A Modern Major-General Trivia Quiz

Answer: The Pirates of Penzance

Composers W.S. Gilbert and Arthur Sullivan created some memorable operatic pieces between 1871 and 1896. Perhaps the most beloved of their operas is "The Pirates of Penzance", which made its theatrical debut in 1879. Major-General Stanley is one of the most famous characters in "Pirates." In the song "A Modern Major-General", Stanley tried to impress upon his audience (his daughters and some kind-hearted pirates) his "extensive" military knowledge.

The major-general sang in rapid-fire style that he knew lots of information- most of it totally useless for a military officer.

Answer: Mineral

Major-General Stanley told his audience that he had a lot of information "vegetable, animal, and mineral." Unfortunately, most of this information was irrelevant to what military leaders would need on the battlefield. The chorus answered Stanley's boasts by singing these words:

"In short, in matters vegetable, animal, and mineral
He is the very model of a modern major-general..."

Answer: Belgium

Major-General Stanley boasted to his listeners about his knowledge of history. He sang these words:

"I know the kings of England, and I quote the fights historical
From Marathon to Waterloo, in order categorical..."

The Battle of Waterloo took place in Belgium in 1815, though at the time the area was part of the United Kingdom of the Netherlands (Belgium declared its independence 15 years later, in 1830). The armies of Napoleon I and Michael Ney were defeated by the Duke of Wellington of England and Gebhard von Blucher of Prussia. Waterloo is located south of the Belgian city of Brussels.

Answer: Calculus

The major-general claimed to know everything about calculus in "A Modern Major-General." Stanley also bragged about his knowledge of "equations" and "binomial theorem." Stanley sang these words:

"I'm very good at integral and differential calculus
I know the scientific names of beings animalculous..."

Answer: King Arthur

Major-General Stanley told his audience that he knew about England's "mythic history, "King Arthur's and Sir Caradoc's." According to legend, King Arthur was an English leader in the sixth century who fought against Saxon invaders. Sir Caradoc was supposedly a member of the Knights of the Round Table.

Answer: An emperor

Heliogabalus, a "boy king", was the Roman emperor from 218 to 222. Heliogabalus was only 14 years old when he took power, and he angered many of his elders during his short reign. Heliogabalus married five different women and often engaged in lewd behavior. Some historians claim that this young emperor was also involved in murder. In the song, the major-general sang these words:

"I quote in elegiac all the crimes of Heliogabalus
In conics I can floor peculiarities parabolous..."

Answer: H.M.S. Pinafore

Major-General Stanley poked fun of the Gilbert and Sullivan opera "H.M.S. Pinafore" in the second verse of "A Modern Major-General." Stanley sang these words:

"Then I can hum a fugue of which I've heard the music's din afore
And whistle all the airs from that infernal nonsense PINAFORE..."

The 1878 opera " H.M.S. Pinafore" was a satirical masterpiece which poked fun at the British Navy and party politics, among other subjects. "Iolanthe" made its debut in 1882, "Princess Ida" appeared in 1884, and "The Yeomen of the Guard" opened in 1888.

Answer: Babylonic cuneiform

Major-General Stanley claimed to be an expert in Babylonic cuneiform, a type of ancient writing which was used in Syria, Persia, and other countries. The characters in this writing system were wedge-shaped and fashioned from clay. The major-general told his audience that he could "write a washing bill (laundry list) in Babylonic cuneiform / And tell you every detail of Caractacus's uniform..."

Answer: A fortification system

Major-General Stanley sang these words in the fifth verse of "A Modern Major-General":

"In fact, when I know what is meant by 'mamelon' and 'ravelin'..."

A ravelin is a triangular fortification system. Webster's Online Dictionary defines the word "ravelin" as "a detached work with two embankments which make a salient angle." A mamelon is a small fortified hill.

Answer: A rifle

The major-general bragged that he could tell at sight a "Mauser rifle from a javelin." Even a non-military person could probably tell the difference between a rifle and a javelin! The Mauser rifle was developed in the 1870s for the Prussian army; this weapon featured a bolt-action mechanism.