The Countess of Pembroke’s Arcadia MCQs

Author's Photo
Have a specific topic you'd like me to cover? Feel free to contact me with your suggestions.
Author: Nasir Iqbal | Assistant Professor of English Literature


Updated on: November 24, 2025
Estimated Reading Time: 15 min

The Countess of Pembroke’s Arcadia MCQs

1. Who is the work primarily dedicated to?

A. Lady Philoclea
B. Countess of Pembroke
C. Queen of Corinth
D. Sir Philip Sidney

B. Countess of Pembroke.
The author, Philip Sidney, dedicated this work specifically to his sister, the Countess of Pembroke.

2. Who completed or revised the defects in the text?

A. Philip Sidney
B. Apelles’s pictures
C. The noble lady
D. H.S.

C. The noble lady.
The noble lady (the Countess of Pembroke) began correcting faults and supplying defects in the text.

3. What comparison is made for the original, idle work?

A. A dusty book
B. Spider’s web
C. A wild monster
D. Glasses or feathers

B. Spider’s web.
Sidney feared his “idle work” would be thought of as a spider’s web, fitter to be swept away.

4. Near which island are Strephon and Claius lamenting?

A. Laconia
B. Cithera
C. Arcadia
D. Thessalia

B. Cithera.
The hopeless shepherd Strephon came to the sands lying against the island of Cithera to view the place.
5. What object do Strephon and Claius frequently gaze upon?

A. Her beauty
B. Urania’s steps
C. Their sick ewes
D. The short grass

A. Her beauty.
Remembrance forces their thoughts to the place where they last grazed their eyes upon Urania’s flourishing beauty.

6. What does Claius compare Urania’s eyelids to?

A. Shining stars
B. White kids climbing
C. Flowery fields
D. Clover-grass

B. White kids climbing.
Claius says Urania’s eyelids are more pleasant to behold than two white kids climbing a fair tree.

7. What name does Musidorus use when introducing himself to Kalander?

A. Daiphantus
B. Palladius
C. Pyrocles
D. Clitophon

B. Palladius.
Musidorus introduces himself as Palladius, following the agreement made with his friend Pyrocles.

8. What condition has Laconia been afflicted with for two years?

A. A long drought
B. Civil war
C. Economic failure
D. Foreign invasion

B. Civil war.
Laconia is marred by a civil war between the gentlemen and the Helots, a class of peasants.

9. What reason do Strephon and Claius give for refusing the jewels?

A. More than enough
B. They dislike jewels
C. They were worthless
D. No time to talk

A. More than enough.
They absolutely refused the rich jewels, telling Musidorus they were more than enough rewarded knowing him.
10. What item does Musidorus entrust to Kalander due to his sickness?

A. His armour
B. A shepherd’s flute
C. A chest of jewels
D. Learned writings

C. A chest of jewels.
Fearing some sudden accident due to his sickness, Musidorus delivered a chest of precious stones to Kalander.

11. What quality made Kalander enamoured with a fatherly love toward Musidorus?

A. His royal lineage
B. His handsome body
C. His excellent mind
D. His generous gifts

C. His excellent mind.
Kalander found Musidorus to have a mind of most excellent composition, with high erected thoughts.

12. Whose picture is shown standing between the king and queen in the large table?

A. Atalanta
B. Philoclea
C. Helena
D. Pamela

B. Philoclea.
The large painting contains the king, his wife, and their younger daughter, Philoclea, standing between them.

13. What is the name of Basilius’s clownish guardian?

A. Clitophon
B. Pyrocles
C. Dametas
D. Philanax

C. Dametas.
Basilius placed Princess Pamela in a lodge, accompanied only by Dametas, the most arrant doltish clown.

14. Who are Dametas’s wife and daughter?

A. Mopsa and Miso
B. Pamela and Philoclea
C. Urania and Kala
D. Helen and Artesia

A. Mopsa and Miso.
Dametas’s family consists of his wife, Miso, and his daughter, Mopsa, who serve as Pamela’s jailors.
15. What trait did Basilius interpret Dametas’s rudeness as?

A. Wit
B. Integrity
C. Plainness
D. Virtuous simplicity

C. Plainness.
Basilius mistook Dametas’s rudeness for plainness and conceived a sudden delight in the clown.

16. Where had Basilius received oracles before his retirement?

A. Arcadia
B. Delphos
C. Thessalia
D. Laconia

B. Delphos.
Basilius’s determination to retire arose upon some oracles he had received while visiting Delphos.

17. Who wrote the letter advising Basilius against his determination?

A. Clitophon
B. Pyrocles
C. Philanax
D. H.S.

C. Philanax.
Philanax, the regent, wrote a bold letter advising Basilius against his solitary course and retiring.

18. What risk did Philanax warn Basilius of when keeping his daughters unmarried?

A. Unnaturalness
B. Disobedience
C. Civil war
D. Increased suspicion

A. Unnaturalness.
Philanax warned Basilius that the God of nature never teach unnaturalness by keeping his daughters unmarried.

