The Classics of English Literature 2 Quiz

Answer: Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu

Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu (1814 -1873) was an Irish writer of short stories and novels concerning the strange and supernatural. His work is an early example of the genre of horror fiction. He was related to both Alice Sheridan Le Fanu (his grandmother) and Richard Brinsley Sheridan (his great-uncle) who were both playwrights.

Answer: Matthew Arnold

Matthew Arnold (1822-88) was the son of Dr Thomas Arnold, famous as the headmaster of Rugby School and as an innovator of ethical education practices. After graduating from Oxford in 1844 he spent several years travelling. His first poem 'Strayed Reveller' surprised family, friends and critics with its evidence of serious learning.

He also became a noted publisher of prose. He established a reputation as a leading poet of the day. In the year 1851 he married and became one of 'Her Majesty's Inspectors of Schools' a post he held for thirty-five years.

In addition, he was Professor of Poetry at Oxford from 1857 to 1867.

Answer: A New Way To Pay Old Debts

Philip Massinger (1583-1640) wrote all of these plays including 'A New Way To Pay Old Debts'. He was one of the many brilliant dramatists and poets who lived in Elizabethan and Jacobean Britain. He left Oxford without taking his degree but was soon commissioned by the theatre manager Henslowe.

It was the established playwright Fletcher, however, who became his mentor and collaborator and it is now thought that he was joint author in no less than twenty of the so-called Fletcher plays.

Answer: Far From The Madding Crowd

All of the novels are by Thomas Hardy and Bathesheba appeared in the novel 'Far From The Madding Crowd'.
Thomas Hardy wrote all of the novels featured. He was born in 1840 and died in 1928 having become feted during his lifetime as a most accomplished author and poet. He was awarded the rare honour of "Order of Merit" by the British Crown. He was a direct descendant of Nelson's Flag ship Captain who attended to him as he died at Trafalgar.

Answer: Jane Austen

Jane Austen (1775-1817) was born the daughter to a clergyman who was also a Fellow of St John's College, Oxford. He was mainly responsible for her education which was considerably better grounded than would have been the case for most of her female contemporaries.

She produced six novels and her work was warmly received for its genius by critics who included Southey, Coleridge and Sir Walter Scott.

Answer: Barabas

Christopher Marlowe(1564-1593) is a subject worthy of further research. A dramatist contemporary with Shakespeare, he was a considerable talent. He was known to have lived a turbulent life and allegedly died in a tavern brawl in mysterious circumstances.

Answer: R M Ballantyne

Robert Michael Ballantyne (1825-1894) was born in Edinburgh. He died in Rome after an extended period of residence on mainland Europe. In addition to writing 'The Lighthouse' he was famously associated with the adventure novel 'Coral Island'.

Answer: Mrs Bardell

The novel 'Pickwick papers' was written by Charles Dickens.
Sarah Gamp is the highly unsavoury nurse in Charles Dickens' novel 'Martin Chuzzlewit'. She was famous for her large umbrella. A 'gamp' has become an adopted word meaning umbrella.
Mrs Malaprop was a noted comedic character from Sheridan's play 'The Rivals'. She was best known for her inappropriate use of words such as "watch out for the allegories (meaning alligators) on the Nile". Her name too, has become an adopted word meaning mistaken use of words.

Answer: Oliver Wendell Holmes

Holmes achieved fame in many walks of life. In literary circles he was best known to many for his series of so-called 'breakfast table talks' the first of which was 'The Autocrat at the Breakfast Table'.
He produced novels and poems as well.

Answer: Honore de Balzac

Honore de Balzac (1799-1850) was actually born to a bourgeois family but he added the 'de' to his name to further his career.
He was ranked amongst the masters of the novel despite his prolific and varied output, much of it aimed at the sensational popular market.
He struggled with debts and poor business decisions throughout his life. Frequently, near to starving in a Paris garrett he took to writing sensational novels to order to survive.