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Quiz about Early English Prose
Quiz about Early English Prose

Early English Prose Trivia Quiz


A brief walk through English prose from the 12th to the 18th century.

A multiple-choice quiz by marienbart. Estimated time: 5 mins.
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Author
marienbart
Time
5 mins
Type
Multiple Choice
Quiz #
77,126
Updated
Dec 03 21
# Qns
15
Difficulty
Average
Avg Score
9 / 15
Plays
893
- -
Question 1 of 15
1. One of the earliest prose works in English is the anonymous work 'Ancrene Riwle', the title of which can be translated to modern English as 'Rule for _____'. What does 'Ancrene' mean? Hint


Question 2 of 15
2. A strange piece of prose is to be found at the very end of 'The Canterbury Tales'. In his so-called 'Retraction', the author abandons verse and turns to prose to excuse himself for what he has written (as if there's any need to do that). Who wrote 'The Canterbury Tales'?

Answer: (The most influential author before Shakespeare)
Question 3 of 15
3. 'The Book of Showings', also called 'The Book of Revelations', is a collection of 16 mystical visions written by a woman who was born in 1342 and died in 1416. She was a religious recluse, confined to a cell attached to the church of St. Julian in Norwich. By what name is this woman still known? Hint


Question 4 of 15
4. Who wrote the famous 15th century King Arthur story 'Le Morte D'Arthur'? Hint


Question 5 of 15
5. Who wrote the early 16th century prose work 'Utopia'? Hint


Question 6 of 15
6. One of the most influential books of the Renaissance was 'Il Cortegiano' by an Italian writer. It was translated into all the major European languages. The English translation, 'The Courtier', was made by Sir Thomas Hoby (yet another Sir Thomas). Which Italian author wrote 'Il Cortegiano'? Hint


Question 7 of 15
7. I'm looking for the man who wrote 'Adventures of Master F.J.', one of the first novel-like prose narratives in English. The man lived between 1539 and 1578 and also wrote a lot of poetry ('A Hundreth Sundrie Flowers') and translated some plays. His poem 'The Still Glass' was the first original poem in blank verse in English literature. What is the name of this man? Hint


Question 8 of 15
8. Also plays can incorporate some prose, which gives me a good excuse to sneak Shakespeare into this little quizzy. In Shakespeare's 'A Midsummer Night's Dream' there are 4 groups of characters, each of which have their own style of speaking. One group speaks in blank verse (a kind of verse without a rhyme), another group combines blank verse and rhyming couplets. A third group speaks in rhyme. But which group speaks in prose? Hint


Question 9 of 15
9. Who wrote 'The Anatomy of Melancholy'? Hint


Question 10 of 15
10. Who wrote 'Grace abounding to the Chief of Sinners' and 'The Pilgrim's Progress'? Hint


Question 11 of 15
11. Which extraordinary woman wrote 'Oroonoko' and the unfinished epistolary novel 'Love Letters Between a Nobleman and His Sister'? Hint


Question 12 of 15
12. Time for an easy one: who wrote 'Gulliver's Travels'?

Answer: (Two Words)
Question 13 of 15
13. In 'Gulliver's Travels', what are Houyhnhnms? Hint


Question 14 of 15
14. Which of the following novels is NOT by Daniel Defoe? Hint


Question 15 of 15
15. Who wrote 'The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy' (1760-1767)? Hint



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Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts
1. One of the earliest prose works in English is the anonymous work 'Ancrene Riwle', the title of which can be translated to modern English as 'Rule for _____'. What does 'Ancrene' mean?

Answer: Anchoresses

Anchoresses were religious recluses who lived in enclosures attached to a church. For example Julian of Norwich and Margery Kempe (see question 3). Like most early prose 'Ancrene Riwle' is a religious work.
2. A strange piece of prose is to be found at the very end of 'The Canterbury Tales'. In his so-called 'Retraction', the author abandons verse and turns to prose to excuse himself for what he has written (as if there's any need to do that). Who wrote 'The Canterbury Tales'?

Answer: Geoffrey Chaucer

Scholars regard Chaucer's 'Retraction' as highly ironic, because he wrote it before several stories of 'The Canterbury Tales'. Therefore he was actually excusing himself for things he had yet to write.
3. 'The Book of Showings', also called 'The Book of Revelations', is a collection of 16 mystical visions written by a woman who was born in 1342 and died in 1416. She was a religious recluse, confined to a cell attached to the church of St. Julian in Norwich. By what name is this woman still known?

