Exam Based Questions, John Dryden’s Absalom and Achitophel
John Dryden’s Absalom and Achitophel
1. Absalom and Achitophel is primarily a: (PGTRB 2020, UGC NET 2020)
A) Mock-epic
B) Political allegory
C) Religious sermon
D) Romantic ballad
Ans: B) Political allegory
2. The poem was first published in: (UGC NET 2019, PGTRB 2021)
A) 1679
B) 1681
C) 1685
D) 1690
Ans: B) 1681
3. The main purpose of Absalom and Achitophel was to: (UGC NET 2020, PGTRB 2020)
A) Defend King Charles II against political enemies
B) Praise religious leaders
C) Celebrate the English countryside
D) Promote romantic love
Ans: A) Defend King Charles II against political enemies
4. The poem is based on a story from: (PGTRB 2021, UGC NET 2021)
A) The Bible
B) Greek mythology
C) Roman history
D) Medieval romance
Ans: A) The Bible
5. In the poem, King David represents: (UGC NET 2020, PGTRB 2019)
A) King James I
B) King Charles II
C) Oliver Cromwell
D) William of Orange
Ans: B) King Charles II
6. Absalom represents: (PGTRB 2021, UGC NET 2022)
A) The Duke of Monmouth
B) The Earl of Shaftesbury
C) Dryden himself
D) Lord Rochester
Ans: A) The Duke of Monmouth
7. Achitophel symbolizes: (UGC NET 2021, PGTRB 2020)
A) The Earl of Shaftesbury
B) The Archbishop of Canterbury
C) The Speaker of the House
D) The Duke of York
Ans: A) The Earl of Shaftesbury
8. Dryden’s poem criticizes the: (UGC NET 2020, PGTRB 2021)
A) Popish Plot and the Exclusion Crisis
B) Industrial Revolution
C) Religious Reformation
D) English Civil War
Ans: A) Popish Plot and the Exclusion Crisis
9. The Earl of Shaftesbury led the attempt to: (PGTRB 2020, UGC NET 2020)
A) Exclude James, Duke of York, from succession
B) Promote Catholic monarchy
C) Abolish Parliament
D) Reinstate Oliver Cromwell
Ans: A) Exclude James, Duke of York, from succession
10. The poem is written in: (UGC NET 2020, PGTRB 2021)
A) Blank verse
B) Heroic couplets
C) Free verse
D) Rhymed quatrains
Ans: B) Heroic couplets
11. Achitophel’s advice to Absalom focuses on: (UGC NET 2021, PGTRB 2020)
A) Starting a rebellion
B) Marrying a princess
C) Traveling abroad
D) Becoming a priest
Ans: A) Starting a rebellion
12. The tone of the poem is: (UGC NET 2020, PGTRB 2019)
A) Satirical and serious
B) Comic and light-hearted
C) Melancholic
D) Romantic
Ans: A) Satirical and serious
13. The Popish Plot was a false accusation that: (UGC NET 2021, PGTRB 2020)
A) Catholics planned to kill King Charles II
B) Puritans wanted to convert England to Catholicism
C) The Pope wanted to invade England
D) The French were conspiring with Catholics
Ans: A) Catholics planned to kill King Charles II
14. Dryden compares Achitophel to: (PGTRB 2021, UGC NET 2022)
A) Machiavelli
B) A demonic tempter
C) A loyal servant
D) An innocent bystander
Ans: B) A demonic tempter
15. The poem contains references to: (UGC NET 2020, PGTRB 2021)
A) Biblical and classical texts
B) Gothic literature
C) Scientific discoveries
D) Romantic poetry
Ans: A) Biblical and classical texts
16. Dryden’s political stance in the poem supports: (PGTRB 2020, UGC NET 2020)
A) Monarchy and the divine right of kings
B) Parliamentary democracy
C) Religious radicalism
D) Republicanism
Ans: A) Monarchy and the divine right of kings
17. The use of Biblical allegory allowed Dryden to: (UGC NET 2021, PGTRB 2019)
A) Criticize real political figures safely
B) Preach religious sermons
C) Avoid writing directly about love
D) Praise the Catholic Church
Ans: A) Criticize real political figures safely
18. Achitophel is described as: (UGC NET 2020, PGTRB 2021)
A) Wise but manipulative
B) Pure and saintly
C) Weak and cowardly
D) Silent and reserved
Ans: A) Wise but manipulative
19. Dryden depicts Absalom as: (PGTRB 2021, UGC NET 2021)
A) Beautiful and beloved but misguided
B) Cruel and violent
C) A religious zealot
D) An intellectual scholar
Ans: A) Beautiful and beloved but misguided
20. The poem blames political instability on: (UGC NET 2020, PGTRB 2020)
A) Ambitious and deceitful politicians
B) The common people
C) Foreign invaders
D) Religious reformers
Ans: A) Ambitious and deceitful politicians
21. Dryden’s poem reflects: (UGC NET 2021, PGTRB 2019)
A) The crisis of succession during Charles II’s reign
B) The end of the English Civil War
C) The defeat of Napoleon
D) The collapse of the Roman Empire
Ans: A) The crisis of succession during Charles II’s reign
22. In Absalom and Achitophel, the figure of Zimri represents: (PGTRB 2021, UGC NET 2022)
A) George Villiers, Duke of Buckingham
