The Mourning Bride MCQs

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Author: Nasir Iqbal | Assistant Professor of English Literature


Updated on: November 24, 2025
Estimated Reading Time: 17 min

The Mourning Bride MCQs

1. Almeria acknowledges that music has charms capable of soothing what kind of temperament?

A. Sàvage mind
B. Sàvage Breast
C. Gentle heart
D. Knotted oak

B. Sàvage Breast.
Almeria opens the play by noting that music possesses charms that can “soothe a sàvage Breast”.

2. What specific event happened last night that has brought King Anselmo peace?

A. The war’s end
B. Silent Tomb
C. Father’s death
D. Captivity ended

B. Silent Tomb.
Anselmo, the good Old King, was received safely within the “silent Tomb” last night and is now at peace.

3. Leonora often crept to Anselmo’s prison when all had been retired, checking his health through what structure?

A. The walls
B. The Great
C. His door
D. Dark window

B. The Great.
Leonora went to Anselmo’s prison, whispering softly through the grate to inquire about his health.

4. Leonora admits she compassionated Anselmo’s fortune because Almeria’s father kept him in what state?

A. Hard Exile
B. Heavy Chains
C. Sad Prison
D. Fearful sight

B. Heavy Chains.
Leonora wept because Almeria’s father cruelly kept his fellow King restricted in chains and misery.
5. Anselmo hoped to end the inherited feud between Valentia and Granada by matching Alphonso with whom?

A. Leonora
B. Almeria
C. Queen’s daughter
D. Zara

B. Almeria.
Anselmo proposed that a match between his son Alphonso and Almeria would end the long dissension.

6. Almeria states that the cruel Ocean would deprive Alphonso of a tomb, but where is he interred instead?

A. On Earth
B. In my Heart
C. In waves
D. In Memory

B. In my Heart.
Almeria vows to live as Alphonso’s monument, stating that in her heart, he is forever interred.

7. Almeria compares the comfort of having an unsuspected hoard of darling grief to what kind of behaviour?

A. Glutton-like
B. Wretch’s misery
C. Solitude’s peace
D. Constant weeping

A. Glutton-like.
She describes the pleasure of misery as a small reserve of woe that wretches “Glutton-like alone devour.”

8. Almeria refers to Alphonso’s worth, truth, and tenderness of what, which Leonora did not fully know?

A. His virtue
B. His deeds
C. His Love
D. His father

C. His Love.
Almeria explains that Leonora could not know her loss fully because she did not know Alphonso’s great tenderness.

9. Almeria describes her father Manuel’s conquering troops reaching whose palace gates in rage and revenge?

A. The Moor’s
B. King Anselmo’s
C. Valentia’s
D. Granada’s

B. King Anselmo’s.
Manuel led his conquering troops up to King Anselmo’s Palace gates, which he then set on fire.
10. Alphonso, foreseeing Manuel’s cruelty, took Almeria and the Queen on board a ship ready to sail when what news arrived?

A. The fire
B. Captivity news
C. The war’s end
D. The storm

A. The fire.
They put to sea when the news was brought that Manuel had fired Anselmo’s palace.

11. Almeria recounts that a sudden storm drove their ship and their pursuers onto what specific shore?

A. African Coast
B. Spanish beach
C. Rock Shore
D. Valentia land

A. African Coast.
The storm drove both their vessel and the ships following them onto the Coast of Africa.

12. Alphonso feared that death or victory might take Almeria from him, so he urged marriage to defeat what force?

A. Future Fate
B. Cruel Ocean
C. The King
D. War’s chance

A. Future Fate.
He wanted to be married immediately so she would be his “beyond the Power of future Fate.”

13. Almeria mourns that the circling hours come heavy-laden with the oppressing weight of collected what?

A. Restless Cares
B. All the Woes
C. Groans tears
D. Damps grief

B. All the Woes.
She says the hours gather “all the Woes” diffused through the year, bringing them to her.

14. Leonora warns Almeria to moderate her grief because the distant shouts proclaim whose triumph?

A. Her father’s
B. The army’s
C. The King’s
D. The foe’s

A. Her father’s.
Leonora urges calm because the shouts signal the King’s approach and triumph, fearing his reaction.
15. Almeria predicts that her father’s return brings joy to others, but double weight of woe to her because of whom?

