Classic Literature Characters Trivia Quiz

Answer: Paradise Lost

*SPOILERS* "Paradise Lost" is a highly dramatic poem about Satan and the fallen angels. It confronts the biblical concept of sin, and makes you see Adam and Eve in a whole new light. It is one of the classic novels of all time, a must read for anyone who likes poetry or religious matters.

Answer: A Tale of Two Cities

*SPOILERS* "A Tale of Two Cities" is a passionate human drama, set against the background of the French Revolution. It stars such characters as the lovely Lucy Manette, and her depressed father, the noble Charles Darnay, and the questionable Sydney Carton, all of whom experience a myriad of emotions through the entire piece.

The characters are enticing, the background is thrilling, and the plot is full of twists and turns.

Answer: Jane Eyre

*SPOILERS* Jane Eyre is an orphaned young woman with a sharp mind and an indomitable spirit. She goes to work as a governess for an Englishman's daughter, and ends up falling in love with him. Alas, many trials ensue including a tragic fire, and a plethora of dark secrets are uncovered.

It was said by many to be one of the greatest novels of its, as well as our, time. Charlotte Bronte was a true magician when it came to penning the darkest depths of the heart as they are in "Jane Eyre".

Answer: Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde

*SPOILERS* In Robert Louis Stevenson's "Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde", Dr. Henry Jekyll is a prominent London physician in the 1800s who is fascinated by the human conscience. Driven by his mad desire to harness the innermost evil in man and bring it out, Dr. Jekyll creates an alternate personality in himself, Mr. Edward Hyde, who represents his most dark and sinful thoughts. Mr. Hyde commits all sorts of hideous crimes on the dank and dusty streets of London, and Dr. Jekyll tries in vain to control him.

This classic novel of good vs. evil is a magnificent tale of human desire and sin.

Answer: Romeo and Juliet

*SPOILERS* The classic love story, "Romeo and Juliet", is adapted from mythology's Pyramus and Thisbe, a tale of two star-crossed lovers whose families did not permit them to wed. Ophelia is the romantic heroine in "Hamlet", Rosalind stars in "As You Like It", and Hermia is Lysander's love interest in "A Midsummer Night's Dream. There are many film adaptations of "Romeo and Juliet", including a 1996 version starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Claire Danes

Answer: The Picture of Dorian Gray

*SPOILERS* "The Picture of Dorian Gray" was Oscar Wilde's first and only novel. It starts off with Dorian Gray being a beautiful, but naive young man who is sitting for a portrait, painted by his friend, Basil Hallward. Dorian then meets Lord Henry Wotton, who introduces him to sin and senses, and makes Dorian realize that he would give anything to remain young and beautiful forever. Dorian later meets Sibyl Vane, a talented Shakespearean actress, and falls madly in love with her.

He spurns her however, when her acting ability is compromised by her love for him, and she kills herself.

It is this event which truly plunges Dorian into his life of sin. He sells his soul to the devil so that the picture which Basil painted for him can bear all the burden of his sin and his aging.

He is deathly afraid that anyone might see this picture, because of its gruesome nature and relation to his soul, so he hides it away. He only shows it to one person, Basil, whom he kills because Basil tries in vain to bring him back to the side of good. Dorian grows more and more sinful and more and more paranoid, until he's practically driven mad by his guilt.

He decides to destroy the picture, but when he stabs it, he kills himself and his dead body takes on the signs of sin and aging that the picture had, while the pictures returns to Dorian's youthful, innocent face.

Answer: Flowers for Algernon

*SPOILERS* "Flowers for Algernon", originally published as a short story, was adapted to a book in May, 1976. It is the story of Charlie Gordon, a sweet, but mentally retarded man who has always dreamed of being smart. He undergoes an operation to triple his intelligence, and it appears successful.

However, Charlie soon discovers that being smart isn't all its cracked up to be. It has been adapted into a movie called "Charly", starring Cliff Robertson.

Answer: The Adventures of Tom Sawyer

*SPOILERS* Tom Sawyer is a mischievous youth who is growing up on the banks of the Mississippi. Although he has a good heart, Tom gets himself, as well as his friends, into many different scrapes. He and two other boys run away to be pirates, and come back to be honored guests at their own funerals.

He and his romantic interest, Becky Thatcher, get trapped for a week in a cave, although they manage to find a way out. Tom, and his friend Huckleberry Finn, also manage to witness a murder and become the targets of Injun Joe, the town villain.

