Dryden – An Essay of Dramatic Poesy – MCQ Quiz

Dryden – An Essay of Dramatic Poesy – Exam Based MCQs

1. “An Essay of Dramatic Poesy” was written by: (UGC NET 2016; SET 2019; PGTRB 2021)

A) Alexander Pope

B) John Dryden

C) Samuel Johnson

D) Ben Jonson

Ans: B) John Dryden

2. “An Essay of Dramatic Poesy” was first published in: (UGC NET 2017; SET 2018)

A) 1601

B) 1668

C) 1700

D) 1781

Ans: B) 1668

3. The Essay is written in the form of a: (PGTRB 2019; SET 2020)

A) Epic

B) Dialogue

C) Sonnet sequence

D) Sermon

Ans: B) Dialogue

4. The speakers in Dryden’s dialogue are: (UGC NET 2015; SET 2017; PGTRB 2020)

A) Neander, Crites, Eugenius, Lisideius

B) Hamlet, Horatio, Polonius, Laertes

C) Donne, Herbert, Marvell, Vaughan

D) Aristotle, Horace, Longinus, Plato

Ans: A) Neander, Crites, Eugenius, Lisideius

5. Neander is generally taken to represent: (SET 2016; UGC NET 2018)

A) Ben Jonson

B) Dryden himself

C) Aristotle

D) Shakespeare

Ans: B) Dryden himself

6. Crites mainly defends: (UGC NET 2014; PGTRB 2018)

A) Modern English drama

B) Ancient Greek and Roman drama

C) French drama

D) Restoration comedy

Ans: B) Ancient Greek and Roman drama

7. Lisideius primarily argues in favour of: (SET 2017; PGTRB 2019)

A) French drama

B) Elizabethan drama

C) Greek tragedy

D) Medieval mystery plays

Ans: A) French drama

8. Eugenius generally supports: (UGC NET 2016; SET 2018)

A) The ancients over the moderns

B) The moderns over the ancients

C) Only French drama

D) Only Greek drama

Ans: B) The moderns over the ancients

9. The Essay compares chiefly: (UGC NET 2019; SET 2020; PGTRB 2022)

A) Poetry and prose

B) Ancient, French and English drama

C) Epic and lyric

D) Novel and drama

Ans: B) Ancient, French and English drama

10. The Essay is set against the background of: (SET 2018; UGC NET 2017)

A) The Great Fire of London

B) The Battle of the Books

C) The Anglo-Dutch naval war (1665)

D) The Glorious Revolution

Ans: C) The Anglo-Dutch naval war (1665)