A. Gonsalez
B. Anselmo
C. Garcia
D. Alphonso

C. Garcia.
Garcia accompanies the King, and Almeria knows she must be “sacrific’d” to him immediately.

16. Almeria makes a sacred vow never to wed another lord, asking Alphonso to behold this act from what location?

A. The Heav’n
B. Eternal Bliss
C. The Earth
D. The ocean

B. Eternal Bliss.
Almeria asks Alphonso to leave his “Eternal Bliss” for a moment to witness her solemn promise.

17. Almeria wishes to visit Anselmo’s tomb to repeat her vow there with what type of enhanced feeling?

A. Great emotion
B. More solemnly
C. Deep despair
D. Final meaning

B. More solemnly.
She admits her goal is to repeat her marriage vow at the tomb, perhaps “more solemnly.”

18. Gonsalez reports that five hundred mules precede the march, groaning beneath the weight of what specific cargo?

A. Royal coffers
B. Moorish Wealth
C. Grain supplies
D. Prisoners chains

B. Moorish Wealth.
The mules “groan beneath the Weight of Moorish Wealth” as they are brought into the palace.

19. The Captains of African noble blood are described as licking and grinding what substance with their teeth?

A. The dust
B. The ground
C. The chains
D. The chariot

A. The dust.
They sweat by the chariot wheel and “lick and grind, With gnashing Teeth, the Dust.”
20. Almeria dismisses Gonsalez’s descriptions as mere “Pageantry of Souls” and what other kind of phrase?

A. Sounding Words
B. Idle Eloquence
C. High Honour
D. Exterior Pomp

A. Sounding Words.
She asserts her ears will not be charmed with “sounding Words, / Or pompous Phrase.”

21. The King criticises Almeria’s wearing sad mourning clothes, calling her and her attendants what?

A. Sad Weeds
B. Afflicted Daughters
C. Opposing figures
D. Daughters Affliction

D. Daughters Affliction.
The King says Almeria and her attendants are “in opposition / To my Brightness, like Daughters of Affliction.”

22. The King argues that spending one day in filial duty would have given a dispensation to what obligation?

A. The vow
B. Her life
C. Strict life
D. Her mourning

A. The vow.
He believes a day of filial duty would have excused her from fulfilling her mourning vow to Heaven.

23. The King states that his detestation of Anselmo’s blood is so great that Almeria should have done what at his death?

A. Smiled
B. Have feasted
C. Wept
D. Revell’d

B. Have feasted.
The King declares that his daughter should “have feasted” and “have revell’d” when his foe was buried.

24. Gonsalez defends Almeria by saying she was betrayed by an excess of what quality?

A. Great pity
B. Too much Piety
C. Filial love
D. Mourning zeal

B. Too much Piety.
Gonsalez claims she was betrayed by “too much Piety” to seem as if she had offended the King.
25. The King commands Almeria to retire and quickly divest herself of the “offensive Black” because he will take responsibility for what?

A. Her grief
B. The Vow’s violation
C. Garcia’s marriage
D. Her sadness

B. The Vow’s violation.
The King tells Almeria that “on me be all / The Violation of your Vow.”

26. Garcia presumes to remind the King of his gracious promise concerning what significant event?

A. The wedding
B. His pardon
C. The kingdom
D. Almeria’s hand

A. The wedding.
Garcia reminds the King of the promise to give him Almeria’s hand in marriage tomorrow.

27. What description does the Officer use to characterise the beauteous captive, Zara, upon her arrival?

A. Moorish Queen
B. Beauteous captive
C. Wife Albucacim
D. Elegant lady

C. Wife Albucacim.
The officer describes her as if she “still were Wife to Albucacim,” judging by her impressive train.

28. The King is suspicious about Osmyn because of his sullenness, in connection with whose request for his attendance?

A. Zara’s
B. Garcia’s
C. Almeria’s
D. Perez’s

A. Zara’s.
The King notes that Zara’s request, joined with Osmyn’s strange behaviour, “Begets a Doubt.”

29. The King tells Zara that had her presence graced his entry, the crowd would have been deceived and seen him led in what state?

