Far from the Madding Crowd MCQs

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Author: Nasir Iqbal | Assistant Professor of English Literature


Updated on: November 13, 2025
Estimated Reading Time: 15 min

Far from the Madding Crowd MCQs

1. What is Gabriel Oak’s Christian name?

A. Farmer
B. Thomas
C. Gabriel
D. Boldwood

C. Gabriel.
Gabriel is his first name, often used in narration alongside his occupational title.

2. What is Bathsheba’s greatest fault, according to Gabriel?

A. Too proud
B. Too selfish
C. Too vain
D. Too headstrong

C. Too vain.
Gabriel believes vanity is the biggest fault of the handsome traveller he observed.

3. What season precedes the description of Oak’s nighttime watch?

A. High summer
B. Late autumn
C. Mid-winter
D. Early spring

C. Mid-winter.
The setting is described as nearly midnight on the eve of St. Thomas’s, the shortest day.

4. What covered Norcombe Hill on its northern side?

A. Granite rocks
B. Chalk and soil
C. Decaying beeches
D. Young pines

C. Decaying beeches.
An ancient and decaying plantation of beeches covers the northern slope of Norcombe Hill.
5. What is one of the chief preparations in Oak’s ovine surgery kit?

A. Sulphur
B. Spirits of wine
C. Iodine
D. Poppy seeds

B. Spirits of wine.
Gabriel’s tools include spirits of wine, turpentine, tar, and other basic supplies for sheep medicine.

6. What does Gabriel bring into his hut near midnight?

A. A dying ewe
B. A sick cow
C. A stray dog
D. A newborn lamb

D. A newborn lamb.
Gabriel returns to his hut from the flock carrying a newborn lamb that had just arrived.

7. What is the color of the Devon breed cow Bathsheba and her aunt tend?

A. Indian red
B. Gray and white
C. Spotted black
D. Devonshire brown

A. Indian red.
The cow standing erect, belonging to the Devon breed, is a uniform rich Indian red colour.

8. How does Gabriel first form a decisive opinion of the young woman’s looks?

A. He sees clearly
B. He consults Liddy
C. He relies on fancy
D. He uses a lantern

C. He relies on fancy.
Due to her cloak and aerial position, Gabriel relies on his fancy to paint her as a beauty.

9. How did Gabriel instantly recognize Bathsheba when she dropped her cloak?

A. Yellow wagon
B. Looking-glass
C. Myrtle, wagon
D. Waggon, bonnet

C. Myrtle, wagon.
Gabriel recognized her as the heroine of the yellow wagon, myrtles, and looking-glass.
10. What is the young woman’s name?

A. Fanny Robin
B. Liddy Smallbury
C. Mrs. Hurst
D. Bathsheba Everdene

D. Bathsheba Everdene.
Gabriel makes inquiries and discovers the girl’s full name is Bathsheba Everdene.

11. Why does Gabriel visit Mrs. Hurst’s cottage?

A. To sell a sheep
B. To ask for work
C. To bring a lamb
D. To fetch his hat

C. To bring a lamb.
Gabriel manufactured an errand, bringing a lamb for Bathsheba to rear as a gift.

12. What reason does Bathsheba give for refusing Oak’s first proposal?

A. She lacks money
B. She loves another
C. She is too independent
D. He is too old

C. She is too independent.
Bathsheba states she needs someone to tame her, feeling she is too independent for Gabriel.

13. What is Gabriel’s moral flaw that hinders his suit with Bathsheba?

A. Too passionate
B. Too honest
C. Too cynical
D. Too humorous

B. Too honest.
Gabriel has one-and-a-half good traits too many, including a superfluous moiety of honesty.

14. Where does Bathsheba move to after rejecting Gabriel?

A. Casterbridge
B. Tewnell Mill
C. Norcombe Hill
D. Weatherbury

D. Weatherbury.
Gabriel learns indirectly that Bathsheba has gone to a place called Weatherbury, more than twenty miles away.
15. What happens to Gabriel’s farm after Bathsheba leaves Norcombe?

A. It thrives
B. It is sold
C. He loses it
D. He hires a bailiff

C. He loses it.
A pastoral tragedy occurs, and Gabriel loses his status as pastoral king due to misfortune.

16. What item did Gabriel acquire by exchanging his overcoat at Casterbridge Fair?

A. A new crook
B. A farm lease
C. A regulation smock
D. A pair of boots

C. A regulation smock.
Gabriel exchanged his overcoat for a shepherd’s regulation smock-frock after losing his money.

17. What did Gabriel discover was causing the commotion near Weatherbury?

A. A flood
B. A theft
C. A fire
D. A wedding

C. A fire.
Gabriel arrived near Weatherbury during the night and found commotion due to a rickyard fire.

18. Who is the mistress of Weatherbury Upper Farm, according to a bystander?

A. A wealthy visitor
B. A woman farmer
C. An old lady
D. A rich visitor

B. A woman farmer.
A bystander confirms that the new mistress is a woman farmer, who took on her uncle’s estate.

19. What feeling best describes Bathsheba’s reaction upon recognizing Gabriel?

A. Unmitigated joy
B. Slight exultation
C. Terrible dread
D. Complete surprise

B. Slight exultation.
Bathsheba was amused, felt a little pity, and a very little exultation at her superior position.
20. What is the name of the establishment where the villagers gathered for victuals?

