisticated and well-educated readers whose primary language was English |
| The satire in the Wife of Bath’s Tale is directed at | the treatment of women |
| Chaucer was captured by the French and ransomed by whom during the Hundred Years War? | King Edward III |
| Which is not one of the five fives in Gawain? | five miracles performed by Christ |
| What is the meaning of “wergild?” | Man-price |
| Which of the following is not among the three religious pieces accompanying Sir Gawain and the Green Knight? | Piety |
| Logres is…. | one of the names of Arthur’s kingdoms |
| Which writer was known as the English Homer? | Chaucer |
| Chaucer’s father was…. | a wine merchant |
| The Black Death was a plague that devastated Europe in which century? | 14th |
| Hrothgar says that as we reach _______, we forget about _____ | our prime; our weakness |
| Which of the following is not a Celtic language? | Norman |
| On which day did Gawain depart on his quest? | All Saints Day |
| Whch of these pilgrims from The Canterbury Tales is employed by the Catholic Church? | the Summoner |
| Who gathered the treasure in barrow in Beowulf? | The last man |
| which one of these did the author of Gawain and the Green Knight attempt to revive in this poem? | alliterative verse |
| According to the Wife of Bath, what qualities made the three of her five husbands “good?” | age and wealth |
| Which of the following is the best example of alliterative verse? | Though cornered, the youthful King stayed calm |
| After Beowulf slays Grendel’s mother, what happens to the blade of his sword? | It melts like ice as winter changes to Spring |
| What does the use of alliterative verse and repetition in Beowulf suggest about the poem’s origin? | It was originally an oral story, and the alliterative verse and repetition worked was memory devices |
| Which work is NOT one of the first printed by William Caxton in the 15th century? | Everyman |
| In 1362, English was first used in the English parliament and law courts. It replaced which language? | French |
| Where did Chaucer go in 1372 that sparked his literary development? | Italy |
| Which work is rotten in iambic pentameter couplets? | Canterbury Tales |
| Words such as ‘beef’ and ‘pork’ are of French origin while words like ‘cow’ and ‘swine’ come from other Germanic languages. What does this reveal about England’s class structure after the norman conquest of 1066? | French was the language of the upper class while other Germanic languages were spoken by the lower class |
| What revival does the story of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight belong to? | alliterative |
| What is the name of SIr Gawain’s horse? | Gringolet |
| Which romance by Boccaccio is the source for Chaucer’s “The Knight’s Tale?” | Il Teseida |
| The explicit meaning behind the pentacle of Sir Gawain’s shield is all of the following except? | the 5 tests Gawain will face |
| In Beowulf, inconsistencies happen because… | of revisions by multiple offers |
| The majority of the earliest records of the English language are found in: | manuscripts produced in monasteries |
| What kind of verse is Beowulf written in? | alliterative verse |
| In the high Middle Ages Christian poets regarded ancient writers with… | respect |
| The framing device in the Canterbury Tales most resembles | Boccaccio’s Decameron |
| The Wife of Bath is outrageous in part because in the middle ages… | status and identity were defined by family relationships |
| Writers in the early times received financial compensation from | wealthy patron |
| In Beowulf, recurrent verbal repetition is indicative of | origins in oral literature |
| Which of the following characteristics is NOT common to Beowulf and Sir Gawain and the Green Knight | references to the Cult of the Virgins |
| The composition of The Canterbury Tales can be dated to… | the last 14 years of Chaucer’s life |
| Why does Beowulf contain Christian themes and moments? Why? | a pagan story was adapted to fit the needs of a growing population of Christians |
| Which of the following supplied a principle of continuity in the English Middle Ages? | The Catholic Church |
| What is the difference between enjambment and end-stopping? | with enjambment a line continues on to the next without a syntactic break |
| Device used for setting one story insider another.. | frame narrative |
| Before the Norman Conquest writing in Britain was…. | mostly in Latin with some in Anglo-Saxon |
| Wealhtheow presents Beowulf with which gift after he slays Grendel? | a resplendent torque of gold |
| Beowulf is written in which language? | Old English |
| Which of the following was NOT one of the “three estates” recognized in the Middle Ages? | merchants |
| The murder of his kinsmen was troublesome for Hrothgar because… | he could not extract the “wergild” or death-price from the killer |
| About what time did English replace French as the courtly language of literature in England? | 1400 |
| Why is Beowulf considered part of the British canon, despite its being written about Danes? | It was the first written down by monks on the British Isles in a form of Old English |
| Which is the sequence of the characters in the beginning of Chaucer’s General Prologue? | Knight, Squire, Yeoman, Prioresse, Monk, Friar |
