General Knowledge on The General Prologue
Pilgrims and Their Characteristics
1. Which pilgrim is known for being chivalrous and honorable? (UPSC Mains 2017)
A) The Knight
B) The Squire
C) The Parson
D) The Monk
Ans: A) The Knight
2. Who is the Knight’s son and described as a lover and a fighter? (State PSC 2015)
A) The Yeoman
B) The Squire
C) The Franklin
D) The Clerk
Ans: B) The Squire
3. Which female pilgrim speaks French and has refined manners? (NET English 2016)
A) The Prioress
B) The Wife of Bath
C) The Second Nun
D) The Cook
Ans: A) The Prioress
4. Which character has an ulcer on his knee? (PGTRB 2018)
A) The Pardoner
B) The Summoner
C) The Cook
D) The Merchant
Ans: C) The Cook
5. Who sells indulgences and carries fake relics? (UPSC Prelims 2014)
A) The Summoner
B) The Reeve
C) The Franklin
D) The Pardoner
Ans: D) The Pardoner
6. Which character loves hunting and wears fine clothes? (SSC CGL 2020)
A) The Monk
B) The Parson
C) The Squire
D) The Clerk
Ans: A) The Monk
7. Who has a red beard and tells crude stories? (Group Exam 2019)
A) The Host
B) The Miller
C) The Franklin
D) The Pardoner
Ans: B) The Miller
8. Which pilgrim has a wart on his nose and plays the bagpipes? (NET English 2017)
A) The Summoner
B) The Miller
C) The Reeve
D) The Shipman
Ans: B) The Miller
9. Which pilgrim is a successful landowner and known for his generosity? (Banking Exam 2015)
A) The Plowman
B) The Clerk
C) The Franklin
D) The Reeve
Ans: C) The Franklin
10. Who is the ideal clergyman, living a virtuous and humble life? (TRG 2016)
A) The Parson
B) The Monk
C) The Summoner
D) The Pardoner
Ans: A) The Parson
11. Which pilgrim is known for being chivalrous and honorable? (UPSC Mains 2017)
A) The Knight
B) The Squire
C) The Parson
D) The Monk
Ans: A) The Knight
12. Who is the Knight’s son and described as a lover and a fighter? (State PSC 2015)
A) The Yeoman
B) The Squire
C) The Franklin
D) The Clerk
Ans: B) The Squire
13. Which female pilgrim speaks French and has refined manners? (NET English 2016)
A) The Prioress
B) The Wife of Bath
C) The Second Nun
D) The Cook
Ans: A) The Prioress
14. Which character has an ulcer on his knee? (PGTRB 2018)
A) The Pardoner
B) The Summoner
C) The Cook
D) The Merchant
Ans: C) The Cook
15. Who sells indulgences and carries fake relics? (UPSC Prelims 2014)
A) The Summoner
B) The Reeve
C) The Franklin
D) The Pardoner
Ans: D) The Pardoner
16. Which character loves hunting and wears fine clothes? (SSC CGL 2020)
A) The Monk
B) The Parson
C) The Squire
D) The Clerk
Ans: A) The Monk
17. Who has a red beard and tells crude stories? (Group Exam 2019)
A) The Host
B) The Miller
C) The Franklin
D) The Pardoner
Ans: B) The Miller
18. Which pilgrim has a wart on his nose and plays the bagpipes? (NET English 2017)
A) The Summoner
B) The Miller
C) The Reeve
D) The Shipman
Ans: B) The Miller
19. Which pilgrim is a successful landowner and known for his generosity? (Banking Exam 2015)
A) The Plowman
B) The Clerk
C) The Franklin
D) The Reeve
Ans: C) The Franklin
20. Who is the ideal clergyman, living a virtuous and humble life? (TRG 2016)
A) The Parson
B) The Monk
C) The Summoner
D) The Pardoner
Ans: A) The Parson
21. What does spring symbolize in the opening lines of The General Prologue? (UPSC Mains 2015)
A) Death and decay
B) Renewal and rebirth
C) War and destruction
D) Chaos and disorder
Ans: B) Renewal and rebirth
22. The pilgrimage can be interpreted as a metaphor for what? (SLET 2019)
A) Social mobility
B) Life’s journey
C) Feudal hierarchy
D) Literary realism
Ans: B) Life’s journey
23. What does the Pardoner’s appearance suggest about his character? (SSC CGL 2018)
A) Honesty and faith
B) Corruption and deceit
