English Lit. Throughout the Years (1000-1950) Flashcards
Who was Geoffrey Chaucer and what did he author? (c.1343-1400)
English poet and author known for The Canterbury Tales, a seminal work in English literature, it depicted medieval society.
What is The Canterbury Tales about? (1400)
By Geoffrey Chaucer, The Canterbury Tales is a collection of stories It depicts a group of pilgrims traveling to Canterbury and telling their tales, reflecting various aspects of medieval society.
Who was William Shakespeare and why is he considered the pinnacle of English literature? (c.1564-1616)
A key figure of the English Renaissance, Shakespeare’s plays and sonnets profoundly influenced English literature and culture and are considered the greatest in the English language.
Who was Sir Thomas More and what did he author? (c.1478-1535)
An English statesman and author known for Utopia (1516), a seminal text in political satire.
What is Utopia about? (1516)
By Thomas More, Utopia is a political satire that describes an ideal society on a fictional island. It explores themes of governance and social reform.
Who was Edmund Spenser and what is his most famous work? (c.1552-1599)
Poet best known for The Faerie Queene, an epic poem celebrating the Tudor dynasty and Elizabeth I. Spenser’s work is a masterpiece of allegory and a significant contribution to English literature.
What is The Faerie Queene? (1590)
By Edmund Spenser, an Elizabethan epic poem that celebrates allegorical tales of chivalry and virtue among knights.
Name some of Shakespeare’s history plays.
Richard II, Richard III, Henry IV, Henry V, Henry VI, Henry VIII, Edward III, and King John.
Name some of Shakespeare’s comedies.
As You Like It, The Comedy of Errors, Love’s Labour’s Lost, The Merry Wives of Windsor, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Much Ado About Nothing, The Taming of the Shrew, and Twelfth Night.
Name some of Shakespeare’s tragedies.
Titus Andronicus, Romeo and Juliet, Julius Caesar, Hamlet, Othello, King Lear, Macbeth, Timon of Athens, Antony and Cleopatra, and Coriolanus.
Who was Christopher Marlowe and what works did he author? (c.1564-1593)
Famed English playwright known for his influential Elizabethan tragedies such as Doctor Faustus. A contemporary of Shakespeare.
Genre: Elizabethan
What is Doctor Faustus? (1592)
By Marlowe, an incredible tragedy about a scholar who makes a pact with the devil, trading his soul for otherworldly knowledge and power, exploring themes of ambition, sin, and redemption.
Who was John Bunyan, and why is he significant in theological literature? (c.1628-1688)
English writer best known for The Pilgrim’s Progress a Christian allegory and a famed classic of English literature.
What is The Pilgrim’s Progress about? (1678)
By John Bunyan, The Pilgrim’s Progress is an allegorical novel that depicts a Christian’s journey from the City of Destruction to the Celestial City, symbolizing the spiritual journey of faith and salvation.
Who was Jonathan Swift, and what works did he author? (c.1667-1745)
Anglo-Irish author and satirist, best known for Gulliver’s Travels (1726) and A Modest Proposal (1729), both of which are critical social commentaries.
What is Gulliver’s Travels? (1726)
By Jonathan Swift, a satirical novel that follows Lemuel Gulliver’s voyages to fictional lands, including Lilliput, Laputa, and the land of the Houyhnhnms. The novel explores themes of human nature and society, critiquing the follies and vices of humanity through its fantastical settings and characters.
What is A Modest Proposal? (1729)
By Jonathan Swift, a satirical pamphlet that ironically suggests solving Ireland’s poverty by selling their children as food, critiquing British apathy toward the Irish.
Who was Alexander Pope, and what did he author? (c.1688-1744)
English poet and translator known for his works The Rape of the Lock, An Essay on Criticism, and translating Homer’s Odyssey and the Iliad.
What is An Essay on Criticism and what is its purpose? (1711)
By Alexander Pope, An Essay on Criticism is a didactic poem offering guidance on literary criticism and the nature of good writing.
What is The Rape of the Lock? (1712)
By Alexander Pope, a mock-epic poem that satirizes a minor social scandal over a lock of hair, highlighting the absurdity of vanity and high society.
Who was William Wordsworth, and what did he author? (c.1770-1850)
William Wordsworth was a Romantic poet known for his works like Lyrical Ballads and The Prelude. He emphasized the beauty of nature and the imagination.
Genre: Romanticism
Who was Jane Austen, and what did she author? (c.1775-1817)
An English novelist known for works like Pride and Prejudice and Sense and Sensibility. She is celebrated for her keen observations of social manners and her exploration of women’s roles in society.
What is Pride and Prejudice? (1813)
A novel by Jane Austin that critiques societal norms and explores themes of love, class, and individualism through the story of Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy.
What is Sense and Sensibility? (1811)
By Jane Austin, A novel focusing on the contrasting personalities of the Dashwood sisters, Elinor and Marianne, and their experiences with love and social expectations.
