QUESTIONS FOR REVIEW

THE OLD ENGLISH PERIOD:

1. Who were the Celts? Which language was spoken by them?

The Celts were the earliest inhabitants of England. Celtic languages were spoken

by them.

2. Name the first Roman Emperor who invaded Britain

Emperor Claudius

3. What happened to Britain after the withdrawal of the Romans?

The Celts felt themselves increasingly vulnerable to attack because they were no

longer protected by the Roman military against the constant threat from the Picts

and the Saxons. (Britain was devastated by an attack of the Picts and the Saxons)

4. Name the Germanic tribes who crossed the North Sea to Britain

The Angles, the Frisian and the Saxons

5. What was the new Anglo-Saxon nation named?

 Anglaland or Englaland

6. What does “England” mean?

The Land of Angles

7. What is the first masterpiece of English literature? Why is it called an epic?

‘The song of Beowulf’ is the first masterpiece of English literature. It’s called an

epic because it raises the exploits (deeds) of imaginary heroes and illustrates

Anglo-Saxon life with their ideals and values.

8. Where is the setting of Beowulf? Who is its author? Which language is it written

in?

+ Setting of Beowulf: Scandinavia

+ Author: unknown Anglo-Saxon poet

+ It is written in Old English

9. Give some aspects of Anglo-Saxon life as shown in Beowulf

+ Fond of feast

+ Warring society
 + The lord is the head, soldiers fight for the king, and the king rewards them with

gold

+ Beowulf was used to justify the invasion

10. What is the ideal Anglo-Saxon hero like?

physically strong, courageous, willing to sacrifice (self- sacrificing) for the sake of

their country, fighters against evil

THE MIDDLE ENGLISH PERIOD:

1. What does “Norman” mean? Where did they live? Were they French by origin?

Norman means ‘man of the North’. They lived in Northern France. However, they

were originally Vikings from Scandinavia.

2. Who was William? And Edward the Confessor? What was the relationship

between them?

+William was The Duke of Normandy, he defeated King Harold at the Battle of

Hastings and then was crowned the King of England.

 + Edward the Confessor was one of the last Anglo-Saxon kings of England and is

usually regarded as the last king of the House of Wessex.

+ William was a distant cousin of Edward.

3. Who was Harold? What was William’s justification for his invasion of Britain?

+ Harold was the nominated king of England after the death of Edward.

+ Edward promised to give William the throne of England.

4. Which important event marked the end of the Anglo-Saxon period?

The Norman invasion

5. How many languages were used in parallel?

three languages: Middle English (Common people), Latin (The Church) and

Norman French (nobility)

6. Who is the author of The Canterbury Tales?

Geoffrey Chaucer

7. What honor has been granted to Geoffrey Chaucer?

Father of English literature

 8. Give some reasons for the wide popularity of The Canterbury Tales

The Canterbury Tales is recognized as the first book of poetry written in the

English language. It helped make English a legitimate language to work in. The

book offers a rich description of medieval social life combining elements of all

classes.

9. Who was Thomas a Becket?

He was the English martyr (the Archbishop of Canterbury)

10. Why does story have the title “The Canterbury Tales”?

Because it recounts the stories told by a fictional group of pilgrims on their way to

Canterbury.

THE RENAISSANCE:

1. Where did the Renaissance begin to come into being?

Italy

2. What does “Renaissance” mean?

 rebirth (or revival of interest in ancient Greek and Roman literature and

civilization)

3. In what ways were people of the Renaissance seem to be “reborn”?

People of that age seemed to be reborn in the ways that they began to realize the

capacities of the human mind and the achievements of human culture. They were

more optimistic. They believe that happiness was achievable and depended on

their own capabilities. They were the real master of their life.

4. What favorable conditions fueled the development of the Renaissance?

Territorial exploration and discovery and wonderful scientific achievements fueled

the development of the Renaissance.

