Questions for MA English (Part 1)

Paper 1 - Classical Poetry

1. Chaucer - “The Prologue to the Canterbury Tales”

i. Chaucer’s Humour / Satire / Irony

ii. Chaucer’s art of Characterization
iii. Chaucer as a modern poet (humour, secularism etc.)
iv. Chaucer’s ecclesiastical characters (Church’s hypocrisy, Comparison &
contrast between the characters)
v. Chaucer’s female characters

2. Alexander Pope – “Rape of the Lock”

i. “Rape of the Lock” as social satire

ii. “Rape of the Lock” as comic epic / mock epic
iii. Use of machinery (Supernatural elements etc.)
iv. Pope’s attitude towards women (Belinda’s character, Social satire)
v. Moral of the “Rape of the Lock”

3. Milton – “Paradise Lost”

i. Milton’s grand style

ii. Portrayal of Satan in “Paradise Lost”
iii. Who is the hero of Paradise Lost?
iv. Character sketch of Adam
v. Character sketch of Eve

4. Surrey & Wyatt

i. Surrey & Wyatt’s contribution of English Poetry

ii. Surrey & Wyatt as Sonnet writers (Comparison and Contrast)
iii. Critical appreciation of their Sonnets
 Paper 2 – Drama

1. Sophocles – “Oedipus Rex”

i. Concept of Fate & Free will / Fate & Character

ii. Oedipus as a tragic Hero / Oedipus’ Hamartia
iii. Irony in Oedipus
iv. Role of Chorus

2. Marlow – “Dr. Faustus”

i. “Dr. Faustus” as a renaissance play

ii. “Dr. Faustus” as morality play
iii. “Dr. Faustus” as a modern tragedy / Spiritual Conflicts in the mind of
Dr. Faustus
iv. Marlow’s contribution to English Drama
v. “Dr. Faustus” Character sketch (as a typical Marlow’s hero, qualities of
Marlow’s hero)

3. Shakespeare – “Othello”

i. Othello’s character sketch

ii. Iago’s character sketch
iii. “Othello” as a social Tragedy (race & colour an important factor in
Othello’s tragedy)
iv. Role of Chance & Misunderstanding (Chance Happening)

4. Oscar Wilde – “Importance of Being Earnest”

i. “Importance of Being Earnest” as a comedy (satire, style etc.)

ii. “Importance of Being Earnest” as a social satire
iii. Use of wit & paradoxical statements (Irony)
iv. Algernon’s Character sketch
v. Jack’s Character sketch
 Paper 3 - Novel

1. Jane Austin - "Pride and Prejudice"

i. Jane Austin as a novelist (it will be a general question on Jane Austin

encompassing all her writing techniques e.g. Limited Range, Irony etc).
ii. Jane Austin's Limited Range
iii. Jane Austin's Irony
iv. Themes of Marriage, Money and Manners.
v. Character sketch of Elizabeth
vi. Lack of Passion in Jane Austin's novels
vii. Jane Austen’s art of Characterization

2. George Eliot - "Adam Bede"

i. George Eliot as a psychological / modern novelist

ii. Character sketch of Adam Bede
iii. Character sketch of Hetty Sorrel
iv. Character sketch of Dinnah Morris
v. Relationship between Adam and Dinnah
vi. Theme of Hardness (Adam doesn’t show politeness. He judges everyone
according to morality so he can’t develop relationships)

3. Charles Dickens - "A Tale of Two Cities"

i. "A Tale of Two Cities" as an historical novel

ii. Dickens’ attitude towards French Revolution
iii. Symbolism in the novel
iv. Theme of resurrection & renunciation
v. How public events and private lives are interlinked in the novel?

4. Thomas Hardy - "Return of the Native"

i. Character sketch of Clym

ii. Character sketch of Eustacia
iii. Role of Egdon Heath / nature
iv. Role of chance and coincidence / Role of fate
v. Hardy as a pessimist
vi. Hardy as an ameliorist
 Paper 4 – Prose

1. Francis Bacon - “Essays”

i. Bacon’s Style (proverbial style, aphorisms, pithy style etc.)

ii. Bacon’s Worldly Wisdom
iii. Renaissance element in Bacon

2. Jonathan Swift – “Gulliver’s Travels”

i. Swift as a satirist
ii. Swift as a misanthrope
iii. Element of Utopia in “Gulliver’s Travels”
iv. Irony in “Gulliver’s Travels”

3. Bertrand Russell – “Unpopular Essays”

i. Bertrand Russell as prose writer / Bertrand Russell’s style

ii. A general note on his essays can be asked.

4. Seamus Heaney – “Redress of Poetry”

i. Heaney as a Prose Writer / Heaney’s Style

ii. Heaney’s arguments in favour of poetry
 Paper 5 – American Literature

A. Poetry

1. Sylvia Plath

i. Critical appreciation of poems

ii. Psychological problems of Sylvia Plath
iii. Ambivalence in Sylvia Plath
iv. General Question on American Psyche

2. John Ashbery

i. Critical appreciation of poems

3. Adrienne Rich

i. Critical appreciation of poems

4. Richard Wilbur

i. Critical appreciation of poems

B. Drama

1. Arthur Miller – “The Crucible”

i. Theme of individual & society

ii. Character sketch of Proctor
iii. Character sketch of Abigale
iv. Puritanism in the play

2. Eugene O’Neil – “Mourning Becomes Electra”

i. O’Neil’s Tragic Vision

ii. Character sketch of Electra

C. Novel

1. Ernest Hemingway – “For Whom the Bell Tolls”

i. Robert Jordan as a Tragic Hero

ii. Is “For Whom the Bell Tolls” a political novel? (Answer: No)
iii. Hemingway as a novelist / Hemingway’s style
iv. Discuss Jordan - Maria Relationship
v. Concept of ritual & morality in the novel
vi. Motives behind Jordan’s Sacrifice