Middle Ages Unit Test
1. What is ‘romance’ as a literary form?
A. a narrative expressing the loving relationship between two characters
B. a narrative depicting the idea of man’s duality
C. a narrative depicting a character’s ‘quest’ and the natural conflict that develops
D. a narrative that tells of strange, sometimes supernatural events in exotic settings
2. Medieval romance sagas are
A. fictional
B. related to legends
C. usually based on historical fact
D. revolve around rural, country settings
E. both b & c
3. Features of the romance saga include
A. romance hero
B. heroic quest
C. supernatural elements
D. symbols and archetypes
E. all of the above
4. The Holy Grail is thought to be
A. the cup Jesus drank from at the last supper
B. courage
C. man’s innate, primal duality
D. a quest
5. According to Marilyn Stockstad, the castle symbolized
A. life
B. authority and military power
C. the two sides of man
D. refuge, a place of safety
6. What is chivalry?
A.the way to ride horses
B.a code of knightly conduct
C.the Christian philosophy
D.the law of war
7. After the battle of Tours, the struggle between ______and ______began to emerge as one of the most important forces in medieval Europe.
A. good; evil
B. Christianity; Islam
C. lords; serfs
D. Latin; vernacular
Song of Roland
Literary Devices: Identify the most significant literary device used in each of the following quotations using the word bank below. Choices may be used once, more than once or not at all.
A. hyperbole C. alliteration E. personificationAC. assonance
B. ironyD. allusionAB. imagery
8.“Tremendous torment now comes forth in France”
9. "That horn, in Roland's hands, has a mighty voice."
10. “a mighty whirlwind, tempests of wind and thunder,/rains and hailstones, great and immeasurable, bolts of lightning hurtling and hurtling down:”
11. “He is my stepfather—my stepfather. / I won’t have you speak one word against him.”
12. “Loyal Father, you who never failed us, / who resurrected Saint Lazarus from the dead,”
13. “His brain comes spilling out through his two ears;”
Song of Roland
Matching
Read the passage and answer question 14.
“The emperor sat with bowed head. He stroked his beard and smoothed his moustache and gave his nephew no answer, either good or bad. The Frenchmen are silent – save Ganelon only. He jumped to his feet and came before Charles and began to speak fiercely. And he said to the king: ‘To our misfortune will you listen to a fool, whether me or any other man, if it be not to our profit. When Marsilie tells you that he will become your vassal with clasped hands, and will hold all Spain as a gift from you; that he will accept the faith that we hold whoever he be who advises you to reject this offer, sire, little he cares by what death we die. It is not right that a counsel of pride proceed any further: let us leave the fools and listen only to the wise.’”
14. This passage serves to set the stage for one of the centralconflicts. What archetypal situation is best characterized?
A. good versus evil
B. father and son conflict
C. the fall
D. divine intervention
15. What is the larger conflict?
A. the conflict between France and Spain
B. the conflict between the lords and serfs
C. the conflict between the Christian and Islamic faiths
D. the conflict over the territories covering Saragossa
16. The larger conflict reflects which of the following archetypal situations?
A. good versus evil
B. father and son conflict
C. the fall
D. divine intervention
17. Throughout the passages read in class, which of the following best describes Roland’s tonewhen speaking to Ganelon?
A. serious, respectful and dignified
B. thoughtful, wise, and cautious
C. indifferent, uninvolved, and mild
D. rash, immature and impulsive
18. Why might it be considered treacherous for Roland to designate his stepfather as Charlemagne’s messenger?
A. Marsilion has a habit of killing such messengers
B. Roland implies that Ganelon is in collusion with Marsilion.
C. Knights are expected to volunteer for this dangerous job.
D. errands are not considered fit work for a knight.
19. Ganelon’s perspective on Roland’s heroism is best conveyed when Ganelon describes his stepson as:
A. “washing the blood from a battlefield”
B. “being too proud to ask the king for help”
C. “strutting and bragging in the field”
D. “hunting rabbits in the mountains”
20. Which of the following lines most directly expresses the theme of betrayal?
A. "And hearing this Count Ganelon began to choke . . . and stands there now, in his silken tunic, eyes full of lights . . ."