5. Who established the Church of England?

Henry VIII

THE SONNET:

1. How many lines does sonnet have?

 14

2. What does the Italian “sonetto” mean?

little sound or little song

3. What does the sonnet first originate?

Italy

4. What is each four-line group in a sonnet called?

stanza (quatrain)

5. What is the couplet?

couplet usually comprises two lines that rhyme and have the same metre.

6. What is the function of each group?

+ Quatrain 1: Introduction to the theme

+ Quatrain 2: Development of the theme

+ Quatrain 3: Reflection on the theme

+ Couplet: Conclusion
THE RESTORATION:

1. What caused the first Pilgrims to sail to America?

religious freedom

2. Who was James VI?

He was the king who succeeded Elizabeth I after her death.

3. What happened to Charles I at the end of the Civil War?

He was beheaded in London.

4. Who was Oliver Cromwell? What did he establish when he seized power from

the King?

+ Oliver Cromwell is the leader of parliamentary army.

+ He established “The Commonwealth of England”.

5. Why was this period known as The Restoration?

Because Charles II returned (from France) to England and restored the monarchy

from Oliver Cromwell. This period was also known as Merry England.
THE AGE OF REASON:

1. Why was the period also known as The Enlightenment?

Because man could be enlightened from centuries of ignorance in the light of

science and reason.

2. What did people of the Enlightenment believe in?

They believed in power of reason and education as they key to progress and

perfection.

3. How important was human reason?

Discover nature, determine reality, assert the right of human beings.

4. What were the economic and scientific achievements of this period?

the spinning Jenny, the power loom, the steam engine

THE 19th CENTURY:

The Romantic period:

1. How did the French Revolution affect the emergence of the Romantic Period?
 The French Revolution itself was the most historical event of the Romantic period.

Jean Jacques Rousseau was the most important eighteenth-century influence on

later European Romanticism.

2. What did the word ‘Romance’ originally refer to?

It originally refers to highly imaginative medieval tales of knightly adventure

often involving amorous encounters between a knight and his lady.

3. Give some main characteristics of the Romantic period as contrasted with those

of the Age of Reason.

The Age of Reason Romanticism

Stressed reason and judgement Emphasized imagination and emotion

Concerned with the general or Concerned with the particular

universal in experience
Asserted the values of society as a
whole
Sought to follow the rules derived
from authority
Took inspiration from classical Greek
and Roman authors
Championed the value of the individual
human being
Strove for freedom
Took interest in medieval subjects and
settings
 4. Which literary work has been acclaimed as the foundation of English Romantic

poetry?

Lyrical Ballads

5. List some English romantic poets of the Second Generation.

Byron, Shelley and Keats

6. Name some prominent novelists of the Romantic period.

Jane Austen, Sir Walter Scott

The Victorian period:

1. What remarkable social and political changes happened in Britain during this

period?

England became the wealthiest nation through the expansion of the British

Empire. English political life was then dominated by the Whigs and the Tories

seeking the support of the voting public.

2. What did Victorians believe in?

 They believed in hard work, moral seriousness, and social respectability.

3. Name some prominent novelists of the Victorian period.

Charles Dickens, William Makepeace Thackeray, George Eliot, Charlotte Bronte

THE MODERN AGE:

1. List some positive changes in Britain life in the 20th century.

votes and employment for women, free schooling for everyone, social welfare

programs intended to limit the worst effects of poverty, advances in science and

technology

2. What were some serious problems?

Technology brought pollution, and the environment was now at risk.

3. The 20th century of Britain was a time of national disillusionment. Show

evidence.
 The two world wars cost many lives and the destruction of much property. Britain

lost the dominant position in world politics, and Britain also had difficulty

modernizing and expanding its industry.

4. Name some prominent literary figures of Modernism.

Virginia Woolf, E.M. Forster

5. What do you understand by the literary device “Stream of Consciousness”?

Stream of Consciousness refers to the flow of thoughts in the conscious mind.