19. Who is the king’s nephew mentioned as a possible danger?

A. Claius
B. Amphialus
C. Musidorus
D. Daiphantus

B. Amphialus.
Philanax mentioned Amphialus, Basilius’s valiant nephew, as a cause for amazement and possible danger.
20. What group is noted as especially excellent at making songs and poetry?

A. Clowns
B. Noblemen
C. Pastors
D. Soldiers

C. Pastors.
The pastors are excellent in poetry because their simple living gives them ease, the nurse of poetry.

21. Who is Clitophon?

A. Kalander’s son
B. Pyrocles’ friend
C. Basilius’ nephew
D. Dametas’ brother

A. Kalander’s son.
Clitophon is Kalander’s only son, who was preparing for his own marriage at the time of the discourse.

22. Who is renowned for beauty, matching Helena and the two incomparable sisters?

A. Queen Gynecia
B. Philoclea
C. Parthenia
D. Urania

C. Parthenia.
The daughter of Kalander’s sister-in-law, Parthenia, is famed for her beauty, wisdom, and modesty.

23. Who recovered Musidorus (Palladius) after the shipwreck?

A. Pyrocles
B. Kalander
C. Strephon and Claius
D. Dametas

C. Strephon and Claius.
After the wreck, Palladius (Musidorus) was found on the sands and taken up by a couple of shepherds.

24. Who leads the Helots in negotiations with the Arcadians?

A. Palladius
B. Kalander
C. Daiphantus
D. Clitophon

C. Daiphantus.
Daiphantus (Pyrocles) makes a general convocation and delivers the terms of the truce to the Helots.
25. What was the final status granted to the Helots by public decree?

A. Exile
B. Free men
C. Servants
D. New masters

B. Free men.
By public decree, the Helots were made free men and given the privileges and names of Laconians.

26. What change does Musidorus observe in Pyrocles since coming to Arcadia?

A. Renewed courage
B. Relenting and slackening
C. Increased knowledge
D. Greater eloquence

B. Relenting and slackening.
Musidorus notes Pyrocles’ slackening of his previous noble career, letting his mind fall asleep.

27. What does Pyrocles claim is the soul of the Arcadian soil?

A. Virtue
B. A goddess
C. The pleasantness
D. Constant spring

B. A goddess.
Pyrocles believes some goddess inhabits the region, acting as the soul of the soil, making it perfect.

28. What word causes Pyrocles a sudden motion, like the effect of the Tarantula?

A. Solitariness
B. Excellence
C. Lover
D. Arcadia

C. Lover.
The word ‘Lover’ pierced Pyrocles, causing a sudden motion, likened to the sickness of the Tarantula.

29. What city does the sorrowful Lady Helen rule?

A. Corinth
B. Argos
C. Thessalia
D. Macedonia

A. Corinth.
The lady found in the coach, Helen, is queen by birth and possessor of the fair city and territory of Corinth.
30. Who is Amphialus’s uncle?

A. Kalander
B. Timotheus
C. Basilius
D. Philoxenus

C. Basilius.
Amphialus is Basilius, King of Arcadia’s brother’s son, and was once esteemed his heir.

31. What nickname did Amphialus earn for guiding his valour with virtue?

A. The courageous
B. The courteous
C. The excellent
D. The worthy

B. The courteous.
Amphialus was commonly called the courteous Amphialus, because he guided his valor with true virtue.

32. While pleading for Philoxenus, whom did Amphialus accidentally win?

A. Philoclea
B. Queen Helen
C. Artesia
D. Pamela

B. Queen Helen.
While pleading for his friend Philoxenus, Amphialus’s noble conversation won Queen Helen for himself.

33. What kind of apparel does Pyrocles wear while talking to Musidorus?

A. Shepherd’s dress
B. Amazon’s apparel
C. Knight’s armour
D. Plain russet cloth

B. Amazon’s apparel.
Pyrocles assures Musidorus that wearing a woman’s apparel will not make him more womanish.

34. Pyrocles says love is the chief instrument for practising what kind of love?

A. Earthly love
B. Perfect love
C. Heavenly love
D. Virtuous love

C. Heavenly love.
Pyrocles is practising love itself, making ready the instrument to turn it to greater matters, like heavenly love.
35. What does Pyrocles say is the desired end of love?

A. Joy
B. Virtue
C. Marriage
D. Enjoying

D. Enjoying.
Pyrocles states that the end of love to which it is directed is enjoyment, which ends only with life.

36. What did Pamela wear on her neck between her breasts?

A. Gold chain
B. Diamond on the horn
C. A rich feather
D. Pearl necklace

B. Diamond on a horn.
Between Pamela’s breasts hung a vibrant diamond set in a black horn, with the word “Yet still myself”.

37. What is the shape of Basilius’s main lodge?

A. A square
B. A circle
C. A comet
D. A star

D. A star.
The main lodge is built of yellow stone in the form of a star, with the garden framed into like points.

38. What new disguise has Musidorus adopted in Arcadia?

A. Merchant’s apprentice
B. Shepherdish apparel
C. Amazon queen
D. Wild man’s clothes

B. Shepherdish apparel.
Zelmane finds Musidorus walking in shepherdish apparel, confirming that he, too, has fallen in love.