A. In Triumph
B. Martial Pomp
C. Royal state
D. Captivity

A. In Triumph.
He says her beauty would have led the crowd to see him “In Triumph led,” as her beauty’s slave.
30. Zara despises her captivity and feels loathing when beholding herself in what state?

A. Vile Slavery
B. Sad Mourning
C. Royal state
D. Chains bonds

A. Vile Slavery.
Zara scorns her state, looking with loathing upon herself and “scorn[ing] vile Slavery.”

31. After removing her bonds, the King tells Zara that he is now her slave, bound by what act?

A. Her beauty
B. Releasing her
C. His hands
D. Her thanks

B. Releasing her.
The King states, “Thus I release you, / And by releasing you enslave myself.”

32. Zara explains that Osmyn is melancholy because he regrets not avenging the loss of a friend whose name was what?

A. Osmyn
B. Heli
C. Perez
D. Selim

B. Heli.
Zara tells the King that Osmyn lost a friend named Heli in battle, whom he loved deeply.

33. The King resolves that War is but Fortune’s sport, but in Love, the Goddess keeps her awful Court in whose eyes?

A. Almeria’s
B. Zara’s Eyes
C. Victory’s
D. His own

B. Zara’s Eyes.
The King decides that the Goddess of Love “Rules with settled Sway in Zara’s Eyes.”

34. Heli, upon hearing Osmyn lives, declares that if he rose from death, it would not afford a glimpse of joy equal to what feeling?

A. Admiration
B. Vast Delight
C. Friendship
D. His Soul

B. Vast Delight.
Heli says no joy is comparable to the “vast Delight” he feels upon hearing that Osmyn is still alive.
35. Perez says Osmyn strode with “distemper’d Haste,” his eyes seeming like what substance?

A. Great fear
B. Flame
C. Dark passion
D. Black blood

B. Flame.
Perez observed Osmyn’s eyes, noting they “Seem’d Flame, and flash’d upon me with a Glance.”

36. Almeria compares the marble heads of the ancient pillars in the temple to what?

A. Great arches
B. Marble Heads
C. Ponderous Roof
D. Ancient tombs

B. Marble Heads.
Almeria describes the “ancient Pillars rear their Marble Heads” to bear the arched roof.

37. Almeria tells Leonora she would rather mix with dead bones and skulls than marry whom?

A. Alphonso
B. Garcia
C. Anselmo
D. Her Father

B. Garcia.
She vows to endure anything rather than be the bride “Of Garcia’s more detested Bed.”

38. Leonora is shocked to see that Anselmo’s tomb’s marble door remains what?

A. Unclosed
B. Wide shut
C. Locked open
D. Guarded closely

A. Unclosed.
Leonora notes that the marble door remains unclosed and the iron gates are wide open.

39. Almeria believes death will fold her in his leaden arms and press her close to his cold what?

A. Clayie Breast
B. Worn shroud
C. Silent tomb
D. Gentle heart

A. Clayie Breast.
She envisions “Death, grim Death” pressing her close to his “cold clayie Breast.”
40. When Almeria calls for Alphonso, whose voice answers, asking who calls that wretched thing?

A. Heli’s
B. Osmyn’s
C. King’s
D. Leonora’s

B. Osmyn’s.
Osmyn ascends from the tomb, asking, “Who calls that wretched thing, that was Alphonso?”

41. Alphonso (as Osmyn) asks the powers to rivet him to Earth and nail him where he stands so he may remain what?

A. Motionless
B. Still deceived
C. Truly blessed
D. Still alive

B. Still deceived.
He fears dissolving the vision, asking the powers to nail him so he may still be deceived.

42. Almeria is overjoyed, asking Alphonso to bear her back to the boundless Deep, where he had dwelt so long, by charming what forces?