| The premature death of Henry V in 1422 was followed by the | War of the Roses |
| What biblical figure does the Wife of Bath Quote while defending the goodness or marriage? | St. Paul |
| Who usurped the crown from Richard II of England? | John of Gaunt’s son |
| In addition to being a poet, Geoffrey Chaucer was a… | merchant |
| Marie de France is famous for writing… | lays |
| In Beowulf’s time there was a moral obligation either to kill a murderer or to exact a payment called.. | wergild (man-price) |
| Which is the 15th century imitator of Chaucer? | Thomas Hoccleve |
| Which of the following numbers is NOT part of a numerological scheme in Sir Gawain and the Green Knight? | four |
| How many times is Gawain kissed? | six |
| Where does the primary action in Beowulf take place? | Denmark |
| The master of Heorot is named… | Hrothgar |
| What is the Green Knight’s real name? | Bertilak de Hautdesert |
| Most surviving Old English literature is in which dialect? | West Saxon |
| Which of the following is NOT true of the poem Beowulf? | It was originally written in Old Norse and was translated into English |
| What is the definition of a “scop?” | a poet |
| Which of the following is NOT a characteristic of oral poetry? | the alternation of long and short stanzas |
| What two images were depicted on the shield of Sir Gawain? | the Virgin Mary and a five-pointed, interlinking knot. |
| In which language did Chaucer NOT write poetry? | Portuguese |
| How long was Gawain given to locate the Green Chapel? | one year and a day |
| In Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, King Arthur’s residence is at: | Camelot |
| The hero of Beowulf was a | Geat |
| Which was NOT a narrative genre cultivated in Anglo-Normal England? | Homily |
| How long does Beowulf reign as king of the Geats | 50 years |
| Which tended to unify the Middle Ages? | Roman Catholicism |
| Which of the following is true of BOTH Beowulf and Sir Gawain and the Green Knight? | they were both written in alliterative verse |
| Why does Gawain get his nick on the third stroke? | For accepting the girdle during his third temptation |
| What two things does Grendel’s mother take from the mead hall after her son’s death? | the King’s advisor and her son’s severed arm |
| The Green Knight holds a holly bob and an axe that represents | life and death |
| What is the difference between alliteration and anaphora | one repeats a consonant sound and the other repeats a word or phrase at the beginning of successive clauses |
| The several stories and incidents related in Beowulf are connected to how many primary stories? | three |
| According to the Norton Anthology, when was Beowulf supposed to have been composed? | in the first half of the 8th century, although some scholars place it as late as the 10th century |
| The main plot type folklorists identify with Sir Gawain and the Green Knight is.. | the beheading game |
| In SIr Gwain and the Green Knight, the sequence of symbolic animals hunted is: | deer, boar, fox |
| The two women Sir Gawain meets in the castle differ in what way? | one is young and one is old |
| Chaucer say that the Wife of Bath has a gap in her front teeth, an indication that | the is promiscuous |
| “Nobles owe their primary allegiance to the throne” is an example of: | metonymy |
| Beowulf was ORIGINALLY written in what dialect of English? | Mercian |
| When was Gawain and the Gren Knight believed to have been written? | 1375-1400 |
| Much of surviving Old English literature is translated from which language? | Latin |
| During Chaucer’s time | Richard II was king |
| Which of the following does not represent on of the five points of the star on Gawain’s shield? | the humors |
| What was the name of the sword Unferth gave to Beowulf? | Hrunting |
| How many travelers is the reader told will be on the journey in the Canterbury Tales? | 29 |
| The English Crown’s French territories were increased in 1415 under the rule of | Henry V |
| The story of Beowulf was probably passed down orally before it was written down; from what era do scholars date the poem in its written form as we know it today? | 700-1000 |
| The Anglo Saxon invaders brought with them a tradition of oral poetry that primarily valued | Heroism and kinship |
| What were the “three estates” in the Middle Ages? | nobles, churchmen, commoners |
| The five line rhyming group that concludes each stanza in Sir Gawain and the Green Knight is called what? | the “bob and wheel” |
| Chaucer’s pilgrims are traveling to Canterbury to visit | the shrine of Thomas a Becket |
| Sir Gawain and the Green Knight is an example of alliterative verse, meaning | several words within a line echo the same sound |
| The new language of British literature of the 14th and 15th centuries was | English |
| The reference to Offa ties Beowulf to what nation? | Angles |
| The Normans took possessions of England after: | The Battle of Hastings |
| The ababa lines concluding the stanzas in Gawain (the first with one stress) are an example of | Bob and Wheel |
| Beowulf exemplifies the belief that the most important of human relationships was that which existed between | than and lord |
| The “Brutus Books” mentioned in Gawain traced the origin of Britain to | the fall of Troy |
| The Cenerable Bede was a historian who wrote about | the spread of Christianity in England |