B. "'My noble knights,' said the Emperor Charles, 'choose me one man . . . to bring my message to King Marsilion.'"
C. "Ganelon and Blancandrin rode on until each . . . swore they'd find a way to have Count Roland killed."
D. "Marsilion took Ganelon by the shoulder and said to him: 'You're a brave man, a wise man.'"
21. Which of the following lines spoken by Roland best exemplifies his heroic flaw?
A. "'You nobody! how could you dare lay hands on me--rightly or wrongly: how?"
B. "'We're in the right, and these swine in the wrong!'"
C. "'I promise you, they are marked men, they'll die.'"
D. "'I'd be a fool to do it. I would lose my good name all through sweet France.'"
22. In the beginning of the tale, how does Roland’s flawed heroism influence the outcome of this excerpt?
A. It causes Ganelon to plot his death.
B. It prevents Charlemagne from conquering Moorish Spain.
C. It makes him prefer personal glory to saving lives.
D. It brings about his stepfather’s trial and execution.
23. Why does Oliver object when Roland finally decides to sound the olifant?
A. Sounding the olifant will give the men false hope.
B. Since sounding the olifant cannot save them, it would be an act of cowardice.
C. Sounding the olifant will cause the emperor to break the negotiated peace.
D. Sounding the olifant will endanger Charlemagne by calling him back to the pass.
Read the following passage and match the archetypal term with the choices given from this excerpt:
“Ganelon returns to Charlemagne with assurances of Marsile’s good faith, and they organize the departure from Spain. As Ganelon promised, Roland is chosen to lead the rear guard, which also includes the Twelve Peers—Charlemagne’s most beloved vassals—the Archbishop Turpin, and Oliver, Roland’s best friend. All told, the French rear guard constitutes a force of 20,000 men, but at the pass of Roncevalles, the rear guard meets a Saracen force numbering in the hundreds of thousands. Oliver begs Roland to blow his horn, the Olifant, to call back Charlemagne’s main army, but Roland refuses, saying,
‘I’d be a fool to do it.
I would lose my good name all through sweet France.
I will strike now, I’ll strike with Durendal,
the blade will be bloody to the gold from striking!
These pagan traitors came to these passes doomed!
I promise you, they are marked men, they’ll die.’”
Match the following archetypes to the choices given. Answers may be used more than once or not at all.
a. olifante. Durendalae. battle
b. Rolandab. Darkness at noon bc. rear guard
c. Ganelonac. Charlemagnebd. 12 peers
d. Oliverad. Judgment Day
24. the disciples/hunting group of companions
25. the tragic hero
26. the villain
27. the loyal companion/loyal retainer
28. mentor
29. good versus evil
30. the magic weapon
Read the following passage and answer questions 31 and 32.
The battle is fearful and full of grief.
Oliver and Roland strike like good men,
the Archbishop, more than a thousand blows,
and the Twelve Peers do not hang back, they strike!
the French fight side by side, all as one man.
The pagans die by hundreds, by thousands:
whoever does not flee finds no refuge from death,
like it or not, there he ends all his days.
And there the men of France lose their greatest arms;
they will not see their fathers, their kin again,
or Charlemagne, who looks for them in the passes.
Tremendous torment now comes forth in France,
a mighty whirlwind, tempests of wind and thunder,
rains and hailstones, great and immeasurable,
bolts of lightning hurtling and hurtling down:
it is, in truth, a trembling of the earth.
From Saint Michael-in-Peril to the Saints,
from Besançon to the port of Wissant,
there is no house whose veil of walls does not crumble.
A great darkness at noon falls on the land,
there is no light but when the heavens crack.
No man sees this who is not terrified,
and many say: “The Last Day! Judgment Day!
31. The description of the weather reflects which of the following archetypal symbols?
A. supernatural interventionC. water versus desert
B. light versus darknessD. the crossroads
32. Which archetypal symbol is revealed at the end of the epic following Roland’s death?
A. supernatural interventionC. water versus desert
B. light versus darknessD. the crossroads
“The Grail”
33.What was the main purpose for the stories of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table?
A. to teach moral lessonsC. to provide income for the storyteller
B. to entertain audiencesD. all of the above
34. In “The Grail,” the opening sentence reads: “The youth began his journey from
the castle.” What does this clue tell you about the plot of the story?