A. The Tailor’s Arms
B. The Buck’s Head
C. Warren’s Malthouse
D. The King’s Arms

C. Warren’s Malthouse.
Gabriel walked to the village and found the men at Warren’s Malthouse, waiting for food/drink.

21. Why is the large two-handled mug called a “God-forgive-me” in Weatherbury?

A. For its taste
B. For its size
C. For its age
D. For its dirt

B. For its size.
The mug is likely called this because its size makes any toper ashamed when he drinks it empty.

22. Who is described as being exceptionally bashful and prone to blushes?

A. Gabriel Oak
B. Henery Fray
C. Joseph Poorgrass
D. Jan Coggan

C. Joseph Poorgrass.
Joseph Poorgrass is characterized by extreme shyness, which caused him to blush when seeing Bathsheba.

23. What was Bathsheba’s father’s profession?

A. Maltster
B. Farmer
C. Gentleman-tailor
D. Solicitor

C. Gentleman-tailor.
Bathsheba’s father, Levi Everdene, was a gentleman-tailor who frequently became bankrupt.

24. What total age does the maltster ultimately claim for himself?

A. One hundred
B. Eighty-nine
C. Sixty-five
D. Hundred and seventeen

D. Hundred and seventeen.
After summing up the years he lived in various places, the maltster calculates his age to be hundred and seventeen.
25. Who is the servant girl who goes missing?

A. Liddy Smallbury
B. Temperance Miller
C. Fanny Robin
D. Maryann Money

C. Fanny Robin.
The villagers report that Bathsheba’s youngest servant, Fanny Robin, cannot be found.

26. What is Mr. Boldwood’s profession?

A. Shepherd
B. Gentleman-farmer
C. Maltster
D. Bailiff

B. Gentleman-farmer.
Mr. Boldwood is introduced as a wealthy gentleman-farmer at Little Weatherbury, about forty years old.

27. How did Boldwood show kindness to Fanny Robin in the past?

A. Gave her money
B. Took her to school
C. Hired her aunt
D. Provided lodging

B. Took her to school.
Boldwood, being a kind man, took Fanny and put her to school, and helped her find employment.

28. What phrase was embossed on the seal Bathsheba used on the valentine?

A. Forever yours
B. Love always
C. Marry me
D. Think of me

C. Marry me.
Bathsheba chose a seal with a motto that read “MARRY ME,” adding weight to her idle prank.

29. Who intercepts the letter addressed to the “New Shepherd” (Oak)?

A. Boldwood
B. Pennyways
C. Bathsheba
D. Jan Coggan

A. Boldwood.
The mail-cart driver mistakenly gives Farmer Boldwood the letter addressed to the New Shepherd.
30. Who wrote the letter addressed to the New Shepherd?

A. Bathsheba
B. Fanny Robin
C. Mrs. Hurst
D. Boldwood

B. Fanny Robin.
The letter was written by Fanny Robin, thanking the shepherd for his kindness before she left.

31. What news does Fanny Robin’s letter contain?

A. She needs money
B. She is returning
C. She is marrying Troy
D. She is ill

C. She is marrying Troy.
Fanny’s letter thanks the shepherd (Oak) for kindness and states she is marrying Sergeant Troy.

32. Why did Fanny Robin fail to marry Troy at the church?

A. He didn’t come
B. Wrong clothes
C. She made a mistake
D. Curate refused

C. She made a mistake.
Fanny mistakenly went to All Souls’ church instead of All Saints’, causing her to miss the wedding.

33. What is the main characteristic that preeminently marks Boldwood’s appearance?

A. Humility
B. Dignity
C. Youthfulness
D. Sadness

B. Dignity.
Boldwood is described as erect in attitude, quiet in demeanour, and marked pre-eminently by dignity.

34. What agricultural activity was occurring when Boldwood made his marriage offer?

A. Haymaking
B. Lambing
C. Sheepshearing
D. Sheep-washing

D. Sheep-washing.
Boldwood found Bathsheba by the pool during the sheep-washing season, where he proposed.
35. Why does Bathsheba dismiss Gabriel after he is rehired?

A. He was lazy
B. He stole corn
C. He criticized her
D. He disliked Troy

C. He criticized her.
Gabriel was dismissed a second time because he criticized her private conduct regarding Boldwood/Troy.

