Bleak House MCQs

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Author: Nasir Iqbal | Assistant Professor of English Literature

Bleak House MCQs
Updated on: October 11, 2025
Estimated Reading Time: 17 min

Bleak House MCQs

1. The weather described in Chapter 1 during Michaelmas Term is what kind of weather?

A. Sunny and clear
B. Implacable November weather
C. Cold and dry
D. Spring-like

B. Implacable November weather.

The implacable November weather sets the novel’s gloomy tone. It immediately establishes the atmosphere of decay and stagnation.

2. What large creature might one expect to meet waddling up Holborn Hill due to the weather?

A. An elephant
B. A Mastodon
C. A Megalosaurus
D. A Hippopotamus

C. A Megalosaurus.

The Megalosaurus reference satirizes the slow, archaic nature of Chancery. It emphasizes the Court’s prehistoric inefficiency.

3. The High Court of Chancery is referred to as “most pestilent of hoary sinners” holding what kind of condition?

A. Wealthy and grand
B. Groping and floundering
C. Just and fair
D. Decaying and empty

B. Groping and floundering.

The Court is described as groping and floundering. This highlights the chaos, corruption, and confusion that ruin its suitors.

4. What material makes up the headgear worn by members of the High Court of Chancery bar?

A. Silk and wool
B. Goat-hair and horse-hair
C. Linen and cotton
D. Ivory and bone

B. Goat-hair and horse-hair.

The wigs are made of goat-hair and horse-hair. This emphasizes the artificiality and antiquated customs of the legal profession.

5. The long matted well between the registrar’s table and the silk gowns is mentioned as a place one might look in vain for what?

A. Money
B. Truth
C. Justice
D. The Lord Chancellor

B. Truth.

The long matted well is where one might look in vain for Truth. This symbolizes the Court’s lack of moral integrity.

6. What warning do honorable practitioners give regarding coming to the Court of Chancery?

A. Hire the best counsel
B. Suffer any wrong rather than come here
C. Be patient
D. Bring copious documents

B. Suffer any wrong rather than come here.

Honorable practitioners warn people to suffer any wrong rather than come here. This highlights the destructive power of the legal system.

7. What is the name of the endless cause currently “in hand” in Chancery?

A. Dedlock v. Boythorn
B. Krook v. Nemo
C. The Great Seal Case
D. Jarndyce and Jarndyce

D. Jarndyce and Jarndyce.

Jarndyce and Jarndyce is the endless cause. This central metaphor represents the legal system’s paralyzing inefficiency and self-perpetuation.

8. Who is always present in court, expecting an incomprehensible judgment?

A. A sallow prisoner
B. The man from Shorpshire
C. A little mad old woman in a squeezed bonnet
D. Miss Barbary

C. A little mad old woman in a squeezed bonnet.

The mad old woman is Miss Flite. She is driven insane by her long involvement with the suit.

9. What happened to old Tom Jarndyce in despair over the suit?

A. He died of sickness
B. He blew his brains out at a coffee-house in Chancery Lane
C. He ran away
D. He went into bankruptcy

B. He blew his brains out at a coffee-house in Chancery Lane.

Old Tom Jarndyce killed himself over despair about the suit. This shows the tragic, destructive human cost of the legal delays.

10. Into what status were the legion of bills in the suit transformed?

A. Bills of costs
B. Bills of mortality
C. Bills of law
D. Bills of particulars

B. Bills of mortality.

The legion of bills was transformed into Bills of Mortality. This symbolizes that Chancery brings death rather than justice.

11. When the Chancellor says he will see “both the young people,” what two people are referred to?

A. Richard Carstone and Ada Clare
B. Esther Summerson and Ada Clare
C. Richard Carstone and Esther Summerson
D. Mr Tangle’s friends

A. Richard Carstone and Ada Clare.

Richard Carstone and Ada Clare are the young people. They are hopeful suitors destined to be destroyed by the long suit.

12. Mr Tulkinghorn’s dress expresses him as the steward of legal mysteries or the butler of what?

A. The legal cellar
B. Chesney Wold
C. The Dedlock fortunes
D. The court

A. The legal cellar.

Tulkinghorn is the steward of legal mysteries. This suggests he controls the secret, dark knowledge that Chancery holds.

