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Quiz about Tridents Literature Challenge
Quiz about Tridents Literature Challenge

Trident's Literature Challenge Quiz


Think you know your literature? Test your prowess with these Literature GRE-inspired questions.

A multiple-choice quiz by trident. Estimated time: 6 mins.
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Author
trident
Time
6 mins
Type
Multiple Choice
Quiz #
324,306
Updated
Dec 03 21
# Qns
10
Difficulty
Average
Avg Score
6 / 10
Plays
1301
Awards
Top 20% Quiz
Last 3 plays: miranda101 (7/10), dellastreet (9/10), Guest 199 (6/10).
Question 1 of 10
1. "Pangloss was professor of metaphysico-theologico-cosmolo-nigology. He proved admirably that there is no effect without a cause, and that, in this best of all possible worlds, the Baron's castle was the most magnificent of castles, and his lady the best of all possible Baronesses."

The above "optimistic" quotation can be found in which work?
Hint


Question 2 of 10
2. From Act 4 of Shakespeare's "The Tempest":

PROSPERO: "Thou and thy meaner fellows your last service
Did worthily perform, and I must use you
In such another trick. Go bring the rabble,
O'er whom I give thee power, here to this place.
Incite them to quick motion, for I must
Bestow upon the eyes of this young couple
Some vanity of mine art. It is my promise,
And they expect it from me".

Which of the following pairs of words in the above passage would be considered synonyms due to Prospero's nature?
Hint


Question 3 of 10
3. If one looks at the adage "Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me", it seems to ring true concerning the adventures of Chanticleer and Sir Russell. Chanticleer, having learned his lesson, fails to fall for Sir Russell's foxy scheming a second time. Yet in the process, there is a duality in the work concerning the aforementioned adage. Not only has Chanticleer learned that he oughtn't be given over to the vanity that had done him in, but Sir Russell ironically falls prey to the very vice that was the original downfall of his adversary.

The passage above discusses a popular story from which of the following literary works?
Hint


Question 4 of 10
4. From Alexis de Tocqueville's "Democracy in America":

"________ is a novel expression, to which a novel idea has given birth. Our fathers were only acquainted with égoïsme (selfishness). Selfishness is a passionate and exaggerated love of self, which leads a man to connect everything with himself and to prefer himself to everything in the world."

On which of the following movements (indicated by the blank) was Tocqueville commenting?
Hint


Question 5 of 10
5. "I caught this morning morning's minion" and "Mark but this flea, and mark in this" are two lines from which two poets respectively? Hint


Question 6 of 10
6. From an essay by t.c. van Veen discussing Dickens' "Great Expectations":

"Orlick's act of robbing and humiliating Pumblechook can likewise be seen as a similar act of unconscious revenge by the "Orlick-Id" of Pip, and Orlick's revelation that it was he who hit Mrs. Gargery with the leg-iron cements the idea of Orlick acting as Pip's unconscious avenger."

Which of the following schools of thought is demonstrated most accurately by the above passage?
Hint


Question 7 of 10
7. From Gabriel Garcia Marquez's "Love in the Time of Cholera":

"The eminent teacher shook hands with each of them, as he always did with every one of his pupils before beginning the daily class in general clinical medicine, and then, as if it were a flower, he grasped the hem of the blanket with the tips of his index finger and thumb, and slowly uncovered the body with sacramental circumspection."

The above passage employs which of the following (antonymic) literary techniques?
Hint


Question 8 of 10
8. From John Dryden's "Absolom and Achitophel":

"In pious times, ere priestcraft did begin,
Before polygamy was made a sin;
When man on many multiplied his kind,
Ere one to one was cursedly confined;
When nature prompted, and no law denied,
Promiscuous use of concubine and bride."

