Deck 1: Preface to the Plays of Shakespeare

Question 1

Shakespeare's drama reflects

A)life
B)nature
C)chaos
D)order

Answer 1

life

Question 2

The object of all criticism according to Johnson is to make the obscure and the confused

A)clear and understood
B)focused and precise
C)unobscured
D)orderly

Answer 2

clear and understood

Question 3

Johnson tries Shakespeare by the test of

A)Coherence and cogence
B)relevance and contemporariness
C)relativity, clarity and imaginativity
D)time, Nature and Universality

Answer 3

time, Nature and Universality

Question 4

Shakespeare's characters portrays

A)humanity
B)nature
C)art
D)truth

Question 5

Who is the 'father of English poetry', the well of English undefiled according to Arnold?

A)Milton
B)Dante
C)Shakespeare
D)Chaucer

Question 6

Samuel Johnson defended Shakespeare's use of the

A)comedy
B)tragedy
C)tragi-comedy
D)none of the above

Question 7

The defect or fault in Shakespeare according to Johnson is that

A)He sacrifices virtue to convenience
B)He is so much more careful to please than to instruct
C)He seems to write without any moral purpose.
D)All of the above

Question 8

Johnson said that Shakespeare showed no regard to

A)The unity of time and place
B)The unity of action
C)Characterization
D)Poetic language

Question 9

According to Johnson what type of drama did Shakespeare write with much labour?

A)Comedy
B)Tragedy
C)Tragi-comedy
D)None of the above

Question 10

Samuel Johnson was a writer of the

A)17^th Century
B)18^th Century
C)19^th Century
D)20^th Century

Question 11

Johnson said that Shakespeare often surpassed expectation or desire when he wrote

A)Comedy
B)tragedy
C)Tragi-comedy
D)All of the above

Question 12

Samuel Johnson's Preface to Shakespeare was published in _________.

A)1756
B)1770
C)1800
D)1765

Question 13

In Preface to Shakespeare, Johnson defended Shakespeare's use of _________.

A)tragic-comedy
B)tragedy
C)comedy
D)None of the above

Question 14

"Shakespeare was the man, who, of all modern and perhaps ancient poets, had the largest and most comprehensive soul" was said by ___________

A)Samuel Johnson
B)Matthew Arnold
C)John Dryden
D)Boyle

Question 15

Johnson is of the opinion that Shakespeare writes without moral purpose and is more careful to please than to ___________.

A)dictate
B)instruct
C)sacrifice
D)inform

Question 16

Johnson praises Shakespeare and comments that his drama is the mirror of __________.

A)himself
B)nature
C)life
D)his family members

Question 17

The two modes of imitation according to Dr. Johnson are

A)Tragedy and comedy
B)Tragedy and tragicomedy
C)Tragicomedy and Comedy
D)None of the above

Question 18

Johnson insists that Shakespeare's mode of composition

A)Was inconsistent
B)Lacked seriousness
C)Remained the same
D)Changed constantly

Question 19

Shakespeare's first defect according to Johnson was that Shakespeare

A)Sacrifices virtue to convenience
B)He disregarded the distinction of time and place
C)His plots are loose
D)His declamations are cold and weak

Question 20

According to Johnson, the plays of Shakespeare were originally classified into

A)Comedies and tragedies
B)Comedies, tragedies and histories
C)Comedies, tragedies and love stories
D)None of the above

Question 21

In the violation of Unities, Johnson

A)Criticizes Shakespeare
B)Praises Shakespeare
C)Follows Shakespeare
D)Defends Shakespeare

Question 22

According to Johnson, Shakespeare presented nature

A)Faithfully
B)Artificially
C)Foolishly
D)Unrealistically

Question 23

When we read a Shakespearean play, we are not bothered by consideration of

A)Characterization
B)Dialogue
C)Time and Place
D)Humour and Pathos

Question 24

Which of the following critics preferred Shakespeare's comedies to his tragedies?

A)Dryden
B)Pope
C)Johnson
D)Addison

Question 25

Regarding the observance of the three unities in a play, Dr. Johnson's view is that

A)Only the Unity of Time should be observed
B)Only the Unity of Action should be observed
C)Only the Unity of Place should be observed
D)All the three unities should be observed

Question 26

The dialogue of Shakespeare are sometimes spoilt by:

A)Artificiality
B)Difficult Diction
C)Ruggedness
D)None of the above

Question 27

Poetic justice is:

A)Followed by Shakespeare
B)Not at all followed by Shakespeare
C)Criticizes by Shakesperae
D)Not always followed by Shakespeare

Question 28

Shakespeare has no heroes, his scenes are occupied by

A)Kings
B)Queens
C)Men
D)Fairies

Question 29

Shakespeare approximates the remote, and familiarizes the

A)Marvelous
B)Wonderful
C)Beautiful
D)Magnificent

Question 30

Shakespeare's drama is the mirror of

A)human beings
B)peace
C)remorse
D)life

Question 31

Dennis and Rymer think Shakespeare's Romans are not sufficiently

A)Brave
B)Roman
C)Strong
D)Loyal

Question 32

A quibble is to Shakespeare, what luminous vapours are to

A)Adventurers
B)Farmers
C)Sailors
D)Travellers

Question 33

Shakespeare had no regard to the unities of

A)action and place
B)time and action
C)time and place
D)action and theme

Question 34

For Johnson, in Shakespeare's works, even when the agency is supernatural the dialogue is level with ___.

A)Tragedy
B)Life
C)Nature
D)Character

Question 35

This, therefore is the praise of Shakespeare, that his drama is the __ of life.

A)Reflection
B)Contemplation
C)Mirror
D)Study

Question 36

Shakespeare has united the powers of exciting laughter and sorrow not only in one mind, but in one __.

A)Composition
B)Narration
C)Genre
D)Action

Question 37

The end of writing is to instruct, the end of poetry is to instruct by __.

A)Writing
B)Composition
C)Pleasing
D)Passion

Question 38

An action which ended happily to the principal persons is a __.

A)Comedy
B)Tragedy
C)History
D)Tragi- comedy

Question 39

Tragedy was not in those times a poem of more general dignity or elevation than __.

A)History
B)Tragi-comedy
C)Comedy
D)Drama

Question 40

According to Dr. Johnson, authors are rated by their best when they are _____.

A)In their prime
B)Matured
C)Old
D)Dead