13. Sir Leicester Dedlock regards the Court of Chancery as something devised by the perfection of human wisdom for what purpose?

A. The eternal settlement of every thing
B. His personal status
C. The continuation of the Dedlock name
D. Avoiding Wat Tyler

A. The eternal settlement of every thing.

Sir Leicester views Chancery as perfect human wisdom. This shows his deep, conservative reverence for antiquated institutions.

14. What interrupts Mr Tulkinghorn’s reading of the court document?

A. Lady Dedlock’s request to skip formalities
B. Sir Leicester dosing
C. Lady Dedlock’s swoon
D. Lady Dedlock asking who copied the papers

D. Lady Dedlock asking who copied the papers.

Lady Dedlock asks who copied the papers. This is the first clue to her hidden past and connection to Nemo.

15. What is the estimated aggregate amount of costs in Jarndyce and Jarndyce?

A. From twenty to thirty thousand pounds
B. From sixty to seventy thousand pounds
C. Over one hundred thousand pounds
D. Five thousand pounds

B. From sixty to seventy thousand pounds.

The immense cost of the suit highlights the corruption and profiteering. The legal machine consumes all the estate’s value.

16. From whom does the receiver in the cause acquire distrust and contempt?

A. His own kind and his own mother
B. The solicitors
C. The suitors
D. The court

A. His own kind and his own mother.

The receiver’s moral decay is so complete he distrusts his own kind and mother. This shows the ruinous effect of the suit on morality.

17. Who is the mild bald gentleman in spectacles who drops into dinner at Mrs Jellyby’s house?

A. Mr Quale
B. Mr Kenge
C. Mr Jellyby
D. Richard Carstone

C. Mr Jellyby.

Mr. Jellyby is completely defeated by his wife’s obsessive philanthropy. He represents the neglected husband in the novel.

18. Caddy Jellyby used her inky middle finger and vinegar to smear over what?

A. Her documents
B. The table
C. Ink stains on her face
D. Peepy’s clothes

C. Ink stains on her face.

Caddy attempts to remove the ink stains on her face. This symbolizes her desperation to clean up the chaos of her home life.

19. Caddy Jellyby suddenly say she wished was dead?

A. Borrioboola-Gha
B. Africa
C. Her mother
D. Philanthropy

B. Africa.

Caddy wishes Africa were dead because her mother’s obsessive focus on it ruined their home life. This satirizes misdirected charity.

20. What kind of shop had legal inscriptions written in law-hand among the prices for rags and bottles?

A. Mr Snagsby’s
B. Mr Krook’s
C. Coavinses
D. Mr Tulkinghorn’s

B. Mr Krook’s.

Mr. Krook’s rag and bottle shop is symbolic of Chancery itself. It is a chaotic repository of decay and useless documents.

21. What was written on the inscription advertising a respectable man wanting engrossing or copying work?

A. Address to Mr Snagsby
B. Address to Nemo, care of Mr Krook within
C. Law Books, all at 9d
D. Marine Stores

B. Address to Nemo, care of Mr Krook within.

The inscription points to Nemo, the law-writer. This links the mystery of the deceased writer to the lawyer’s haunts.

22. What is the name of the old lady who keeps birds in the garret?

A. Mrs Snagsby
B. Miss Flite
C. Mrs Jellyby
D. Miss Barbary

B. Miss Flite.

Miss Flite is the old lady. Her birds symbolize the suitors waiting vainly for the suit’s conclusion.

23. What word does Richard say is “a weary word”?

A. London
B. Adventure
C. Chancery
D. Costs

C. Chancery.

Richard says “Chancery” is a weary word. This signals his initial disillusionment and despair regarding the suit.

24. What is the name of Mr Skimpole’s steward, according to his philosophy?

A. Ada
B. Richard
C. Jarndyce
D. The World

C. Jarndyce.

Skimpole calls Mr. Jarndyce his steward. This shows Skimpole’s selfish, childlike philosophy of living off others’ wealth.

25. What is the name of the man who comes to arrest Mr Skimpole?

A. Mr Tulkinghorn
B. Mr Tangle
C. Coavinses
D. Mr Kenge

C. Coavinses.

Coavinses is the man who arrests Skimpole. His arrest highlights Skimpole’s complete financial irresponsibility.

