Prologue to The Canterbury Tales
by Geoffrey Chaucer
1. “Whan that Aprille with his shoures soote...” refers to (PGTRB, UGC NET)
A) A drought
B) A pilgrimage
C) Springtime
D) A battle
Ans: C) Springtime
2. How many pilgrims, excluding Chaucer, are described in the Prologue? (TRB, PGTRB, DSSSB)
A) 28
B) 29
C) 30
D) 27
Ans: B) 29
3. Which pilgrim is described as having a forked beard and a motley coat? (UGC NET, SET)
A) The Merchant
B) The Clerk
C) The Reeve
D) The Parson
Ans: A) The Merchant
4. Which character is described as “a true, a perfect gentle-knight”? (PGTRB, TGT English)
A) The Monk
B) The Knight
C) The Squire
D) The Parson
Ans: B) The Knight
5. The Knight had fought in how many mortal battles? (PGTRB, UGC NET)
A) 10
B) 15
C) 20
D) 40
Ans: B) 15
6. Who is the son of the Knight? (TRB, UGC NET)
A) The Yeoman
B) The Clerk
C) The Squire
D) The Reeve
Ans: C) The Squire
7. Which pilgrim wore a brooch inscribed with “Amor vincit omnia”? (KVS, DSSSB)
A) The Prioress
B) The Wife of Bath
C) The Nun
D) The Squire
Ans: A) The Prioress
8. The Pardoner is associated with what type of relics? (UGC NET, TRB English)
A) Authentic ones
B) Fake relics
C) Religious texts
D) Antique coins
Ans: B) Fake relics
9. What was the Wife of Bath’s profession? (PGTRB, NVS)
A) Weaver
B) Midwife
C) Merchant
D) Cook
Ans: A) Weaver
10. How many husbands had the Wife of Bath? (UGC NET, SET)
A) 3
B) 5
C) 7
D) 2
Ans: B) 5
11. Which pilgrim is described as having “a wart on the nose with a tuft of red hair”? (TRB, DSSSB)
A) The Reeve
B) The Miller
C) The Cook
D) The Friar
Ans: B) The Miller
12. The Squire is described as being skilled in (UGC NET, PGTRB)
A) Riding and fighting
B) Writing and rhetoric
C) Singing and dancing
D) Preaching and praying
Ans: C) Singing and dancing
13. Which pilgrim was very good at cooking blancmange? (DSSSB, PGT English)
A) The Cook
B) The Monk
C) The Manciple
D) The Franklin
Ans: A) The Cook
14. The Parson is closely associated with which quality? (UGC NET, PGTRB, SET)
A) Greed
B) Hypocrisy
C) Piety
D) Gluttony
Ans: C) Piety
15. The Reeve’s profession was (TGT, TRB)
A) Carpenter
B) Steward
C) Bailiff
D) Merchant
Ans: B) Steward
16. What is the Monk’s favorite pastime? (UGC NET, DSSSB)
A) Preaching
B) Writing
C) Hunting
D) Cooking
Ans: C) Hunting
17. Which pilgrim had a bag full of fake relics? (TRB, PGT)
A) The Summoner
B) The Pardoner
C) The Clerk
D) The Merchant
Ans: B) The Pardoner
18. What instrument does the Miller play? (UGC NET, PGTRB)
A) Bagpipe
B) Harp
C) Flute
D) Drum
Ans: A) Bagpipe
19. Which pilgrim is described as being “fat and personable priest”? (PGTRB, DSSSB)
A) The Parson
B) The Monk
C) The Friar
D) The Summoner
Ans: B) The Monk
20. Who was an expert at buying provisions for a college? (UGC NET, TGT)
A) The Manciple
B) The Reeve
C) The Clerk
D) The Summoner
Ans: A) The Manciple
21. The Friar is criticized for (TRB, PGT)
A) Living in poverty
B) Loving nature
C) Begging and seducing women
D) Wearing shabby clothes
Ans: C) Begging and seducing women
22. What does the Pardoner sell to gullible believers? (UGC NET, DSSSB)
A) Indulgences and relics
B) Pilgrimage tickets
C) Prayers
D) Books
Ans: A) Indulgences and relics
23. Which pilgrim has a love for fine food and wine? (SET, PGTRB)
A) The Merchant
B) The Franklin
C) The Cook
D) The Monk
Ans: B) The Franklin
24. Which character is described as “He was a model among men”? (UGC NET, TRB)
A) The Parson
B) The Knight
C) The Clerk
D) The Franklin
Ans: A) The Parson
25. Which pilgrim spoke French but not Parisian French? (DSSSB, PGTRB)
A) The Wife of Bath
