MCQs on Geoffrey Chaucer

1. What is Geoffrey Chaucer often referred to as?
a. The Bard of Avon
b. The Father of English Literature
c. The Swan of Avon
d. The Poet Laureate

2. Which major work by Chaucer is considered a masterpiece of Middle English literature?
a. “The Canterbury Tales”
b. “Troilus and Criseyde”
c. “The Parliament of Fowls”
d. “The Book of the Duchess”

3. In which century did Geoffrey Chaucer live?
a. 12th century
b. 14th century
c. 16th century
d. 18th century

4. What is the setting for “The Canterbury Tales”?
a. London
b. Rome
c. Canterbury
d. Paris

5. Which class of society does Chaucer primarily satirize in “The Canterbury Tales”?
a. Nobility
b. Clergy
c. Merchants
d. Peasantry

6. What is the frame narrative of “The Canterbury Tales”?
a. A pilgrimage to Canterbury
b. A journey to Rome
c. A quest for the Holy Grail
d. A royal court romance

7. Which pilgrim in “The Canterbury Tales” is a prioress and is known for her delicate manners?
a. The Wife of Bath
b. The Pardoner
c. The Nun’s Priest
d. The Prioress

8. What is the central theme of “Troilus and Criseyde”?
a. Courtly love
b. Epic warfare
c. Religious pilgrimage
d. Chivalric romance

9. In “The Canterbury Tales,” which character is a corrupt pardoner who sells fake relics?
a. The Friar
b. The Pardoner
c. The Summoner
d. The Reeve

10. Which poetic form did Chaucer popularize in his works?
a. Sonnet
b. Villanelle
c. Rhymed couplet
d. Blank verse

11. Which pilgrim in “The Canterbury Tales” is a knight and a noble warrior?
a. The Merchant
b. The Knight
c. The Miller
d. The Monk

12. In “The Canterbury Tales,” what prize is offered to the pilgrim with the best tale?
a. A golden crown
b. A feast at the inn
c. A kiss from the host
d. A free pilgrimage

13. Which of Chaucer’s works is an allegorical dream vision that presents a parliament of birds?
a. “The Parliament of Fowls”
b. “The Book of the Duchess”
c. “The House of Fame”
d. “The Legend of Good Women”

14. Which character in “The Canterbury Tales” is a cunning and dishonest summoner?
a. The Friar
b. The Pardoner
c. The Summoner
d. The Reeve

15. What is Chaucer’s contribution to the English language?
a. He invented the English alphabet.
b. He wrote the first English novel.
c. He contributed to the standardization of English.
d. He introduced Latin as the primary literary language.

16. Which character in “The Canterbury Tales” is known for his love of books and learning?
a. The Clerk
b. The Squire
c. The Franklin
d. The Yeoman

17. What is the primary genre of “The Canterbury Tales”?
a. Epic poetry
b. Tragedy
c. Romance
d. Frame narrative

18. Chaucer was appointed to various government positions during the reign of which English monarch?
a. Henry II
b. Richard II
c. Henry V
d. Edward III

19. In “The Canterbury Tales,” which character is a cunning and shrewd wife known for her gap-toothed smile?
a. The Wife of Bath
b. The Prioress
c. The Nun’s Priest
d. The Miller

20. What is the name of Chaucer’s poetic work that mourns the death of Blanche of Lancaster?
a. “The Canterbury Tales”
b. “Troilus and Criseyde”
c. “The Book of the Duchess”
d. “The Parliament of Fowls”

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21. In “The Canterbury Tales,” which character is a worldly, gregarious, and well-traveled man who tells a tale about a rooster and a fox?
a. The Merchant
b. The Knight
c. The Miller
d. The Nun’s Priest

22. What is the name of the host who proposes the storytelling contest in “The Canterbury Tales”?
a. The Host
b. The Pilgrim
c. The Master
d. The Guide

23. Which character in “The Canterbury Tales” is a scholarly clerk with a love for philosophy?
a. The Clerk
b. The Squire
c. The Franklin
d. The Yeoman

24. What is the name of Chaucer’s poetic work that celebrates the wedding of John of Gaunt and Blanche of Lancaster?
a. “The Canterbury Tales”
b. “Troilus and Criseyde”
c. “The Book of the Duchess”
d. “The Parliament of Fowls”

25. Chaucer’s language in “The Canterbury Tales” is considered:
a. Modern English
b. Old English
c. Early Modern English
d. Middle English

26. Which character in “The Canterbury Tales” is a pilgrim from the clergy and is known for his obsession with hunting?
a. The Monk
b. The Prioress
c. The Nun’s Priest
d. The Parson

27. What is the primary setting for “Troilus and Criseyde”?
a. Ancient Rome
b. Ancient Greece
c. Medieval England
d. Medieval France

28. Which character in “The Canterbury Tales” is a young, devout, and humble parson?
a. The Monk
b. The Prioress
c. The Nun’s Priest
d. The Parson

29. In “The Canterbury Tales,” what is the name of the inn where the pilgrims gather before setting out on their journey?
a. The Green Dragon
b. The Tabard Inn
c. The White Hart
d. The Red Lion

30. What is the poetic form used by Chaucer in “The Canterbury Tales”?
a. Blank verse
b. Rhymed couplets
c. Spenserian stanza
d. Ottava rima