36. Why did Bathsheba’s sheep suffer from a fatal affliction?

A. Starvation
B. Drinking water
C. Eating young clover
D. Cold weather

C. Eating young clover.
The sheep broke the fence and got into a field of young clover, causing them to become blasted.

37. How does Gabriel save the afflicted sheep?

A. With a special herb
B. With a new feed
C. By piercing their side
D. By giving them water

C. By piercing their side.
Gabriel uses a small tube (trochar) to cure the sheep by puncturing the skin and rumen.

38. What did Bathsheba promise Boldwood after his first formal proposal?

A. Immediate marriage
B. To consider it later
C. Absolute refusal
D. To marry Troy

B. To consider it later.
Bathsheba told Boldwood she could not answer yet, but agreed to think of him.

39. What object did Troy give Bathsheba to show his feelings?

A. A gold ring
B. A curl of hair
C. A gold watch
D. A silver locket

C. A gold watch.
Troy presented Bathsheba with a heavy gold watch that had belonged to the last Lord Severn.
40. What object did Troy famously use to demonstrate his military expertise to Bathsheba?

A. A rifle
B. A sword
C. A bugle
D. A shield

B. A sword.
Troy dazzles Bathsheba by performing an intricate and dangerous exercise with his sword.

41. What does Bathsheba confess to Liddy about her feelings for Troy?

A. She respects him
B. She hates him
C. She loves him
D. She fears him

C. She loves him.
After initially denying it vehemently to the maids, Bathsheba confessed she loves him to very distraction.

42. What action by Troy does Boldwood force Bathsheba to confirm?

A. They kissed
B. They met
C. They married
D. They flirted

A. They kissed.
In his fury, Boldwood demanded she deny that Troy had kissed her; she admitted the truth.

43. How did Troy reveal his marriage to Bathsheba to Boldwood?

A. By confession
B. By a new letter
C. By a newspaper
D. By a shared tomb

C. By a newspaper.
Troy handed Boldwood a folded newspaper through a door slit, containing the marriage announcement.

44. What event happened to the Weatherbury workfolk during the thunderstorm?

A. They ran away
B. They were injured
C. They fell asleep drunk
D. They saved the ricks

C. They fell asleep drunk.
The workfolk, including Troy, fell into a drunken sleep after Troy provided brandy at the harvest supper.
45. What reason does Bathsheba give Oak for marrying Troy?

A. Pure love
B. Jealousy, distraction
C. For his money
D. To spite Boldwood

B. Jealousy, distraction.
Bathsheba confessed to Oak that she married Troy out of jealousy and distraction after he threatened to leave.

46. Where does Fanny Robin die?

A. Casterbridge Union
B. Boldwood’s Farm
C. Bath
D. Norcombe

A. Casterbridge Union.
Joseph Poorgrass brings the sad news that Fanny Robin is dead in the Union workhouse.

47. What painful detail confirms Bathsheba’s worst suspicion about Troy’s fidelity?

A. Fanny’s clothes
B. Fanny’s face
C. The hidden child
D. The yellow hair

D. The yellow hair.
Seeing Fanny’s yellow hair confirms it matches the curl Troy kept, proving his deep prior attachment.

48. Who changed the inscription on Fanny’s coffin before Bathsheba saw it?

A. Boldwood
B. Liddy
C. Troy
D. Gabriel

D. Gabriel.
Gabriel rubbed out the words “and child” from the chalk inscription on the coffin lid.

49. What was found in Boldwood’s locked closet after his arrest?

A. Costly dresses
B. Love letters
C. Farming accounts
D. Hidden money

A. Costly dresses.
A closet contained ladies’ dresses and jewellery, all expensive and labelled “Bathsheba Boldwood,” dated years ahead.
50. What realization leads Bathsheba and Gabriel to marry finally?

A. Mutual passion
B. Financial need
C. Shared labour
D. Oak’s humility

C. Shared labour.
Their enduring relationship grew from shared labour and knowing the “rougher sides” of each other.

Brief Overview

Far from the Madding Crowd was published in 1874 by Thomas Hardy. The novel is a pastoral tragedy set in rural England during the 19th century. It centers on the romantic choices and eventual maturation of the heroine, Bathsheba Everdene.

The story centers on Gabriel Oak, a hard-working farmer who loses his sheep flock and farm. He becomes a shepherd at Weatherbury Farm, which is run by the headstrong and beautiful Bathsheba Everdene, who had previously rejected his offer of marriage.

Bathsheba recklessly sends a playful valentine to Farmer Boldwood, a wealthy and serious man. This causes Boldwood to fall intensely in love with her. However, Bathsheba meets and quickly marries Sergeant Troy, a handsome but trickster soldier. Troy proves to be a terrible, abusive husband and carelessly wastes her money.

Fanny Robin, Troy’s former love, dies in the workhouse, which fills Troy with great remorse. Troy later leaves and is believed to have drowned. Boldwood waits patiently for Bathsheba, but when Troy returns unexpectedly alive at a party, Boldwood shoots him dead in a fit of rage. Boldwood is then confined.

Gabriel Oak, who has remained steady, faithful, and helpful throughout the entire ordeal, becomes the manager of Bathsheba’s farm. After a necessary period of mourning, Bathsheba finally realizes that Gabriel is the only man she truly respects and needs. They eventually marry quietly, building their love on mutual trust and enduring friendship.

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