Table of Contents
Question 19
Which of the following qualities of heroic treatment was not needed in the plays of the University Wits?
The plays of the University Wits emphasized heroic themes, focusing on the lives of significant figures, splendid descriptions, long speeches, and the intense portrayal of emotions and violent incidents. These elements catered to the tastes of the Elizabethan audiences who favored grandiosity and drama.
Consequently, the lives of common figures, which typically lack the grandeur and high stakes of heroic tales, were not a needed quality in the plays of the University Wits. Their works aimed to awe and inspire through the depiction of larger-than-life characters (like Tamburlaine or Doctor Faustus) rather than reflecting the everyday lives of ordinary people.
Question 20
Who among the following declared in 1920 that "there is no longer any intellectual life in England'"
Ezra Pound had gone from London to Paris, declaring with a flounce that there was ‘no longer any intellectual life in England’. It was 1920.
Ezra Pound was a central figure in the Modernist movement, notably as a driving force behind Imagism. The Imagist movement sought to revitalize poetry by rejecting 19th-century romanticism and sentimentality in favor of clarity, conciseness, and the essence of subjects.
Question 21
In Absurd Theatre, the characters often use disjointed, repetitive and clichéd speech to
A. Suggest that meaninglessness is also about a meaning.
B. Suggest the working of the subconscious.
C. Bring about the comic action and relief.
D. Illustrate the illogical and purposelessness of human condition.
E. Defy the self-professed 'modern' notion of dignity and wisdom.
Choose the correct answer from the options given below:
Theatre of the Absurd (originating in the 1950s) utilizes disjointed, repetitive, and nonsensical language to express mid-20th-century existential preoccupations.
A. Suggest that meaninglessness is also about a meaning: The deliberate breakdown of language is a meaningful artistic choice to reflect the void.
D. Illustrate the illogical and purposelessness of human condition: This is the core tenet of Absurdism, influenced heavily by Albert Camus's philosophy of existential absurdity and the inherent lack of meaning in the universe.
Question 22
Which one of these is not a literary journal/ magazine?
"The Hundred and One Dalmatians" is a beloved 1956 children's novel by Dodie Smith, not a literary journal or magazine.
Other Explanations:
- The Egoist: Operating from 1914 to 1919, "The Egoist" emerged as a pivotal London literary magazine, heralding the modernist movement (not to be confused with George Meredith's comic novel of the same name).
- The Criterion: Founded by T.S. Eliot, it was a major literary journal from October 1922 to January 1939.
- The English Review: Initiated by Ford Madox Hueffer (Ford Madox Ford) in 1908, it was a platform for eminent writers like Thomas Hardy and Henry James.
Question 23
Which among the following are the titles of the periodicals?
A. Dickens' Household Words
B. S.T. Coleridge's Friend
C. Richard Steele's Guardian
D. Franz Kafka's The Metamorphosis
E. Leigh Hunt's Indicator
Choose the correct answer from the options given below:
A. Charles Dickens took on the role of editor for the English weekly magazine Household Words in the 1850s.
B. In 1809, Samuel Taylor Coleridge published The Friend, a weekly journal showcasing his broad spectrum of interests.
C. Sir Richard Steele started The Guardian after the conclusion of The Spectator and The Tatler.
E. Leigh Hunt edited The Indicator, a weekly publication filled with his literary contributions.
D is incorrect: The Metamorphosis is a famous allegorical novella by Franz Kafka, not a periodical.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who were the University Wits?
They were a group of late 16th-century dramatists and writers educated at Oxford or Cambridge (like Christopher Marlowe, Robert Greene, Thomas Nashe). They pioneered professional secular writing, known for heroic themes, grand descriptions, and long speeches.
What is the primary function of dialogue in the Theatre of the Absurd?
In Absurdist theatre, logical construction is discarded. The disjointed and repetitive speech highlights the inadequacy of verbal communication and illustrates the illogical, purposeless nature of the human condition.
Who founded the influential literary magazine 'The Criterion'?
T.S. Eliot founded "The Criterion" in 1922. It was a major literary beacon that aimed to foster a unified European intellectual community and published excerpts of key modernist texts.
Which famous periodical was edited by Charles Dickens?
Charles Dickens edited the highly successful English weekly magazine "Household Words" starting in the 1850s, which he later succeeded with "All the Year Round."
