medieval literature and culture Mcqs
1. Which of the following women is most closely associated with monastic life ?
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A. Marie de France

B. The Wife of Bath

C. Hildegard of Bingen

D. Christine de Pizan

2. Which of the following best characterize noble women in the Middle Ages ?
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A. they were expected to be religious role models

B. All of the Above

C. they ran the household

D. they were expected to fix problems in their husbands absence

3. Which of the following couples exemplify/ exemplifies courtly love ?
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A. All of the Above

B. Dante and Beatrice

C. Arthur and Guinevere

D. Lancelot and Guinevere

4. Which of the following most accurately explains the Bretons influence on medieval literature ?
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A. The Bretons roots were in the Celtic cultural tradition.

B. The Bretons represented prominent forces in the Norman invasion.

C. Breton literature had a profound effect on medieval literature in England.

D. All of these answers
5. How would you describe the phrase oralformulaic, as you learned it in this course ?
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A. As a device used to describe the flaws in the oral tradition

B. As a term associated only with religious written literature

C. As a technique that became popular after the invention of the printing press

D. As a method of composing stories in the oral tradition
6. What is the significance of the Green Knight ?
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A. He alludes to an ancient Anglo-Saxon ruler.

B. He suggests a continued tie with paganism.

C. He suggests the lack of knightly themes in Middle English poetry.

D. He represents the link with Celtic mythology.
8. Which of the following would most likely be the theme of a medieval romance ?
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A. A poem that features courtly love but denounces supernaturalism

B. The story of an English villages conversion to Christianity

C. A first-person story of the Norman invasion

D. The adventure of a knight who rescues a maiden
9. Which best describes the work of a mystic ?
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A. the mystic uses a religious platform to promote equal rights for women

B. the mystic is primarily tasked with intellectual work within monasteries

C. the mystic is a visionary who experiences divine insight

D. the mystic usually works as a scribe

11. In The Wife of Baths Tale, what is the significance of barley bread ?
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A. Barley bread provides an example of medieval estates satire.

B. Barley bread represents the wifes answer to the belief that virginity is superior to marriage.

C. Barley bread suggests the heroines state as a fallen woman.

D. Barley bread signifies Chaucers use of alliterative verse.

12. In the medieval Church, devotional acts _______________?
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A. were only performed by men

B. cancelled out punishment due to sin

C. were considered unimportant by mystics

D. depended entirely on literacy

13. How did courtly romances break down the virgin/whore dichotomy ?
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A. they redefined women as attainable vs unattainable, rather than virgin vs whore

B. they deemphasized the importance of chastity

C. they indicated that womens sexual conduct should not be classified by men

D. they rarely explored issues of sexuality, love, or romance

14. What was a Lollard ?
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A. a member of a sect that was considered heretical

B. a female mystic

C. an illiterate anchoress

D. a hero in a courtly romance

15. In the Middle Ages, which class of people was most likely to be literate ?
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A. working class women

B. peasants

C. working class men

D. monks
16. With which text is the theme of Christ as mother most closely associated ?
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A. The Book of Margery Kempe

B. Revelations of Divine Love

C. An Orison to Almighty God

D. The Wooing of Our Lord

17. How did travel at the time of the Crusades impact Western Europe ?
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A. All of the Above

B. merchants started to import rare silks and spices from new trade roots

C. architects from Western Europe were influenced by new Eastern styles

D. people brought tales of romance from different literary and cultural traditions back from their trips

18. What do most critics find notable about the virtues that Pizan highlights in her work ?
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A. she does not mention traditional virtues like piety

B. she values reason and activity instead of silence

C. All of the Above

D. she emphasizes practical rather than theological virtues

19. What are books of hours ?
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A. popular books before the invention of the printing press

B. books of prayers used at Christian Mass

C. private books of prayers to be recited throughout the day

D. books of information about the history of the Church

20. What is the gender fallacy ?
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A. the idea that noble women are more similar to men than peasant women are

B. the idea that woman cannot be as educated as men

C. the problem of a man writing as a woman

D. the notion that chastity is impossible for men

21. Which is true of medieval women ?
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A. they were not allowed to inherit land if they had any brothers

B. they were not allowed to own a business without permission

C. All of the Above

D. they were not allowed to divorce their husbands

22. Which speaker said that God is more nearer to us than our own soul ?
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A. Julian of Norwich

B. Catherine of Siena

C. Catherine de Pizan

D. Margery Kempe

23. In Acrene Wisse, what is the authors advice regarding priests ?
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A. Priests should be avoided, because men are bad influences.

B. Priests should offer anchoresses their only connection to the outside world.

C. Priests should be used as examples of ecclesiastical life.

D. Priests should be honored, because men are naturally more spiritual.

24. What was a virago ?
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A. a saint who was NOT the humble, pious, and chaste figure she was expected to be

B. an asexual female saint

C. an anchorite

D. a heroine who used female attributes to become a saint

25. In The Romance of the Rose, which text does Guillaume de Lorris cite as his inspiration ?
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A. The Book of Margery Kempe

B. Revelations of Divine Love

C. The Wooing of Our Lord

D. The Art of Courtly Love
26. Which of the following statements regarding the success and importance of the oral tradition of literature is true ?
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A. Thegns were nobles who liked literature, and their patronage made poets popular.