C) Strength and courage
D) Wisdom and knowledge
Ans: B) Corruption and deceit
24. Which social class is most represented in The General Prologue? (Indian Railways 2017)
A) The Nobility
B) The Middle Class
C) The Clergy
D) The Peasantry
Ans: B) The Middle Class
25. What is the main literary form of The Canterbury Tales? (NET 2019)
A) Epic Poetry
B) Frame Narrative
C) Tragic Drama
D) Lyric Poetry
Ans: B) Frame Narrative
26. In what verse form is The Canterbury Tales written? (SLET 2016)
A) Blank Verse
B) Rhymed Couplets
C) Free Verse
D) Heroic Stanzas
Ans: B) Rhymed Couplets
27. Which literary device is used to introduce each character? (UPSC Prelims 2018)
A) Direct and Indirect Characterization
B) Hyperbole
C) Metaphor
D) Paradox
Ans: A) Direct and Indirect Characterization
28. Which of the following best describes Chaucer’s tone in The General Prologue? (SSC CGL 2021)
A) Tragic
B) Melancholic
C) Satirical
D) Solemn
Ans: C) Satirical
29. How does Chaucer present the religious figures in The General Prologue? (PGTRB 2021)
A) As the most virtuous characters
B) As generally weak but harmless
C) As often corrupt and hypocritical
D) As powerful rulers
Ans: C) As often corrupt and hypocritical
30. What is Chaucer’s purpose in using irony? (NET 2020)
A) To entertain readers without judgment
B) To criticize social norms and corruption
C) To promote religious devotion
D) To confuse the audience
Ans: B) To criticize social norms and corruption
31. What poetic technique is used in The General Prologue? (State PSC 2017)
A) Enjambment
B) Caesura
C) Iambic Pentameter
D) Sestina
Ans: C) Iambic Pentameter
32. Which literary period does The Canterbury Tales belong to? (UPSC Mains 2016)
A) Old English
B) Middle English
C) Renaissance
D) Neoclassical
Ans: B) Middle English
33. Which character is described as “as fresh as the month of May”? (SSC CHSL 2022)
A) The Prioress
B) The Squire
C) The Wife of Bath
D) The Summoner
Ans: B) The Squire
34. Which character is a skilled tradesman but often overlooked in the narrative? (NET 2018)
A) The Reeve
B) The Guildsmen
C) The Clerk
D) The Summoner
Ans: B) The Guildsmen
35. What is Chaucer’s primary reason for including such a diverse group of pilgrims? (Banking Exam 2020)
A) To entertain with humor
B) To provide a moral lesson
C) To depict a cross-section of medieval society
D) To criticize the monarchy
Ans: C) To depict a cross-section of medieval society
36. What is the name of the Host? (TRG 2017)
A) Geoffrey Chaucer
B) Harry Bailey
C) Thomas Becket
D) John of Gaunt
Ans: B) Harry Bailey
37. How many stories did Chaucer originally plan? (SLET 2018)
A) 24
B) 40
C) 120
D) 75
Ans: C) 120
38. Which war influenced The Canterbury Tales? (UPSC Mains 2016)
A) The War of the Roses
B) The Norman Conquest
C) The Hundred Years’ War
D) The English Civil War
Ans: C) The Hundred Years’ War
39. What was Chaucer’s profession? (SSC CGL 2019)
A) Civil Servant
B) Merchant
C) University Professor
D) Soldier
Ans: A) Civil Servant
40. Which Italian writer influenced Chaucer? (NET 2017)
A) Dante
B) Boccaccio
C) Petrarch
D) Virgil
Ans: B) Boccaccio
41. Which literary device is often used in Chaucer’s descriptions of the pilgrims? (TRB 2018)
A) Allegory
B) Satire
C) Paradox
D) Epigram
Ans: B) Satire
42. Which two pilgrims are brothers? (Banking Exam 2019)
A) The Knight and the Squire
B) The Parson and the Plowman
C) The Summoner and the Pardoner
D) The Miller and the Reeve
Ans: B) The Parson and the Plowman
43. Which profession best describes Chaucer's background? (UPSC Mains 2018)
A) Aristocrat
B) Lawyer
C) Government Official
D) Playwright
Ans: C) Government Official