B) The Prioress
C) The Clerk
D) The Merchant
Ans: B) The Prioress
26. The Clerk of Oxford is mainly interested in (PGTRB, UGC NET)
A) Money
B) Food
C) Knowledge
D) Fame
Ans: C) Knowledge
27. Who has yellow, greasy hair and is clean-shaven? (UGC NET, SET, DSSSB)
A) The Summoner
B) The Pardoner
C) The Reeve
D) The Friar
Ans: B) The Pardoner
28. The Summoner’s face is covered with (TRB, KVS)
A) Boils
B) Scars
C) Warts
D) Moles
Ans: A) Boils
29. What is the Host’s name? (UGC NET, TRB)
A) Harry Bailey
B) Thomas Becket
C) John of Gaunt
D) Geoffrey
Ans: A) Harry Bailey
30. Which of the following characters is most interested in appearances and manners? (PGTRB, DSSSB)
A) The Prioress
B) The Knight
C) The Wife of Bath
D) The Monk
Ans: A) The Prioress
31. Which character is good at wrestling and wins every wrestling match? (UGC NET, PGTRB)
A) The Miller
B) The Reeve
C) The Cook
D) The Knight
Ans: A) The Miller
32. What type of satire does Chaucer primarily use in the Prologue? (UGC NET, SET)
A) Juvenalian
B) Horatian
C) Menippean
D) Romantic
Ans: B) Horatian
33. Who is described as “a man of law wary and wise”? (TRB, DSSSB)
A) The Sergeant at Law
B) The Merchant
C) The Manciple
D) The Clerk
Ans: A) The Sergeant at Law
34. What game does the Host suggest to pass the time? (PGTRB, TRB)
A) Singing
B) Telling stories
C) Playing chess
D) Dancing
Ans: B) Telling stories
35. The structure of the Canterbury Tales is (UGC NET, DSSSB)
A) A play
B) A frame narrative
C) A short story
D) A novel
Ans: B) A frame narrative
36. What does Chaucer use to distinguish each character? (PGTRB, UGC NET)
A) Costume and lineage
B) Speech and physical features
C) Occupation and personality
D) Height and weight
Ans: C) Occupation and personality
37. What is Chaucer’s tone toward most of his characters? (UGC NET, DSSSB)
A) Bitter and mocking
B) Serious and respectful
C) Light and humorous
D) Tragic and somber
Ans: C) Light and humorous
38. Who narrates the General Prologue? (UGC NET, TRB)
A) The Knight
B) The Host
C) Chaucer himself
D) The Monk
Ans: C) Chaucer himself
39. Which character is poor but virtuous? (PGTRB, DSSSB)
A) The Parson
B) The Merchant
C) The Miller
D) The Clerk
Ans: A) The Parson
40. The Canterbury Tales were originally written in (UGC NET, KVS)
A) Latin
B) Old English
C) French
D) Middle English
Ans: D) Middle English
41. How does Chaucer portray the clergy? (PGTRB, DSSSB)
A) Always pious
B) Frequently corrupt
C) Completely evil
D) Irrelevant
Ans: B) Frequently corrupt
42. What rhyming pattern is used in the Prologue? (UGC NET, SET)
A) ABAB
B) Heroic couplets (AABB)
C) Free verse
D) Blank verse
Ans: B) Heroic couplets (AABB)
43. Who is in charge of judging the storytelling contest? (TRB, PGTRB)
A) The Knight
B) The Host
C) Chaucer
D) The Squire
Ans: B) The Host
44. The total number of tales planned was (UGC NET, PGTRB)
A) 100
B) 120
C) 24
D) 48
Ans: B) 120
45. Which character is described as “thin as a rake”? (DSSSB, TGT)
A) The Clerk
B) The Reeve
C) The Parson
D) The Manciple
Ans: A) The Clerk
46. The pilgrimage is going to (UGC NET, SET, PGTRB)
A) Rome
B) Jerusalem
C) Canterbury
D) Winchester
Ans: C) Canterbury
47. What was the purpose of the pilgrimage? (PGTRB, DSSSB)
A) To pray for rain
B) To visit the shrine of St. Thomas Becket
C) To participate in a contest
D) To attend a wedding
Ans: B) To visit the shrine of St. Thomas Becket
48. What literary device is primarily used in character descriptions? (UGC NET, PGTRB)
A) Allegory
B) Satire
C) Simile
D) Personification
Ans: B) Satire
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