B) John Milton
C) Oliver Cromwell
D) Lord Rochester
Ans: A) George Villiers, Duke of Buckingham
23. The poem describes political factions as: (UGC NET 2020, PGTRB 2021)
A) Wolves in sheep’s clothing
B) Dangerous storms
C) Serpents
D) Lions and lambs
Ans: B) Dangerous storms
24. Dryden’s political philosophy emphasizes: (PGTRB 2020, UGC NET 2020)
A) Loyalty to the king
B) Support for democracy
C) Rebellion against monarchs
D) Socialism
Ans: A) Loyalty to the king
25. The poem includes attacks on: (UGC NET 2021, PGTRB 2021)
A) Whigs and dissenters
B) The clergy
C) Merchants
D) Foreign diplomats
Ans: A) Whigs and dissenters
26. The Duke of Monmouth was: (PGTRB 2021, UGC NET 2022)
A) The illegitimate son of King Charles II
B) A French ambassador
C) A Catholic bishop
D) A military general in Spain
Ans: A) The illegitimate son of King Charles II
27. Achitophel persuades Absalom by: (UGC NET 2020, PGTRB 2020)
A) Flattering his ambition
B) Threatening him
C) Offering money
D) Cursing him
Ans: A) Flattering his ambition
28. Dryden’s portrayal of Shaftesbury is: (UGC NET 2021, PGTRB 2019)
A) Clever but wicked
B) Noble and heroic
C) Foolish and incompetent
D) Indifferent and lazy
Ans: A) Clever but wicked
29. The poem warns against: (UGC NET 2020, PGTRB 2021)
A) Rebellion and political manipulation
B) Science and progress
C) Romantic love
D) Foreign wars
Ans: A) Rebellion and political manipulation
30. The poem was written during the: (PGTRB 2021, UGC NET 2022)
A) Exclusion Crisis
B) Glorious Revolution
C) Restoration
D) Industrial Revolution
Ans: A) Exclusion Crisis
31. Dryden’s style in Absalom and Achitophel is: (UGC NET 2020, PGTRB 2021)
A) Rhymed couplets with satire and irony
B) Blank verse with tragic overtones
C) Lyrical ballad
D) Free verse with metaphysical conceits
Ans: A) Rhymed couplets with satire and irony
32. The Biblical Absalom rebelled against: (UGC NET 2021, PGTRB 2020)
A) His father, King David
B) The Prophet Samuel
C) Moses
D) King Solomon
Ans: A) His father, King David
33. The poem can be categorized as a: (UGC NET 2020, PGTRB 2021)
A) Verse satire
B) Historical romance
C) Gothic narrative
D) Tragic comedy
Ans: A) Verse satire
34. Dryden uses allegory to: (PGTRB 2020, UGC NET 2020)
A) Address contemporary politics safely
B) Write religious hymns
C) Compose love poetry
D) Teach science
Ans: A) Address contemporary politics safely
35. The poem presents monarchy as: (UGC NET 2021, PGTRB 2019)
A) Divinely ordained
B) Dangerous and corrupt
C) Outdated
D) Democratic
Ans: A) Divinely ordained
36. Dryden portrays the people as: (UGC NET 2020, PGTRB 2020)
A) Easily manipulated by demagogues
B) Independent thinkers
C) Courageous rebels
D) Completely apathetic
Ans: A) Easily manipulated by demagogues
37. The succession crisis was due to: (UGC NET 2021, PGTRB 2021)
A) Fear of a Catholic monarch
B) Economic collapse
C) War with France
D) Natural disaster
Ans: A) Fear of a Catholic monarch
38. The poem was followed by a second part written by: (PGTRB 2021, UGC NET 2022)
A) Nahum Tate
B) Jonathan Swift
C) Samuel Johnson
D) John Dryden alone
Ans: A) Nahum Tate
39. Achitophel’s suicide in the Bible is paralleled with: (UGC NET 2020, PGTRB 2021)
A) The downfall of Shaftesbury
B) The death of Oliver Cromwell
C) The execution of Charles I
D) The defeat of Napoleon
Ans: A) The downfall of Shaftesbury
40. Dryden claims that the king’s mercy: (UGC NET 2021, PGTRB 2020)
A) Is divine and just
B) Encourages rebellion
C) Shows weakness
D) Is politically foolish
Ans: A) Is divine and just
41. The poem includes satirical portraits of: (UGC NET 2020, PGTRB 2019)
A) Multiple political leaders of Dryden’s time
B) Foreign kings
C) Poets and playwrights
D) Scientists and philosophers
Ans: A) Multiple political leaders of Dryden’s time
42. The poem reflects the literary period of: (UGC NET 2021, PGTRB 2021)
A) Neoclassicism
B) Romanticism
C) Renaissance Humanism
D) Modernism
Ans: A) Neoclassicism
43. The main conflict in the poem is between: (UGC NET 2020, PGTRB 2020)
A) The monarchy and its enemies
B) Lovers from rival families
C) Scientists and religious leaders
D) Artists and politicians
Ans: A) The monarchy and its enemies
44. Dryden’s Absalom and Achitophel is regarded as: (UGC NET 2021, PGTRB 2021)
A) The greatest political satire in English verse
B) The first Gothic novel
C) A romantic epic
D) A religious tract
Ans: A) The greatest political satire in English verse
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