This is a light-hearted tale about growing up and life in the rural south in the late 1800s.

Answer: Grapes of Wrath

*SPOILERS* The Joads, a little family from Oklahoma, are forced to travel to California from their homestead. They encounter great hardship along the way, and truly test their abilities to stay together as a family. It's a passionate human drama, set in the background of the Great Depression.

It informs the reader about the historical period as well as creating very deep characters with complex emotions.

Answer: Wuthering Heights

*SPOILERS* A classic tale of doomed lovers, "Wuthering Heights" takes place on the lonely moors of England. It tells the hopeless tale of lovers Heathcliff and Catherine, separated by class and position, but brought together by the love they feel for each other. "Wuthering Heights" is said to be one of the classic staples of English literature, and is sure to please any reader interested in tragic romance.

Answer: The Scarlet Letter

*SPOILERS* "The Scarlet Letter" was set in Puritan New England in the seventeenth century. It is the story of Hester Prynne, a young woman with an elderly husband who was presumed lost at sea. She has a child during her husband's absence, and is forced to wear a scarlet "A" because she would not reveal her lover's name.

She raises her daughter, Pearl, and goes on with life in the village, despite the scorn and judgement of the townspeople. "The Scarlet Letter" is a wonderful portrayal of love, passion, and tragedy in a harsh and unforgiving society.

Answer: The Great Gatsby

*SPOILERS* One of the great American novels, "The Great Gatsby" is set on Long Island in 1922. It stars Nick Carraway, a young, educated man who lives in a rich, but garish area called West Egg. His next door neighbor is the mysterious "Gatsby" who throws extravagant parties every Saturday night.

When Nick goes to visit his cousin Daisy Buchannan, and her husband, Tom, he meets Jordan Baker, a beautiful, if cynical young woman. From then on, love, or perhaps lust, is the theme of the book. "The Great Gatsby" is a moving portrayal of life in America in the 1920s and the secret dark side of posh Eastern society at the time.

Answer: The Catcher in the Rye

*SPOILERS* "The Catcher in the Rye" is a moving portrayal of the life story of Holden Caulfield, a troubled young man, living in Eastern America in the 1950s. The book starts with him being expelled from Pencey prep school in Pennsylvania, and going to Manhattan to live.

He encounters many people on his journey to self, most of whom he offends. The book gets its title from a poem by Robert Burns, which is explained by Holden, to his sister, Phoebe, with whom he has a close and loving relationship. "The Catcher in the Rye" is a realistic story of a tortured young man who's just trying to find his place in the world.

Answer: To Kill a Mockingbird

*SPOILERS* "To Kill a Mockingbird" is the story of the Finch family (Atticus, Jem, and Scout) who live in sleepy Maycomb Alabama. The book has two main storylines, one involving Atticus, and the other involving Jem, Scout, and Boo Radley, the mysterious inhabitant of Radley Place.

In the first storyline, Atticus is defending Tom Robinson, a black man accused of raping a white woman. During the course of the trial, a lynch mob arrives to kill Tom, but they are luckily defused by Scout's natural kindness.

Although Atticus presents ample evidence that the accuser and her father were completely fabricating the charge, Tom is found guilty by an all white jury because of his race. He tries to escape from jail and is shot. The other storyline features Jem and Scout, who are fascinated by the mysterious Boo Radley, who leaves presents for them in the knot of a tree. Later, the father of the woman who was "raped" attacks Jem and Scout, injuring Jem, but is killed accidentally by Boo when he defends children. Boo then takes them home, where he makes sure that Jem is okay before vanishing again. "To Kill a Mockingbird" is a testimony that even in the blackest situations, prejudice and violence are never the answer.

Answer: Lord of the Flies

*SPOILERS* In "Lord of the Flies", a group of British schoolboys are marooned on an island after the plane flying them to safety crashed on a tropical island. The boys organize and choose a boy called Ralph as their leader, and another called Jack as the head of food gathering. For awhile life is good, and the boys enjoy life without adults.

Then the boys begin to imagine strange happenings and think that there's a monster on an island. A boy called Simon goes off to investigate, but when he returns with proof that the monster doesn't exist, they think that he's the monster and kill him brutally. By now the boys have become crazed mutinous savages, and at the end, when they are discovered by a British naval officer, they all weep bitterly because of what they had become.