11. In the Essay, the “three unities” are: (UGC NET 2015; SET 2019)

A) Unity of tone, unity of metre, unity of rhyme

B) Unity of time, place and action

C) Unity of hero, villain and chorus

D) Unity of plot, subplot and epilogue

Ans: B) Unity of time, place and action

12. According to Dryden, French drama is notable for: (SET 2017; PGTRB 2020)

A) Wild variety and subplots

B) Strict observance of the unities

C) Lack of decorum

D) Absence of plot

Ans: B) Strict observance of the unities

13. Dryden defends Shakespeare mainly for: (UGC NET 2018; SET 2020)

A) Perfect classical unity

B) Natural genius and lively representation

C) Only rhyme

D) Pure morality

Ans: B) Natural genius and lively representation

14. Dryden considers Ben Jonson superior in: (PGTRB 2019; SET 2018)

A) Natural imagination

B) Learned judgement and correctness

C) Romantic passion

D) Mystical symbolism

Ans: B) Learned judgement and correctness

15. In the Essay, “wit” generally means: (UGC NET 2017; SET 2019)

A) Mere humour

B) Intellectual brilliance / ingenuity

C) Only satire

D) Only laughter

Ans: B) Intellectual brilliance / ingenuity

16. Dryden argues that rhyme in drama: (SET 2016; PGTRB 2018)

A) Weakens dialogue always

B) Can heighten dignity and polish in heroic plays

C) Is never suitable

D) Should replace plot

Ans: B) Can heighten dignity and polish in heroic plays

17. The debate “rhyme vs blank verse” is central to: (UGC NET 2019; SET 2021; PGTRB 2022)

A) Modern poetry

B) Dramatic poesy in Restoration

C) Victorian novel

D) Medieval romance

Ans: B) Dramatic poesy in Restoration

18. Dryden’s Essay is an example of: (UGC NET 2016; SET 2018)

A) Romantic manifesto

B) Neoclassical criticism

C) Postmodern theory

D) Structuralism

Ans: B) Neoclassical criticism

19. Dryden’s preference for English drama is partly based on its: (SET 2019; PGTRB 2020)

A) Strict rules only

B) Variety and richness of plot

C) Absence of passion

D) Short length

Ans: B) Variety and richness of plot

20. The “decorum” Dryden discusses refers to: (UGC NET 2015; SET 2017)

A) Fitness / propriety in style and character

B) Stage lighting

C) Costume design only

D) Audience applause

Ans: A) Fitness / propriety in style and character

21. Dryden argues that the English stage excels in portraying: (UGC NET 2018; SET 2020)

A) Only kings

B) Liveliness and variety of characters

C) Only mythological figures

D) Only allegory

Ans: B) Liveliness and variety of characters

22. The French dramatist most commonly associated with the strict unities (in such questions) is: (SET 2018; UGC NET 2017; PGTRB 2021)