Answer: Julian of Norwich

Well, the answer was to be found in the question, I guess. Julian's real name is unknown; she took on the name of the patron saint of the church she was attached to. Margery Kempe was a friend of Julian of Norwich who also wrote about her visions. Anne Askew was an outspoken Protestant who was tortured and burned at the stake during Henry VIII's reign.
4. Who wrote the famous 15th century King Arthur story 'Le Morte D'Arthur'?

Answer: Sir Thomas Malory

The title was given by William Caxton, the first English printer.
5. Who wrote the early 16th century prose work 'Utopia'?

Answer: Sir Thomas More

This is the first of all literary utopias. For those who are interested, More was beheaded in 1535 and was canonized by the Catholic church as Saint Thomas More 400 years later.
6. One of the most influential books of the Renaissance was 'Il Cortegiano' by an Italian writer. It was translated into all the major European languages. The English translation, 'The Courtier', was made by Sir Thomas Hoby (yet another Sir Thomas). Which Italian author wrote 'Il Cortegiano'?

Answer: Baldassare Castiglione

Castiglione's book is THE guide to the qualities of the ideal courtier. So, if you want to work on your gentleman's skills (or if you want your boyfriend to work on them), Castiglione is your man.
7. I'm looking for the man who wrote 'Adventures of Master F.J.', one of the first novel-like prose narratives in English. The man lived between 1539 and 1578 and also wrote a lot of poetry ('A Hundreth Sundrie Flowers') and translated some plays. His poem 'The Still Glass' was the first original poem in blank verse in English literature. What is the name of this man?

Answer: George Gascoigne

Gascoigne was a man who was so unlucky that he made his lack of luck into a theme for some of his poems, like 'Woodmanship' from 1573.
8. Also plays can incorporate some prose, which gives me a good excuse to sneak Shakespeare into this little quizzy. In Shakespeare's 'A Midsummer Night's Dream' there are 4 groups of characters, each of which have their own style of speaking. One group speaks in blank verse (a kind of verse without a rhyme), another group combines blank verse and rhyming couplets. A third group speaks in rhyme. But which group speaks in prose?

Answer: The workers

The king and his queen, Theseus and Hippolyta, speak in blank verse. The lovers do too, but turn to rhyming couplets when they're among themselves. The faeries speak in rhyme, though Titania and Oberon may use blank verse too. The workers always use prose, except when they perform their play 'Pyramus and Thisbe'; they act their parts in verse, but their verses are so badly spoken that the audience cannot help but laughing.
9. Who wrote 'The Anatomy of Melancholy'?

Answer: Robert Burton

It was first published in 1621.
10. Who wrote 'Grace abounding to the Chief of Sinners' and 'The Pilgrim's Progress'?

Answer: John Bunyan

One of the most remarkable figures of the 17th century, Bunyan wrote his spiritual biography in the form of 'Grace abounding...'. 'The Pilgrim's Progress' is probably the most popular allegory in English.
11. Which extraordinary woman wrote 'Oroonoko' and the unfinished epistolary novel 'Love Letters Between a Nobleman and His Sister'?

Answer: Aphra Behn

In her own age, Aphra Behn was much more known as a dramatist, but her prose work is historically very important. If she had finished her 'Love Letters Between a Nobleman and His Sister' she would have written the first novel in Europe, years before Defoe's 'Robinson Crusoe' and Choderlos de Laclos' 'Liaisons Dangereuses'.
12. Time for an easy one: who wrote 'Gulliver's Travels'?

Answer: Jonathan Swift

Master of satire.
13. In 'Gulliver's Travels', what are Houyhnhnms?

Answer: Horses

If you pronounce the word correctly, horses will look up and maybe answer you (or think you're a donkey).
14. Which of the following novels is NOT by Daniel Defoe?

Answer: Tom Jones

'Tom Jones' was written by Henry Fielding.
15. Who wrote 'The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy' (1760-1767)?

Answer: Lawrence Sterne

They're all 18th century novelists. Richardson wrote 'Pamela' and 'Clarissa', Fielding wrote 'Tom Jones' and 'Joseph Andrews', and Smollett wrote 'Roderick Random' and 'Humphrey Clinker'.
I hope you've enjoyed this quizzy.
Source: Author marienbart

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor bullymom before going online.
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