44. Which character is bald and fat, and enjoys eating? (SSC CHSL 2017)
A) The Monk
B) The Reeve
C) The Franklin
D) The Clerk
Ans: A) The Monk
45. What does Chaucer promise to provide in The General Prologue? (SLET 2020)
A) A moral lesson
B) The truth about each pilgrim
C) A tragic ending
D) A heroic story
Ans: B) The truth about each pilgrim
46. Which pilgrim is most associated with hypocrisy? (NET English 2020)
A) The Monk
B) The Pardoner
C) The Parson
D) The Franklin
Ans: B) The Pardoner
47. Which character is presented as the most virtuous? (UPSC Prelims 2019)
A) The Knight
B) The Summoner
C) The Wife of Bath
D) The Merchant
Ans: A) The Knight
48. What is the primary theme of The General Prologue? (SSC CGL 2016)
A) The beauty of nature
B) The corruption of society
C) The nobility of the aristocracy
D) The power of destiny
Ans: B) The corruption of society
49. Which character represents new wealth and the growing merchant class? (SLET 2017)
A) The Reeve
B) The Merchant
C) The Plowman
D) The Summoner
Ans: B) The Merchant
50. What aspect of the Summoner's appearance disgusts people? (TRG 2018)
A) His pale skin
B) His red, pimple-covered face
C) His bald head
D) His wooden leg
Ans: B) His red, pimple-covered face
51. Which character is portrayed as both experienced and manipulative in love? (PGTRB 2021)
A) The Prioress
B) The Wife of Bath
C) The Squire
D) The Franklin
Ans: B) The Wife of Bath
52. Why is the Clerk admired despite his poverty? (SSC CHSL 2018)
A) He is intelligent and loves learning
B) He is secretly wealthy
C) He is a skilled hunter
D) He is a great warrior
Ans: A) He is intelligent and loves learning
53. What does Chaucer criticize through his description of the Monk? (UPSC Mains 2017)
A) The lack of monasteries
B) The corruption of the church
C) The ignorance of commoners
D) The cruelty of knights
Ans: B) The corruption of the church
54. Which character is described as being obsessed with money? (NET 2019)
A) The Doctor
B) The Plowman
C) The Squire
D) The Parson
Ans: A) The Doctor
55. Which two characters are most closely associated with greed? (State PSC 2018)
A) The Knight and The Squire
B) The Pardoner and The Summoner
C) The Clerk and The Franklin
D) The Miller and The Plowman
Ans: B) The Pardoner and The Summoner
56. During which century was The Canterbury Tales written? (SSC CGL 2017)
A) 11th century
B) 12th century
C) 14th century
D) 16th century
Ans: C) 14th century
57. Which English king ruled during Chaucer’s time? (UPSC Prelims 2018)
A) Henry II
B) Edward III
C) Richard III
D) Henry VIII
Ans: B) Edward III
58. Which social class is underrepresented in The General Prologue? (NET 2019)
A) The Nobility
B) The Clergy
C) The Middle Class
D) The Serfs/Peasantry
Ans: D) The Serfs/Peasantry
59. Which historical event greatly influenced The Canterbury Tales? (State PSC 2021)
A) The Magna Carta
B) The Black Death
C) The Norman Conquest
D) The Spanish Armada
Ans: B) The Black Death
60. Which literary movement does Chaucer belong to? (SLET 2020)
A) Romanticism
B) Renaissance Humanism
C) Medieval Literature
D) Victorian Realism
Ans: C) Medieval Literature
61. Which famous shrine were the pilgrims traveling to? (Indian Railways 2019)
A) St. Paul’s Cathedral
B) Westminster Abbey
C) Canterbury Cathedral
D) St. Peter’s Basilica
Ans: C) Canterbury Cathedral
62. Which saint’s shrine were the pilgrims visiting? (NET 2017)
A) St. Thomas Becket
B) St. Augustine
C) St. Patrick
D) St. Francis of Assisi
Ans: A) St. Thomas Becket
63. What was Chaucer’s primary occupation? (UPSC Mains 2016)
A) Playwright
B) Royal Court Official
C) Philosopher
D) Bishop
Ans: B) Royal Court Official
64. What language was The Canterbury Tales originally written in? (PGTRB 2019)