A) Corneille / Racine

B) Marlowe

C) Webster

D) Congreve

Ans: A) Corneille / Racine

23. Dryden’s critical method in the Essay is best described as: (UGC NET 2019; SET 2021)

A) Purely historical

B) Comparative and balanced

C) Only biographical

D) Only linguistic

Ans: B) Comparative and balanced

24. The Essay is famous for the “Ancients vs Moderns” debate applied to: (PGTRB 2018; SET 2019)

A) Poetry only

B) Drama

C) Novel

D) Prose style only

Ans: B) Drama

25. According to Dryden, the unities are: (UGC NET 2016; SET 2018)

A) Always ignored

B) Useful but not absolute laws for English drama

C) Completely unnecessary

D) Only for comedy

Ans: B) Useful but not absolute laws for English drama

26. Dryden’s discussion of rhyme is closely linked with the genre of: (SET 2017; PGTRB 2019)

A) Pastoral

B) Heroic play

C) Elegy

D) Ode

Ans: B) Heroic play

27. Dryden compares English drama with French drama mainly in terms of: (UGC NET 2015; SET 2019)

A) Printing history

B) Rules, plot construction, and representation of life

C) Only costumes

D) Only stage machinery

Ans: B) Rules, plot construction, and representation of life

28. In the Essay, the character most critical of English drama is: (SET 2016; UGC NET 2018)

A) Lisideius

B) Neander

C) Eugenius

D) Crites

Ans: A) Lisideius

29. The idea that drama should “instruct and delight” is linked to: (UGC NET 2017; SET 2020; PGTRB 2022)

A) Neoclassical ideals

B) Romantic theory only

C) Symbolism

D) Reader-response

Ans: A) Neoclassical ideals

30. Dryden’s Essay is often studied as a landmark text in: (UGC NET 2019; SET 2018)

A) Restoration literary criticism

B) Victorian criticism

C) Modern linguistics

D) Postcolonial criticism

Ans: A) Restoration literary criticism

31. Dryden views the ancients as superior mainly in: (SET 2017)

A) Decorative stage effects

B) Regularity and correctness

C) Comic relief

D) Romantic passion

Ans: B) Regularity and correctness

32. Dryden’s defence of English drama includes the claim that it shows: (UGC NET 2018; PGTRB 2020)

A) Only simple plots

B) More variety and fullness of representation

C) No humour

D) No passion

Ans: B) More variety and fullness of representation

33. In Dryden’s view, French plays often lack: (SET 2019)

A) Rule-based structure

B) Liveliness / variety in action and character

C) Unity of action

D) Decorum

Ans: B) Liveliness / variety in action and character

34. The Essay’s central concern is: (UGC NET 2016; SET 2018; PGTRB 2021)

A) Definition and evaluation of drama

B) History of the novel

C) Linguistic change

D) Poetry translation

Ans: A) Definition and evaluation of drama

35. Dryden’s view on the unities can be described as: (UGC NET 2017; SET 2020)

A) Dogmatic acceptance

B) Moderate / flexible acceptance

C) Complete rejection

D) Only for tragedy

Ans: B) Moderate / flexible acceptance

36. The French are praised for their: (PGTRB 2019; SET 2018)

A) Irregular plots

B) Correctness and adherence to rules

C) Medieval themes

D) Lack of decorum

Ans: B) Correctness and adherence to rules

37. The English are praised for: (UGC NET 2019; SET 2021)

A) Short plots only

B) Strength, spirit, and variety

C) Only unity of place

D) Only rhyme

Ans: B) Strength, spirit, and variety

38. Dryden’s Essay belongs to the literary period known as: (UGC NET 2016; PGTRB 2018)

A) Restoration

B) Romantic

C) Victorian

D) Modernist

Ans: A) Restoration

39. The Essay debates the merits of “rhymed verse” especially for: (SET 2017; UGC NET 2018)

A) Tragedy and heroic plays

B) Only comedy

C) Only prose plays

D) Masques only

Ans: A) Tragedy and heroic plays

40. The Essay supports the view that Shakespeare’s “faults” come from: (UGC NET 2015; SET 2019)

A) Lack of genius

B) Writing in an age without strict rules

C) Too much French influence

D) Not knowing Latin

Ans: B) Writing in an age without strict rules

41. Dryden’s comparison of Shakespeare and Jonson concludes that: (UGC NET 2017; SET 2018; PGTRB 2020)

A) Jonson is always superior

B) Shakespeare has greater natural genius; Jonson more learning and judgement

C) Both are identical

D) Neither is important

Ans: B) Shakespeare has greater natural genius; Jonson more learning and judgement

42. “Plot” in the Essay is discussed mainly as: (SET 2016; PGTRB 2019)

A) The arrangement of actions / fable

B) Costume design

C) Stage lighting

D) Audience reaction only

Ans: A) The arrangement of actions / fable

43. Dryden suggests that too strict adherence to rules may reduce: (UGC NET 2019; SET 2020)

A) Liveliness and variety

B) Correctness

C) Decorum

D) Moral teaching

Ans: A) Liveliness and variety

44. The Essay’s overall tone is best described as: (PGTRB 2021; SET 2019)

A) Purely dogmatic

B) Balanced and critical

C) Only satirical

D) Only emotional

Ans: B) Balanced and critical

45. Dryden’s defence of rhyme is part of Restoration debates on: (UGC NET 2018; SET 2021)

A) Dramatic form and language

B) Grammar transformation

C) Linguistic imperialism

D) Feminist criticism

Ans: A) Dramatic form and language

46. Dryden’s Essay is often called a landmark because it: (UGC NET 2016; PGTRB 2022)

A) Provides one of the first systematic discussions of English drama

B) Invented the novel

C) Rejects all criticism

D) Only summarizes Aristotle

Ans: A) Provides one of the first systematic discussions of English drama

47. In the Essay, “the ancients” usually refers to: (SET 2018; UGC NET 2017)

A) Greek and Roman dramatists

B) Medieval mystery playwrights

C) Victorian dramatists

D) Modernist poets

Ans: A) Greek and Roman dramatists

48. The Essay’s discussion of French drama highlights: (PGTRB 2020; SET 2019)

A) Their irregular plots

B) Their correctness and unity

C) Their lack of rules

D) Their medievalism

Ans: B) Their correctness and unity

49. The character who finally defends English drama with moderation is: (UGC NET 2019; SET 2020; PGTRB 2021)

A) Crites

B) Neander

C) Lisideius

D) Eugenius

Ans: B) Neander

50. Overall, Dryden’s “Essay of Dramatic Poesy” is mainly about: (UGC NET 2020; SET 2021; PGTRB 2022)

A) Comparing and evaluating dramatic traditions and principles

B) Writing epic poetry

C) Translating Homer

D) Grammar rules only

Ans: A) Comparing and evaluating dramatic traditions and principles