A. The plot will include a tragedy of great importance and sadness.
B. The plot will include a person who hides his or her identity from others.
C. The plot will include a hero’s quest to find something or someone.
D. The plot will include a funny trick or joke that is played on someone.
35. In “The Grail,” a great, special sword is given to Perceval. Of what is the sword a
symbol?
A. immaturityC. fear
B. missed opportunitiesD. strength
36. The narrator of “The Grail” says that Perceval’s silence was “not very smart” and
that sometimes people can be too silent. What does the narrator mean by this?
A. Perceval should have asked more questions and listened to the answers.
B. Perceval was right not to ask any questions about what was happening as he was paying attention.
C. Perceval was not smart enough to think of questions to ask.
D. Perceval was so smart that he thought it best not to ask any questions.
37. In “The Grail,” Perceval does not ask questions because he
A. knows the explanation of everything he sees.
B. is so amazed by the spectacle that he cannot speak.
C. has been warned of the dangers of loquaciousness (talkativeness).
D. is too busy eating, drinking, and chatting with the old nobleman.
38. In “The Grail,” when at first Perceval cannot find the castle, he
A. silently thanks the fisherman.
B. immediately forgets the fisherman.
C. quickly returns to the fisherman.
D. angrily blames the fisherman.
39. The most amazing feature of the Grail, in this excerpt from Perceval, is
A. its radiant light.
B. its gigantic size.
C. the fact that it bleeds.
D. its old-fashioned design.
40. In “The Grail,” when Perceval awakens in the morning, what is he surprised to
discover?
A. He is completely alone in the castle.
B. He is very hungry for breakfast.
C. He is the first person to awaken.
D. He has had a strange dream.
41. What is the symbolic meaning of the Lance that is dripping blood in Perceval?
A. it represents Christ’s death
B. it represents evil
C. it represents pain and suffering
D. it represents the Fisher-King’s dying body
“The Lay of the Werewolf” by Marie de France
42. What is the basis for the plot of “The Lay of the Werewolf”?
A. A tragedy of great sadness unfolds.
B. A character hides his identity.
C. A hero goes on a journey.
D. An entertaining comedy is offered.
43. In “The Lay of the Werewolf,” what must the naked beast do in order to return
to human form?
A. He must not attack animals.
B. He must find his way home.
C. He must love his wife.
D. He must put on his clothes.
44. In “The Lay of the Werewolf,” why do the king and his counselors forgive the
kindhearted Bisclaveret’s attack on the knight?
A. Bisclavaret had never attacked or shown ill will toward another human.
B. The king had a long-standing argument with the knight.
C. The king was pleased that Bisclavaret was a normal beast.
D. The attack created some excitement during an otherwise boring feast.
45. In “The Lay of the Werewolf,” what might the werewolf/Bisclavaret symbolize that is
common to all people?
A. the best side of human nature
B. the passage from youth to old age
C. the beastly feelings in all humans
D. the changing heart of a woman
46. In “The Lay of the Werewolf,” of what are the baron’s clothes a symbol?
A. the change from being wild to being civilized
B. the ability of nature to be rough and hard
C. the evil that is inside a wicked soul
D. the death that comes too early to some people
47. Why do Bisclavaret’s wife’s actions constitute a particularly terrible form of treachery?
A. she really wanted to be with someone else
B. she is afraid of his wolf like appearance
C. she not only betrays him but takes his humanity
D. she thinks he has disappeared forever
48. Allegory can best be defined as
A. a legend told in epic form with heroic characters and archetypal symbols
B. a story in which the characters and events are symbols for ideas about human life
C. a story told in many episodes about a quest for the greater meaning of life
D. a story told by priests with a spiritual meaning
49. Why is it symbolically appropriate that the lady is disfigured by the werewolf?
A. Her disfigurement punishes both the lady and her second husband.
B. The King is concerned more for the wolf than for the lady.
C. Her disfigurement represents her inhumanity and moral ugliness.
D. The werewolf has no other means of communication.
50. Which of the following best expresses the theme of "The Lay of the Werewolf"?
A. Treachery and bad faith are eventually punished.
B. People should not be judged by their appearances.
C. A woman has little power in a man's world.
D. It is a foolish husband who confides in his wife.