| Chaucer’s diplomatic missions to which country were the most influential in his literary development? | Italy |
| In the Middle Ages, the language of the Catholic Church was: | Latin |
| What happened to the sword of the giants after Beowulf used it to slay Grendel’s mother? | it melted |
| The three “estates” of Chaucer’s medieval society consisted of: | nobility, clergy and commoners |
| Which of the following people does NOT have a tale to tell in The Canterbury Tales? | the tax collector |
| While Beowulf is a narrative poem, its sad tone resembled that of which common mode of early medieval verse? | elegy |
| “Richard III seized the throne of England” is an example of | metonymy |
| Gawain accepts the offer of the Lady’s girdle, but rejects the ring, made of red gold with a red stone. Why? | Gawain believes that the ring is far too expensive to be given as a gift |
| What type of rhyme does Chaucer most frequently use in The Canterbury tales? | End rhyme (couplets) |
| Which of the following is NOT typical of Old English Verse? | alternately stressed syllables |
| Scholars believe that Beowulf was originally written in which dialect? | Mercian |
| The sword of Beowulf used to slay Grendel’s mother was made by | giants |
| Which set of animals (in order) was hunted in Sir Gawain and the Green Knight? | deer, boar, fox |
| Which work by Robert Henryson was a continuation of a work by Chaucer? | The Testament of Cresseid |
| What does the color of Bertilak’s lady’s girdle symbolize? | a connection with wilderness and nature |
| The Middle Ages extended from | the collapse of the Roman Empire to revival of classical literature and the Reformation |
| Beowulf dies because | the dragon poisons him |
| Italian work in which ten different narrators each tell a tale a day | Boccaccio’s Decameron (deca=ten) |
| How would Beowulf best be categorized? | a pagan story retold for a Christian audience |
| Why was King Arthur’s table round? Does the table in the Gawain poem match the legend? | Merlin made the table round because Arthur’s knights were arguing over precedence. No, it does not match |
| What is NOT an aspect of Beowulf that suggests the poem has more than one author | the lack of emotion conveyed by the hero |
| The Breton lay, exemplified by Lanval and Chevrefoil was popularized by | Marie de France |
| Which is not a recurring character in Arthurian literature? | Lady Bertilak |
| In Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, the deer hunt is best seen as exemplifying | the ritualistic character of chivalric and courtly manners |
| What was Geoffrey Chaucer’s social “estate?” | he was a commoner |
| Beowulf is a hero because he was born a hero. This reflects the medieval idea | that one’s character is fixed at birth |
| Which of the following names is the fox called during the hunt in Sir Gawain? | Sir Reynard |
| Gawain’s deception was instigated by | Morgan le Faye, King Arthur’s half-sister |
| After defeating Grendel’s Mother, Beowulf drags what back to Hrothgar’s hall? | Beowulf cuts off and brings back Grendel’s head |
| With what does Beowulf begin and end? | he description of a funeral |
| In the Wife of Bath’s Tale, the Gawain character learns that women most desire… | sovereignty over their husbands |
| The earliest written occurrence of the “Beheading Game” motif occurs in which work? | Bricrui’s Feast |
| Which of Chaucer’s poems is heavily modeled after Boccaccio’s work Il Filostrato (The Love Stricken)? | Troilus and Criseyde |
| In Chaucer’s time patients were diagnosed on the basis of: | “Humours”: the balance of the patient’s body chemistry |
| Which poet did Chaucer NOT draw inspiration from? | Gower |
| Old English tradition follows the practice of naming an individual after a combination of two words or ideas; which is the translation of “Hrothgar?” | Glory and Spear |
| WHich of the following characters would most likely to appear in fabliau? | a dissolute miller |
| Chaucer’s use throughout The Wife of Bath’s Tale of the words switch and wight instead of such and person, respectively, can best be seen | examples of the common words in Middle English |
| The original title of Beowulf may be translated as: | the poem had no title |
| To which biblical characters does Gawain compare himself? | Adam, David, SOlomon, Samson |
| Match the period to the work | ANglo-Norman: The History of the Kings of Britain |
| Why did modern editors have to supply Beowulf with its title? | Because old manuscripts normally had no indication of title |
| If I was born in 1574, who would my contemporary be? | Shakespeare |
| During the first through fifth centuries, who was England a province of? | Rome |
| Robery Henryson, who wrote a continuation of Troileus and Criseyde, was an imitator of: | Chaucer |
| What are the “Brutus books?” | a genealogical records of Gawain’s family |
| A short narrative of romance as exemplified by the writings of Marie de France | lai |
| Who took possession of England after the decisive Battle of Hastings in 1066? | the Normans |
| Why is the concept of Wergild (man price?) | compensation paid to a slain man’s family |
| When it became the root of romance, what did the word “roman” mean? | works written in French |
Medieval Questions
February 23, 2020