Authors and works
Why is the image of Robin Hood so popular in English culture?
Robin Hood became a symbol of the folk hero and defender of the poor.
Which English monarch’s reign (1558–1603) is often called the “Golden Age” of English literature?
Elizabeth I
This epic poem tells of a hero who defeats the monster Grendel, later kills Grendel’s mother, and finally dies fighting a dragon.
Beowulf
What is a metaphor?
A direct comparison without “like” or “as”
Which family does Romeo belong to?
Montague
Who was Thomas More, and what is he famous for besides literature?
Humanist, statesman, philosopher.
What was the role of the scop in Anglo-Saxon culture?
A poet/singer of tales
This tragedy tells of a scholar who sells his soul to the devil in exchange for power and knowledge, but is ultimately damned.
Doctor Faustus
What does personification mean?
Giving human qualities to non-human things
I am a knight of King Arthur’s court who keeps my promise, even when it means facing a deadly green challenger. Who am I?
Sir Gawain (Sir Gawain and the Green Knight)
What is the universality of Shakespeare's work?
In exploring timeless human themes: love, power, betrayal, destiny, freedom.
Which two houses fought during the Wars of the Roses (1455–1487)?
York and Lancaster
This play tells the story of a Danish prince who seeks revenge for his father’s murder and includes the famous soliloquy “To be or not to be.”
Hamlet
What is alliteration?
Repetition of the same consonant sound at the beginning of words
I am a knight who fights a dragon to free a kingdom, but at first I was deceived by false appearances. Who am I?
Redcrosse Knight (The Faerie Queene, Spenser)
What was John Wycliffe's contribution for English literature?
He translated the Bible and other works into English, making it accessible to ordinary people.
Which new philosophy of the Renaissance placed man, reason, and classical learning at the center of culture?
Humanism
This Shakespearean play tells of a merchant who borrows money and risks paying back with “a pound of his flesh.”
The Merchant of Venice
What is irony?
When the opposite of what is expected happens
I am a fallen angel who declares, “Better to reign in Hell than serve in Heaven.” Who am I?
Satan (Paradise Lost, John Milton – often read in the Romantic spirit)
Which Italian poets influenced Thomas Wyatt's work?
Francesco Petrarch, Ludovico Ariosto
Which event in 1066 marked the end of the Anglo-Saxon period and the beginning of Norman rule in England?
The Battle of Hastings
In this tragedy, a Scottish general murders his king after hearing a prophecy from three witches and is driven to tyranny and madness.
Macbeth
What is onomatopoeia?
Words that imitate sounds, like bang or buzz
Who kills Hamlet’s father?
Claudius