B. Monks memorized many passages of scripture, preserving scriptures.

C. Scops recited poems to noble audiences, preserving the stories and poetic tradition.

D. Anchoresses recited poems to occupy their time alone in their cells.

27. Which is true of medieval property laws ?
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A. widows could hold property

B. most medieval women had some property

C. married women could hold property once they had children

D. married women could hold property without their husbands consent

29. Kempes acts of devotion included_________________?
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A. All of the Above

B. meditation

C. wearing white clothing

D. weeping

30. How did the interaction between the English and the Bretons affect literature ?
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A. The exposure to new forms ended the production of lais.

B. This interaction led to more stories about the English conversion to Christianity.

C. This interaction led to the influence of Arthurian legend on French literature.

D. The cultural exchange led to more stories about ancient myths.

31. Which is true of childbirth in the Middle Ages ?
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A. All of the Above

B. it was normally done without medical equipment

C. it was typically dangerous for mother and infant

D. it was normally supervised by a midwife

32. Which provides the best example of a medieval allegory ?
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A. The Wooing of Our Lord

B. The Romance of the Rose

C. The Book of Margery Kempe

D. An Orison to Almighty God

34. Which of the following best describes the significance of the following line from Julian of Norwichs Revelations of Divine Love: all manner of things shall be well ?
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A. We can make the world better if we work hard.

B. There are many things in the world to love.

C. The world is a happy and wonderful place.

D. The love and grace of God can change lives for the better.
35. Which of these female writers was least likely to have been literate ?
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A. Heloise

B. Julian of Norwich

C. Catherine de Pizan

D. Margery Kempe
36. How did the Christian laws about marriage differ from those of Germanic tribes customs ?
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A. the Germanic tribes allowed relationships between family members, while the Church prohibited marriage between relatives

B. the Church outlawed marriages between children, while Germanic tribes tolerated them

C. All of the Above

D. the Germanic tribes tolerated polygamy, while the Church made monogamy the only acceptable type of union

37. How did the increase in universities affect most middle-class women ?
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A. most of them were unable to read, so they were not admitted

B. they were not able to attend so they were virtually unaffected

C. they were not able to attend so their education levels declined, compared to men

D. they were exposed to new opportunitiesto learn in universities

38. Why do most historians think monasticism appealed to medieval women ?
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A. it provided women with the opportunity to protect their own property

B. All of the Above

C. it provided women with a place to nourish their intellectual growth

D. it allowed women to exercise political authority in their communities

40. What is an anchoress ?
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A. a woman who rejects the support of the community because she feels it is sexist

B. a religious teacher in the medieval era

C. a male anchorite

D. a medieval female hermit
41. In the context of Medieval literature, what does the term mystical marriage mean ?
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A. it is a spiritual union with God

B. it is a union between anchorites

C. it is a union supported by the Church

D. it is a mystical union between two people

42. Which is/are typical of the supernatural in medieval romance ?
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A. spells

B. enchantment

C. All of the Above

D. fairy trickery

43. What does the term monasticism mean ?
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A. Non of these

B. it describes the importance of communication with others in order to reach salvation

C. it describes a form of worship based on praying to devotional art

D. it describes a way of life that became popular after the Middle Ages

44. Why did Catherine of Siena refuse to marry a husband ?
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A. she wanted to make a political statement against the Church

B. she was concerned about loss of property

C. she claimed she was already married to God

D. she said that the institution was too flawed

45. Which is the best example of the double standard that exists in tales of courtly love ?
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A. men are represented as immoral while women are always presented as chaste

B. men are allowed to boast about their affairs, while women must keep them secret

C. women are always villains, while men are always heroes

D. women are always involved in supernatural plots while mens storylines tend to be more realistic

46. In the context of Medieval literature, what does outer rule mean ?
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A. it refers to anchoress everyday behavior

B. it includes issues that pertain to the heart

C. it is part of the anchoress inner self

D. it is the most important part of Ancrene Wisse

47. How did lay literacy affect traditional devotional practices ?
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A. people stopped reading the Bible

B. interest in the Church history declined rapidly

C. people could be religious without the help of a clergy

D. people increasingly turned to visual art in order to learn about religion

48. How do the themes of Marie de Frances Lanval and Chretien de Troyes Yvain compare ?
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A. Both use the comitatus ethic to explain their heros motivations.

B. Both include references toWilliam the Conqueror.

C. Both include the theme of broken promises between lovers.

D. Both feature mentions of the conversion from paganism.

49. What is the authorship controversy as it relates to Heloise and Abelard ?
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A. the issue of whether there is a female voice in the letters

B. the idea that Abelard wrote all of the letters

C. All of the Above

D. the critical debate about the verification of events in the letters

50. In the Middle Ages, how did society treat prostitution ?
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A. All of the Above

B. prostitution was considered problematic but legal

C. prostitution was considered a solution to epidemics of rape

D. the Church opposed prostitution on moral grounds