Dryden's allusions to previous times in these first lines address which of the following historical events?
Hint


Question 9 of 10
9. Which of the following is LEAST associated with the Great Awakening? Hint


Question 10 of 10
10. *Recently graduated, a bored student with a Napoleon complex turns to murder to sate his intellectual appetite. Will he get away with it, or will the brilliant detective P. Petrovich solve the case with the aid of his psychological prowess?*

The above modernized "teaser" would be most applicable to which of the following great works of literature?
Hint



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Most Recent Scores
Mar 18 2024 : miranda101: 7/10
Mar 17 2024 : dellastreet: 9/10
Jan 29 2024 : Guest 199: 6/10

Score Distribution

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Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts
1. "Pangloss was professor of metaphysico-theologico-cosmolo-nigology. He proved admirably that there is no effect without a cause, and that, in this best of all possible worlds, the Baron's castle was the most magnificent of castles, and his lady the best of all possible Baronesses." The above "optimistic" quotation can be found in which work?

Answer: "Candide" by Voltaire

If the character Pangloss was not a giveaway for this question, then you might have recognized the phrase "best of all possible worlds", an idea that Voltaire made famous, though not because he supported it. The phrase was originally coined by German philosopher Gottfried Leibniz who supported ideas concerning optimism. Voltaire, however, vehemently rejected these ideas, and "Candide" satirically exhibits his sentiments.
2. From Act 4 of Shakespeare's "The Tempest": PROSPERO: "Thou and thy meaner fellows your last service Did worthily perform, and I must use you In such another trick. Go bring the rabble, O'er whom I give thee power, here to this place. Incite them to quick motion, for I must Bestow upon the eyes of this young couple Some vanity of mine art. It is my promise, And they expect it from me". Which of the following pairs of words in the above passage would be considered synonyms due to Prospero's nature?

Answer: Power (line 4) and art (line 7)

Prospero was a conjurer, whose wrath originally brought about the tempest which drew the others to the island on which he resides. He was a learned man, which allowed him to possess certain powers. In the passage, Prospero's power is what he considers his "art" and which he wants to vainly display to the others (the rabble) whom he orders his servant to fetch.
3. If one looks at the adage "Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me", it seems to ring true concerning the adventures of Chanticleer and Sir Russell. Chanticleer, having learned his lesson, fails to fall for Sir Russell's foxy scheming a second time. Yet in the process, there is a duality in the work concerning the aforementioned adage. Not only has Chanticleer learned that he oughtn't be given over to the vanity that had done him in, but Sir Russell ironically falls prey to the very vice that was the original downfall of his adversary. The passage above discusses a popular story from which of the following literary works?

Answer: One of Chaucer's "Canterbury Tales"

"The Nun's Priest's Tale" is a mock epic that tells the story of the rooster Chanticleer, his wife Pertletote, and the crafty fox Sir Russell. Chanticleer has a dream about his death, which Pertletote dismisses as a case of indigestion. Later, the rooster is met by Sir Russell the fox, who exploits Chanticleer's vanity by telling him he would like to hear him sing, as his father had done before. The fox quickly grabs the rooster and is off with him.

Chanticleer later escapes by insisting the fox tell his pursuers to stop following him. Sir Russell becomes the vain one, and in his pride opens his mouth to taunt them. Chanticleer quickly escapes and flies up into a tree. Sir Russell attempts to trick the rooster again, but Chanticleer refuses, having learned his lesson.
4. From Alexis de Tocqueville's "Democracy in America": "________ is a novel expression, to which a novel idea has given birth. Our fathers were only acquainted with égoïsme (selfishness). Selfishness is a passionate and exaggerated love of self, which leads a man to connect everything with himself and to prefer himself to everything in the world." On which of the following movements (indicated by the blank) was Tocqueville commenting?

Answer: Individualism

Closely associated with the literary movement transcendentalism, individualism focuses on the worth (moral or otherwise) of the individual. Individualism stresses independence and self-reliance from outer forces, such as societal or institutional pressures.

One of individualism's most important documents is Ralph Waldo Emerson's "Self-Reliance", which promotes non-conformity and the will to follow one's own instincts as opposed to those instituted upon us.
5. "I caught this morning morning's minion" and "Mark but this flea, and mark in this" are two lines from which two poets respectively?

