CLASSIC NOVELS & EPICS
What classic 19th-century novel by Mary Shelley features a young scientist who creates a sapient creature in an unorthodox scientific experiment?
Frankenstein
In Hamlet, what are the famous opening words of Hamlet's soliloquy regarding existence?
"To be, or not to be, that is the question"
In traditional European fairy tales recorded by the Brothers Grimm, what is the name of the girl who leaves behind a glass slipper at a royal ball?
Cinderella
What term describes a dramatic or literary work in which the central character suffers a disastrous downfall, typically brought on by a fatal flaw?
Tragedy
What Nigerian author wrote the groundbreaking post-colonial novel Things Fall Apart, depicting the impact of British colonialism on Igbo society?
Chinua Achebe
What epic poem by Homer details the adventures of the Greek hero Odysseus as he tries to return home after the Trojan War?
The Odyssey
Which Scottish play by Shakespeare features three witches and the ambitious lord who murders King Duncan?
Macbeth
What collection of Middle Eastern and South Asian folk tales includes tales of Aladdin and Ali Baba?
One Thousand and One Nights (or The Arabian Nights)
What term denotes the narrative "turning point" or point of highest tension in a dramatic plot structure?
Climax
Which British author created the wizarding world of Harry Potter, becoming one of the best-selling living authors of the modern era?
J.K. Rowling (Joanne Rowling)
Which Charlotte Bronte novel follows the life, moral growth, and quest for independence of an orphaned young woman in Victorian England.
Jane Eyre
In The Merchant of Venice, what specific pound of flesh does the Jewish moneylender Shylock demand as a bond from Antonio?
A pound of Antonio's flesh, specifically nearest his heart
What famous mythical beast of ancient Greek legend has the body of a lion and the head and wings of an eagle?
Griffin (or Gryphon)
What literary device uses a concrete object, person, situation, or action to represent a broader, more abstract idea or concept beyond its literal meaning?
Symbolism
What is the name of the novel written by Ghanaian author Naa Ootua Codjoe-Swayne, whose plot revolves around a mother, Jiffa, and her struggles with her husband Vincent's changed behavior after returning from a trip, affecting their family dynamics.
The Dancing Tortoise
Which Ghanaian author wrote the acclaimed 1968 post-independence novel The Beautyful Ones Are Not Yet Born?
Ayi Kwei Armah
Which Roman play by Shakespeare includes the famous funeral speech by Mark Antony starting with "Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me your ears"?
Julius Caesar
What is the name of the Nigerian novel adaptation of the classical Greek tragedy by Sophocles that features a king who unknowingly fulfills a tragic prophecy by killing his father and marrying his mother?
The gods are not to blame
What is the name of the literary term that describes a sudden realization or flash of insight experienced by a character, popularized by James Joyce?
Epiphany
Who is the Nigerian author of Purple Hibiscus and Americanah who delivered the famous TEDx talk "We Should All Be Feminists"?
Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
Published in 1966, what is the title of Ama Ata Aidoo’s debut play that explores the challenges of an educated young woman in Ghana?
The Dilemma of a Ghost
In The Tempest, what is the name of the monstrous, deformed slave and son of the witch Sycorax who inhabits the island with Prospero?
Caliban
In Arthurian romance, what is the name of the holy cup or vessel used by Jesus at the Last Supper that knights quested to find?
The Holy Grail
What is the technical literary term for a linguistic play on words that exploits multiple meanings of a term or of similar-sounding words for an intended humorous or rhetorical effect?
Pun (or Paronomasia)
Which American author wrote the classic 1925 Jazz Age novel The Great Gatsby, chronicling the mysterious millionaire Jay Gatsby and his obsession with Daisy Buchanan?
F. Scott Fitzgerald