26. Who is mentioned as a mother who had two sons, one who ran wild and one who constructed steam-engines?

A. Mrs Jellyby
B. Mrs Snagsby
C. Mrs Rouncewell
D. Mrs Bagnet

C. Mrs Rouncewell.

Mrs. Rouncewell had two sons, one a rebel and one an ironmaster. This contrasts old aristocracy with new industrial power.

27. Sir Leicester Dedlock sees Mrs Rouncewell’s second son (the ironmaster) as one of a body of conspirators who do what?

A. Turn out by torchlight, for unlawful purposes
B. Practice law
C. Seek election to Parliament
D. Engage in philanthropy

A. Turn out by torchlight, for unlawful purposes.

Sir Leicester views the industrial ironmaster as a conspirator. This shows the old aristocracy’s fear of the rising working class.

28. The housekeeper says the family greatness of the Dedlocks consists in their never having done anything to distinguish themselves for how long?

A. Since the Conquest
B. For seven hundred years
C. In modern times
D. For a century

B. For seven hundred years.

The Dedlocks’ greatness consists in doing nothing for seven hundred years. This satirizes the arrogance of useless aristocracy.

29. What did the man on the floor, whom Mrs Pardiggle visited, accuse his wife of when asked about her black eye?

A. Giving it to herself
B. Having been in a brawl
C. Being a Lie if she denied he gave it her
D. Falling down

C. Being a Lie if she denied he gave it her.

This man’s brutal denial reveals the true misery and domestic violence hidden by Mrs. Pardiggle’s intrusive charity.

30. What phrase does Jo sum up his mental condition with?

A. That he ‘don’t know nothink’
B. That he is unfortunate
C. That he is wicked
D. That he is homeless

A. That he ‘don’t know nothink’.

Jo’s phrase “don’t know nothink” sums up his deep ignorance. It highlights his social neglect and lack of education.

31. What is the place where the law-writer was buried described as being?

A. Blessed
B. Not consecrated
C. T’othered
D. Peaceful

C. T’othered.

The burial place was called “T’othered.” This emphasizes the social exclusion of the poor, even in death.

32. Mr Boythorn says he would have bought what animal to loose upon the first encroaching robber?

A. A dog
B. A lion
C. A wolf
D. A bull-dog

B. A lion.

Mr. Boythorn wished for a lion. This illustrates his exaggerated rage and constant defiance toward Sir Leicester.

33. What is the name of the couple who are the expected guests at Mr Snagsby’s house?

A. Mr and Mrs Guppy
B. Mr and Mrs Tangle
C. Mr and Mrs Chadband
D. Mr and Mrs Bogsby

C. Mr and Mrs Chadband.

Mr. and Mrs. Chadband are the expected guests. Chadband is a hypocritical, verbose preacher who exploits piety.

34. What is the main product resulting from Mr Chadband’s heavy consumption of food and drink?

A. Verbose speech
B. A feeling of contentment
C. Oil of a certain quality
D. Spiritual profit

C. Oil of a certain quality.

Chadband’s consumption results in “Oil of a certain quality.” This satirizes his greasy, meaningless, and self-serving sermons.

35. Who cross-examines Jo regarding the sovereign he received from the veiled lady?

A. Mr Snagsby
B. Mr Chadband
C. Mr Guppy
D. The constable

C. Mr Guppy.

Mr. Guppy cross-examines Jo about the veiled lady. Guppy is obsessed with uncovering Lady Dedlock’s secret for professional gain.

36. What is the name of the detective officer Mr Tulkinghorn introduces to Mr Snagsby?

A. Mr Snagsby
B. Mr Mooney
C. Mr Tangle
D. Mr Bucket

D. Mr Bucket.

Mr. Bucket is the detective officer. He is highly competent and is the primary agent resolving the central murder mystery.

37. What does Mr Bucket offer to Jo at the end of the interview in Tulkinghorn’s chambers?

A. Five shillings
B. A sovereign
C. A half-crown
D. A new broom

A. Five shillings.

Mr. Bucket offered five shillings. This small payment contrasts with the huge costs of Chancery and the value of the information Jo holds.