Answer: Gerard Manley Hopkins and John Donne

The first line is from Hopkins' "The Windhover" and the second is from Donne's "The Flea". Hopkins and Donne are both known for their poetry that expresses religious tones, as can be seen in "The Windhover". The poem "The Flea", however, was written in Donne's early years when his poetry focused more on themes of courtship than religious worship.
6. From an essay by t.c. van Veen discussing Dickens' "Great Expectations": "Orlick's act of robbing and humiliating Pumblechook can likewise be seen as a similar act of unconscious revenge by the "Orlick-Id" of Pip, and Orlick's revelation that it was he who hit Mrs. Gargery with the leg-iron cements the idea of Orlick acting as Pip's unconscious avenger." Which of the following schools of thought is demonstrated most accurately by the above passage?

Answer: Psychoanalytic theory

Psychoanalytic theory and criticism most often discusses that which lies beneath conscious thoughts, and delves deeper into the mind. Key psychoanalytic terminology found in the passage above include the words "unconscious" and "Id", two concepts that are often seen in such criticisms.
7. From Gabriel Garcia Marquez's "Love in the Time of Cholera": "The eminent teacher shook hands with each of them, as he always did with every one of his pupils before beginning the daily class in general clinical medicine, and then, as if it were a flower, he grasped the hem of the blanket with the tips of his index finger and thumb, and slowly uncovered the body with sacramental circumspection." The above passage employs which of the following (antonymic) literary techniques?

Answer: Contrast and simile

The simile in this passage may be a simple find, but Marquez demonstrates multiple levels of contrast. Firstly, he contrasts the world of science and religion. The professionalism of the teacher's scientific background requires that he shakes hands with all those present before he performs a "sacramental" uncovering of a dead body.

This can be layered into a contrast between a stodgy (and perhaps utilitarian) function being performed in a somewhat Romantic fashion.
8. From John Dryden's "Absolom and Achitophel": "In pious times, ere priestcraft did begin, Before polygamy was made a sin; When man on many multiplied his kind, Ere one to one was cursedly confined; When nature prompted, and no law denied, Promiscuous use of concubine and bride." Dryden's allusions to previous times in these first lines address which of the following historical events?

Answer: Charles II's infidelity during the Restoration

Dryden's "Absalom and Achitophel" is famously known to be a political satire addressing the Monmouth Rebellion. In the poem, David (who represents Charles II) has to quell a rebellion by Absalom (who represents the Duke of Monmouth, Charles' illegitimate son). Achitophel represents the Earl of Shaftesbury, who attempted to help the Duke of Monmouth onto the throne as opposed to the king's Catholic brother.
9. Which of the following is LEAST associated with the Great Awakening?

Answer: Thomas Carlyle

The Great Awakening was a religious revival in the U.S. which took place during the eighteenth century. It was said to take place in four different waves, the first of which was shaped largely by the preacher Jonathan Edwards in his church in Northampton MA. His most famous sermon, "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God", is seen as a staple of American literature, and seeks to grab the attention of the listener through passionate and vivid argumentation.

Thomas Carlyle was a Scottish writer who is often associated with the Romantic movement.
10. *Recently graduated, a bored student with a Napoleon complex turns to murder to sate his intellectual appetite. Will he get away with it, or will the brilliant detective P. Petrovich solve the case with the aid of his psychological prowess?* The above modernized "teaser" would be most applicable to which of the following great works of literature?

Answer: "Crime and Punishment" by Fyodor Dostoevsky

Considered one of the finest minds in literary psychology, Dostoevsky does not disappoint with "Crime and Punishment". It follows the story of Rodion Raskolnikov, an ex-student who murders a pawnbroker as a means of testing his perceived intellectual and individual superiority. The detective Porfiry Petrovich eventually convinces him to confess through his mastery of psychological games.
Source: Author trident

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