31. Which character in “The Canterbury Tales” is a vain and fashionable woman who has been married five times?

a. The Wife of Bath
b. The Prioress
c. The Nun’s Priest
d. The Miller

32. What is the name of Chaucer’s unfinished poetic work that presents a series of tragic and comic stories within a frame narrative?
a. “The Canterbury Tales”
b. “Troilus and Criseyde”
c. “The Book of the Duchess”
d. “The Legend of Good Women”

33. Which character in “The Canterbury Tales” is a wealthy landowner and a generous host for the pilgrims?
a. The Host
b. The Pardoner
c. The Summoner
d. The Reeve

34. What is the name of Chaucer’s poetic work that retells the tragic love story of Troilus and Criseyde from Boccaccio’s “Il Filostrato”?
a. “The Canterbury Tales”
b. “Troilus and Criseyde”
c. “The Book of the Duchess”
d. “The Parliament of Fowls”

35. Chaucer served as a diplomat and traveled to various European countries during his lifetime, representing the interests of:
a. France
b. Italy
c. England
d. Spain

36. In “The Canterbury Tales,” which character is a dishonest and scheming miller who tells a tale about a carpenter and his wife?
a. The Merchant
b. The Knight
c. The Miller
d. The Nun’s Priest

37. What is the title of Chaucer’s work that pays tribute to the memory of John of Gaunt’s wife, Blanche of Lancaster?
a. “The Canterbury Tales”
b. “Troilus and Criseyde”
c. “The Book of the Duchess”
d. “The Parliament of Fowls”

38. In “The Canterbury Tales,” which character is a scholarly Oxford student who loves studying and is poor in material possessions?
a. The Clerk
b. The Squire
c. The Franklin
d. The Yeoman

39. What is the occupation of the Wife of Bath in “The Canterbury Tales”?
a. Weaver
b. Baker
c. Clothmaker
d. Shoemaker

40. Which character in “The Canterbury Tales” is a wealthy and refined knight with a son who aspires to be a knight as well?
a. The Merchant
b. The Knight
c. The Miller
d. The Squire

41. What is the name of Chaucer’s poetic work that celebrates the marriage of Richard II and Anne of Bohemia?
a. “The Canterbury Tales”
b. “Troilus and Criseyde”
c. “The Book of the Duchess”
d. “The Parliament of Fowls”

42. Chaucer’s use of vernacular Middle English in “The Canterbury Tales” was a departure from the tradition of medieval literature, which often used:
a. Latin
b. French
c. Greek
d. Old English

43. In “The Canterbury Tales,” which character is a gentle and modest woman who tells a tale about patience?
a. The Merchant
b. The Knight
c. The Prioress
d. The Clerk

44. What is the name of Chaucer’s poetic work that narrates a dream vision in which the narrator ascends to the House of Fame?
a. “The Canterbury Tales”
b. “Troilus and Criseyde”
c. “The Book of the Duchess”
d. “The House of Fame”

45. Chaucer’s “The Canterbury Tales” is written in the form of a:
a. Play
b. Novel
c. Epic poem
d. Short story collection

46. In “The Canterbury Tales,” which character is a cunning and deceitful man who tells a tale about a rooster and a fox?
a. The Merchant
b. The Knight
c. The Miller
d. The Nun’s Priest

47. What is the primary narrative structure of “Troilus and Criseyde”?
a. Frame narrative
b. Dream vision
c. Tragedy
d. Epic poem

48. Which character in “The Canterbury Tales” is a physician and an astrologer who tells a tale about the destructive power of money?
a. The Merchant
b. The Knight
c. The Pardoner
d. The Physician

49. What is the name of Chaucer’s poetic work that tells the tragic story of a knight who falls in love with a beautiful woman in a dream?
a. “The Canterbury Tales”
b. “Troilus and Criseyde”
c. “The Book of the Duchess”
d. “The Legend of Good Women”

50. In “The Canterbury Tales,” which character is a crafty and manipulative woman who successfully outwits her husbands?
a. The Merchant
b. The Knight
c. The Wife of Bath
d. The Reeve

Answer

1. b. The Father of English Literature
2. a. “The Canterbury Tales”
3. b. 14th century
4. c. Canterbury
5. b. Clergy
6. a. A pilgrimage to Canterbury
7. d. The Prioress
8. a. Courtly love
9. b. The Pardoner
10. c. Rhymed couplet
11. b. The Knight
12. c. A kiss from the host
13. a. “The Parliament of Fowls”
14. c. The Summoner
15. c. He contributed to the standardization of English.
16. a. The Clerk
17. d. Frame narrative
18. b. Richard II
19. a. The Wife of Bath
20. c. “The Book of the Duchess”
21. d. The Nun’s Priest
22. b. The Tabard Inn
23. a. The Clerk
24. c. “The Book of the Duchess”
25. d. Middle English
26. a. The Monk
27. b. Ancient Greece
28. d. The Parson
29. b. “Troilus and Criseyde”
30. c. Spenserian stanza
31. a. The Wife of Bath
32. a. “The Canterbury Tales”
33. a. The Host
34. b. “Troilus and Criseyde”
35. c. England
36. c. The Miller
37. c. “The Book of the Duchess”
38. a. The Clerk
39. c. Clothmaker
40. b. The Knight
41. c. “The Book of the Duchess”
42. a. Latin
43. d. The Clerk
44. d. “The House of Fame”
45. d. Short story collection
46. d. The Nun’s Priest
47. c. Tragedy
48. d. The Physician
49. b. “Troilus and Criseyde”
50. c. The Wife of Bath