38. What affliction did Caddy Jellyby’s daughter ultimately suffer from?

A. Blindness
B. Inky fingers
C. Deaf and dúmb
D. Fits

C. Deaf and dúmb.

Caddy’s daughter was deaf and dumb. This tragic affliction symbolizes the terrible neglect and communication failure in the Jellyby home.

39. The law-writer Nemo died from too much of what substance?

A. Alcohol
B. Opium
C. Poison
D. Cholera

B. Opium.

Nemo died from too much opium. This highlights the desperate poverty and self-medication of the urban poor.

40. Mr Snagsby compares Krook’s burning body to what phenomenon, though the idea disconcerts him?

A. An explosion
B. Spontaneous combustion
C. A dreadful mystery
D. A dreadful accident

B. Spontaneous combustion.

Mr. Snagsby compares Krook’s death to spontaneous combustion. This event symbolizes the destruction caused by Chancery.

41. What does Tony Weevle/Jobling confess about Krook’s reading ability?

A. He is too old and too drunk to acquire the knack of reading
B. He reads very well
C. He reads only law books
D. He only reads by night

A. He is too old and too drunk to acquire the knack of reading.

Tony Weevle confesses Krook was illiterate. This reveals the irony of the keeper of legal documents being unable to read.

42. What were the papers Mr Guppy intended to bring to Lady Dedlock?

A. Old letters
B. New affidavits
C. Warrants
D. Bills of mortality

A. Old letters.

The letters Mr. Guppy intended to bring were old, personal documents. They relate to Lady Dedlock’s connection with Captain Hawdon (Nemo).

43. Mr Vholes insists he cannot be selfish because he must maintain his daughters and what other relative?

A. A dear grandmother
B. An aged father in the Vale of Taunton
C. His wife
D. His cousin

B. An aged father in the Vale of Taunton.

Vholes insists he maintains his aged father. This is his hypocritical justification for exploiting his clients.

44. Mr George describes Mr Tulkinghorn as what kind of man?

A. A confoundedly bad kind of man, slow-torturing
B. A fine old soldier
C. A legal genius
D. A man of great generosity

A. A confoundedly bad kind of man, slow-torturing.

Mr. George calls Tulkinghorn this. This shows the lawyer’s cold, methodical cruelty.

45. What two words were written on the anonymous letters received by Mr Bucket?

A. Tulkinghorn murdered
B. Lady Dedlock
C. George Rousewell
D. Find her

B. Lady Dedlock.

The anonymous letters contained these two words. These letters drive the tension and the murder investigation forward.

46. Who does Mr Bucket instruct Mercury to mention to Sir Leicester is ready to report?

A. Mrs Bucket
B. Mr Tulkinghorn
C. Himself
D. The beadle

C. Himself.

Mr. Bucket instructs Mercury to report himself as ready. This highlights the detective’s confidence and control over the investigation.

47. Who does Mr Bucket say was Krook’s own brother?

A. Mr Tulkinghorn
B. Captain Hawdon
C. A brimstone magpie (Mrs Smallweed)
D. Mr George

C. A brimstone magpie (Mrs Smallweed).

Mr. Smallweed humorously implies his wife was Krook’s sister. This adds grotesque family complication to the mystery.

48. What specific words were written on the letter directed to Sir Leicester, intercepted by Mr Bucket?

A. Lady Dedlock
B. Lady Dedlock, murderess
C. Guilty
D. Forgiveness

B. Lady Dedlock, murderess.

The intercepted letter contained these specific words. This is the core revelation of the book and the climax of Tulkinghorn’s investigation.

49. How did Mr Bucket say he originally acquired the information leading to Jo/Toughey?

A. By following Kenge and Carboy
B. By throwing a morsel of gravel at Harold Skimpole’s window
C. By listening to Mr Jarndyce
D. By questioning the beadle

B. By throwing a morsel of gravel at Harold Skimpole’s window.

Bucket got information by throwing gravel at Skimpole’s window. This shows Skimpole’s casual betrayal of Jo and others for money.

50. Why does Sir Leicester keep Volumnia at his bedside?

A. To entertain him
B. To read to him
C. To prevent her talking somewhere else
D. To comfort him

C. To prevent her talking somewhere else.

Volumnia is kept at Sir Leicester’s bedside to prevent her talking somewhere else. This shows Sir Leicester’s obsession with appearances.

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