A) Latin
B) French
C) Old English
D) Middle English
Ans: D) Middle English
65. Which social class does the Knight represent? (SSC CHSL 2021)
A) Clergy
B) Aristocracy
C) Middle Class
D) Peasantry
Ans: B) Aristocracy
66. Which of the following was a major influence on Chaucer’s writing? (TRG 2020)
A) Greek Tragedies
B) French and Italian Literature
C) Shakespeare’s Plays
D) Viking Sagas
Ans: B) French and Italian Literature
67. Which famous Italian poet was Chaucer’s contemporary? (UPSC Prelims 2022)
A) Virgil
B) Dante Alighieri
C) John Milton
D) William Wordsworth
Ans: B) Dante Alighieri
68. What is one reason The Canterbury Tales is significant in English literature? (NET English 2021)
A) It is the first printed book in England
B) It was the first novel written in English
C) It helped standardize Middle English
D) It was written entirely in prose
Ans: C) It helped standardize Middle English
69. What impact did The Canterbury Tales have on later English literature? (Banking Exam 2018)
A) It introduced the novel as a genre
B) It influenced satire and character-driven storytelling
C) It made Latin the dominant literary language
D) It discouraged literary realism
Ans: B) It influenced satire and character-driven storytelling
70. Which of the following is a modern adaptation inspired by The Canterbury Tales? (SSC CGL 2020)
A) The Pilgrim’s Progress
B) The Canterbury Tales: A Retelling by Peter Ackroyd
C) Paradise Lost
D) Ulysses
Ans: B) The Canterbury Tales: A Retelling by Peter Ackroyd
71. Who was the first person to print The Canterbury Tales? (State PSC 2019)
A) Geoffrey Chaucer
B) William Caxton
C) John Wycliffe
D) Richard Pynson
Ans: B) William Caxton
72. Which literary form did The Canterbury Tales help popularize? (SLET 2018)
A) Prose Novel
B) Frame Narrative
C) Epic Poetry
D) Shakespearean Drama
Ans: B) Frame Narrative
73. What is a major reason The Canterbury Tales is still studied today? (UPSC Mains 2021)
A) It is the oldest English book
B) It provides insight into medieval society
C) It is entirely historically accurate
D) It contains real accounts of pilgrimage
Ans: B) It provides insight into medieval society
74. Which of these is NOT a reason why The Canterbury Tales is considered groundbreaking? (NET 2020)
A) It portrays realistic characters
B) It was written in Latin
C) It uses humor and satire
D) It gives a voice to different social classes
Ans: B) It was written in Latin
75. Why is The Canterbury Tales sometimes called "a portrait of medieval life"? (SSC CHSL 2022)
A) It includes many historical facts
B) It features characters from different social classes
C) It follows a strict religious theme
D) It is a documentary-style work
Ans: B) It features characters from different social classes
76. Which character is described as "gap-toothed"? (SSC CGL 2019)
A) The Prioress
B) The Wife of Bath
C) The Summoner
D) The Clerk
Ans: B) The Wife of Bath
77. Which pilgrim is known for his greed and love of gold? (UPSC Prelims 2020)
A) The Knight
B) The Doctor
C) The Parson
D) The Plowman
Ans: B) The Doctor
78. What is the main setting of The General Prologue? (NET 2016)
A) A cathedral
B) An inn in Southwark
C) A royal palace
D) A monastery
Ans: B) An inn in Southwark
79. What does the Host propose to make the journey more enjoyable? (State PSC 2017)
A) A poetry contest
B) A storytelling contest
C) A singing competition
D) A feast at the end
Ans: B) A storytelling contest
80. Which character is known for his drinking and lechery? (SLET 2019)
A) The Monk
B) The Summoner
C) The Reeve
D) The Parson
Ans: B) The Summoner
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