Sumulong College of Arts and Sciences

Antipolo, City

Midterm Examination
Survey of English and Grammar Literature

Direction: Answer the following briefly but comprehensively.

Romeo and Juliet

1. List all of the characters who have died and their cause of death.
2. Give examples of how each of these factors led to tragedy.
a. the parent’s feud
b. Impulsive behaviour (when the character’s act rashly, often without thinking of the
consequences)
c. Fate (bad timing or series of unfortunate coincidences)

Hamlet

1. There are two sides to Claudius - the cowardly, treacherous villain; and the tormented
sinner who longs for redemption, is benevolent and loves his queen.
Discuss these two aspects of Claudius's character, showing which, in your opinion, is
more dominant.
2. The predicaments that Hamlet faces are those that have always confronted mankind:
the desire to take revenge; rejected love; parent /child conflicts. Do you agree? Explain
your answer.
3. “Confused, bewildered and frightened"
"Conniving, cunning and in full control"
Consider and discuss the character of Hamlet in the light of these two extremes.
4. To what extent, do you think, is Shakespeare presenting Hamlet as a type of ideal man?
(Your answer must include an assessment of Hamlet's procrastination. Does this
vindicate the theory of Hamlet as an ideal or is it a flaw in his character?)

The Passionate Shepherd to His Love

1. List all the things that the shepherd offers his love. What kinds of things are they?
Organize them under these headings, or choose your own:
The beauty of nature
Luxuries
Entertainment
2. Which of the shepherd’s promises would be easiest for him to keep?
3. Which would be most difficult?
4. What does this suggest about the shepherd and his promises?
 5. Look at the quantity of things the shepherd offers as the poem progresses. What does
this suggest about his love’s response to these offers?

The Nymph’s Reply to the Shepherd

1. What does the speaker’s use of if reveal in line 1? Summarize the argument the
speaker establishes in stanza 1, using if and might to frame your answer.
2. What assertion (statement) does the speaker make in stanza 2? How does the
language compare or contrast to the language from the first stanza? Include evidence.
3. What details, words or phrases repeat in stanzas 4 and 5? What pattern do you
notice? What is the cumulative effect of the repetition and patterns that emerge in
stanzas 4 and 5?
5. Consider the first and last stanzas of “The Nymph’s Reply to the Shepherd.” What
repeating words or phrases do you notice? How do the repetitions compare or contrast?
6. How does the speaker’s use of “might” in the last stanza compare to the use in the
first? Consider your understanding of “if” in the first stanza, as compared to the
speaker’s use of “then” in the last stanza.

Prepared by:

Mr. Reñer G. Aquino

College Instructor