39. What does Musidorus confess one must lack to resist love?

A. Courage
B. Wit
C. Reason
D. Honor

B. Wit.
Musidorus tells Zelmane that whoever resists love must either have no wit or put out his eyes.
40. Under what name is Musidorus serving in the lodge?

A. Dorus
B. Menalcas
C. Daiphantus
D. Palladius

A. Dorus.
Musidorus agreed to stay in secret with Menalcas and is known at the lodge as the shepherd Dorus.

41. What two wild beasts unexpectedly attack the group near the river?

A. Wolves and boar
B. Lion and she-bear
C. Tiger and leopard
D. Kite and dove

B. Lion and she-bear.
A monstrous lion and a she-bear, accidentally hunted to the spot, suddenly came upon the party.

42. Where did Dametas hide during the attack?

A. In the river
B. Under a tree
C. Inside a cave
D. Thrust into a bush

D. Thrust into a bush.
Dametas was found by Dorus lying with his head and breast thrust as far as he could into a bush.

43. What belief does Dorus challenge Thyrsis about regarding true love?

A. It is loud
B. It is selfish
C. It is public
D. It is silent

C. It is public.
Dorus suggests that true love keeps itself secret and does not love to be mingled with others.

44. To whom does Dorus reveal the story of Musidorus using the third person?

A. Gynecia
B. Zelmane
C. Mopsa
D. Pamela

D. Pamela.
Dorus counterfeit love to Mopsa but spoke of himself in the third person so Pamela could hear.
45. What specific physical mark did Musidorus claim to possess to prove his identity?

A. Lion’s paw
B. A scar
C. Birthmark
D. Red spot

A. Lion’s paw.
Musidorus showed a red spot on his neck, which he claimed bore the figure of a lion’s paw.

46. What was the king of Phrygia’s nature concerning his mind and body?

A. Merry and active
B. Melancholy constitution
C. Wise and judicial
D. Angry and fearful

B. Melancholy constitution.
The king of Phrygia had a melancholy constitution, both physically and mentally, being prone to deep sadness and a suspicious nature.

47. Which character, though guilty of wickedness, was skilful at stirring pity?

A. Leonatus
B. Plexirtus
C. Barzanes
D. Philoxenus

B. Plexirtus.
Plexirtus was skilful at crafting submissions and speeches to stir pity, despite his lack of goodness.

48. What is Zelmane’s true identity, revealed to Philoclea?

A. Queen of Corinth
B. Pamela’s sister
C. Prince of Macedon
D. Amazon warrior

C. Prince of Macedon.
Zelmane reveals that she is Pyrocles, Prince of Macedon, whose beauty Philoclea changed.

49. What was the cause of Pyrocles’ neglecting his country and father?

A. Philoclea
B. The oracle
C. Amphialus
D. Queen Gynecia

A. Philoclea.
Pyrocles confesses that Philoclea only brought him to this unused metamorphosis and self-neglect.
50. Whom did Pyrocles meet in the forest, who was being tormented by nine gentlewomen?

A. A shepherd
B. A gentleman
C. A knight
D. Anaxius

B. A gentleman.
Pyrocles found a gentleman bound with garters and pricked by nine gentlewomen using bodkins.

Brief Overview

The Countess of Pembroke’s Arcadia is a novel by Sir Philip Sidney. It was published in 1593 with the original ending. The novel (a long prose pastoral romance) is known for blending heroic and romantic adventures with profound philosophical themes.

Philip Sidney dedicated the work to his sister, the Countess of Pembroke, who also assisted in editing the work.

The story begins with the shepherds Strephon and Claius rescuing a shipwrecked prince, Musidorus, who names himself Palladius. Musidorus is brought to Kalander’s house in Laconia.

Musidorus learns about King Basilius of Arcadia, who retired to a forest after receiving a worrying oracle. Basilius lives in a lodge with his younger daughter, Philoclea. His elder daughter, Pamela, is guarded by the clownish Dametas.

Musidorus helps Kalander defeat the Helots in a civil war. He later meets his cousin, Pyrocles, who is disguised as an Amazon woman named Zelmane. Pyrocles is using this disguise because he is deeply in love with Philoclea. Musidorus himself falls in love with Pamela and adopts a shepherd’s disguise, calling himself Dorus.

The princes face many challenges, including attacks by a lion and a bear. They must endure the king’s inappropriate advances (Basilius loves Zelmane) and the queen’s jealousy (Gynecia loves Zelmane).

The queen’s sister-in-law, Cecropia, later captures the princesses and Zelmane. She attempts to force the princesses to marry her son, Amphialus, under threat of death.

Through various deceptions, the princes escape their imprisonment. Basilius mysteriously drinks a sleeping potion and appears dead, and Gynecia is charged with murder.

The great King Euarchus arrives to serve as judge. Euarchus, who is Musidorus and Pyrocles’ father and uncle, sentences the unknown youths to death for treason. However, Basilius wakes from his deep sleep, and the entire confusion is cleared.

Related Posts

Leave a comment

SpunkNotes

Typically replies within few hours

Hello, Welcome to the site. If you have any inquiries, please do not hesitate to contact.