World lit Flashcards
What is the sin of Acedia?
The sin of sloth, lack of zeal for goodness.
Example: Acedia is often discussed in the context of spiritual laziness in religious texts.
Define Affectation.
Something someone does to portray themselves as socially superior to others.
Example: The nun in Chaucer’s works exhibits affectation in her behavior.
What is a Breton Lay?
A narrative poem characteristic of Anglo-Norman romances, typically treating themes of love, chivalry, and the faerie world.
Example: Marie de France’s works are classic examples of Breton Lays.
What does Dharma refer to in Hinduism?
Hindu religious and social concept of duty and upholding one’s proper place in the social order.
What is an Epic?
A long narrative poem that tells of heroic deeds, usually reflects the values of the culture out of which it arises.
Define Filial Piety.
The devotion of children to their parents.
What is Flytting?
A Germanic verbal contest in which one person makes a claim and the other makes a defense and counter-claim, often involving insults.
What is an Honor Culture?
A cultural construct in which people must earn respect by challenging others.
What is the practice of Hospitality in ancient Greek custom?
The practice of welcoming strangers.
Define Hubris.
Character trait of excessive pride, arrogance, or defiance of the gods.
What does Incontinence mean?
Moral weakness, knowing the right thing but lacking the desire to do it.
What is Moksa?
The liberation of a soul from its differentiated existence.
What is the Privation Theory of Evil?
evil is a corruption of good
What does Quiting mean in Middle English?
To repay or to take revenge.
In The Hebrew Bible, what does God call his creation as he surveys it at the end of each day?
Good.
In Oedipus the King, who is the old, blind prophet that reveals the oracle’s message?
Tiresias.
What kind of test does Rama put Sita through in The Ramayana?
A test of fidelity in which she survives being burned by fire.
In Dante’s Inferno, what do the she-wolf, the lion, and the leopard represent?
Incontinence, violence, and fraud.
What value does Athena represent in The Odyssey?
Hospitality.
What is the lineage of Grendel in Beowulf?
He is a descendent of Cain.
What value is represented by the analect of Confucius regarding Zai Yu?
Self-cultivation.
What traits are included in the chivalric code of conduct according to Marie de France?
- Humility
- Courtesy
- Courtly love
Why does Augustine say he steals pears from his neighbor’s orchard?
He just wanted to steal.
What implication does Chaucer make about the Friar in the General Prologue?
He was a corrupt member of the clergy looking for money.