A. The waves
B. Wildness Waves
C. All nature
D. Earth light

B. Wildness Waves.
She asks how he charmed “The wildness of the Waves and Rocks” to return him to light.

43. Alphonso claims he doesn’t have the leisure to reflect on the means of their reunion because of the overwhelming joy of doing what?

A. Folding her
B. Being alive
C. Gaze upon
D. Talking to

A. Folding her.
The ecstasy of “To fold thee thus” and gaze upon her eyes leaves him no leisure for reflection.

44. Almeria admits to Alphonso that she had sworn to Heaven and him, and would sooner have performed what act than marry Garcia?

A. Run away
B. Have dy’d
C. Found him
D. Lost love

B. Have dy’d.
She tells Alphonso that she would sooner “have dy’d” than wed Garcia, having sworn her vow.
45. Almeria asks Alphonso if he is not paler and changed; he replies that he is not changed in what regard?

A. His faith
B. His fortunes
C. In my Love
D. His sadness

C. In my Love.
Almeria sees his changed appearance, but Alphonso assures her that he is “Not in my Love.”

46. Alphonso tells Almeria that affliction is no more because of what specific event has occurred?

A. She is safe
B. Thou art found
C. They are free
D. Zara is gone

B. Thou art found.
Alphonso states that grief is over now that Almeria has been found and returned to him.

47. Leonora sees two figures bending toward them, believing they are in what type of clothing?

A. Mourning black
B. Shining Habits
C. Common rags
D. Dark cloaks

B. Shining Habits.
Leonora warns Almeria, saying she saw a glimpse of two people in “shining Habits” crossing the aisle.

48. Osmyn warns Almeria that Zara will lend wings to what powerful emotion that will lead her quickly to the vault?

A. Her jealousy
B. Love
C. Her rage
D. Her deceit

B. Love.
Osmyn warns they must hurry because “Love will lend her Wings” to reach them swiftly.

49. Osmyn reflects that his eyes reflect images, not by election, but by what universal force?

A. Chance
B. Necessity
C. Sight
D. The mind

B. Necessity.
He calls sight “Mechanick Sense,” owing its faculty to necessity, not the mind’s choice.
50. Zara tells Osmyn that she lost Fame, Honour, and Empire in war because she urged her husband onto what action?

A. Revenge plots
B. This Invasion
C. To love her
D. His death

B. This Invasion.
Zara confesses she urged her husband (Albucacim) on “to this Invasion,” which led to their ruin.

Brief Overview

The Mourning Bride is a play by William Congreve. It was produced and published in 1697. It is a powerful Restoration tragedy that focuses intensely on themes of love, betrayal, revenge, and the complexities of human relationships.

The story centers on Princess Almeria, who wears black because she mourns her husband, Alphonso. Her father, the King, holds the kingdom of King Anselmo. Almeria and Anselmo’s son, Alphonso, secretly married, but Alphonso was lost at sea. Almeria thinks he is dead.

The King returns home victorious and orders Almeria to marry Garcia. He also brings a Moorish Queen, Zara, and a sullen captive named Osmyn. Almeria visits the tomb of King Anselmo. Osmyn suddenly appears from the vault. He is actually Alphonso, alive and in disguise. They are overjoyed to meet again.

Zara falls in love with Osmyn. When she sees him with Almeria, she becomes angry. Zara tells the King that Osmyn is a traitor and his rival for the throne. The King orders Osmyn’s immediate execution. Zara learns Osmyn is Alphonso and tries to save him using her silent guards (mutes).

The King enters Osmyn’s dark cell, planning a trick. But Garcia’s father, Gonsalez, enters first. Gonsalez mistakenly kills the King, who was dressed like Osmyn. Zara then finds the headless body, believes it is Alphonso, and immediately drinks poison to die.

Almeria finds the chaos, but then Alphonso appears, safe. He tells her that Gonsalez and Alonzo confessed their guilt as they died. Alphonso and Almeria are finally joined forever.

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