Anglo-Norman Period MCQs

1. When did the Anglo-Norman period of English literature begin?

A. 1200 A.D.
B. 1150 A.D.
C. 900 A.D.
D. 1066 A.D.

D. 1066 A.D.
This date marks the Norman Conquest (Battle of Hastings), which started the period.

2. What major event started the Anglo-Norman period?

A. The Revival of Learning
B. The Norman Conquest
C. The Hundred Years’ War
D. The Black Death

B. The Norman Conquest
This event brought Norman-French rulers, language, and culture to England.

3. When did the Anglo-Norman period end?

A. Around 1350
B. Around 1400
C. Around 1250
D. Around 1300

A. Around 1350
This date generally marks the rise of Middle English and the beginning of the Age of Chaucer.

4. What were the main languages used in literature during this period?

A. Old English, Latin, Greek
B. German, French, English
C. Latin, French, English
D. Anglo-Saxon, Latin, Norse

C. Latin, French, and English
Latin was used for scholarship/church, French for the court, and English for the common people.

5. Which king started the Norman Conquest of England?

A. King Harold
B. William, Duke of Normandy
C. King Alfred
D. Henry I

B. William, Duke of Normandy
Known as William the Conqueror, he led the invasion and won the Battle of Hastings in 1066.

6. What was the name of the detailed survey of England completed in 1086?

A. The Pipe Rolls
B. The Magna Carta
C. The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle
D. The Domesday Book

D. The Domesday Book
Commissioned by William I, it was a massive survey of land and property for tax purposes.

7. What type of government did William I introduce to replace the Saxon chiefs?

A. A tribal confederacy
B. Independent regional baronies
C. A centralized government
D. A democratic assembly

C. A centralized government
He implemented a strong feudal system, centralizing power under the king.

8. For about how many centuries was French the language of the English king?

A. One century
B. Two centuries
C. Three centuries
D. Four centuries

C. Three centuries
From 1066 until the 14th century, French remained the official language of the court.

9. The “horrors” of which king’s reign are described in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle?

A. Henry I
B. Richard I
C. Stephen
D. William II

C. Stephen
His reign (1135–1154) was a period of civil war known as “The Anarchy.”

10. Which famous document was created during King John’s reign to limit royal power?

A. The Bill of Rights
B. The Provisions of Oxford
C. The Magna Carta
D. The Domesday Book

C. The Magna Carta
Signed in 1215, this document established that the king was not above the law.

11. In 1214, England’s political ties with which region were broken?

A. Scotland
B. Ireland
C. Normandy
D. Scandinavia

C. Normandy
The loss of Normandy forced Norman nobles to choose between England and France, strengthening English identity.

12. Who wrote the influential Latin work “Historia Regum Britanniae”?

A. Robert of Gloucester
B. Layamon
C. Wace
D. Geoffrey of Monmouth

D. Geoffrey of Monmouth
Written around 1136, this work introduced the legends of King Arthur to a wider audience.

13. What language was “Historia Regum Britanniae” originally written in?

A. Old English
B. Latin
C. French
D. English

B. Latin
As a scholarly work, it was written in Latin, the universal language of learning in Europe.

14. Geoffrey of Monmouth’s “History” was important for developing what literary idea?

A. Religious allegory
B. Nationality
C. Social realism
D. Philosophical discourse

B. Nationality
It provided England with a heroic (though fictional) past, fostering a sense of national identity.

15. Which French writer translated Geoffrey’s history into a poem called “Brut” around 1155?

A. John Wyclif
B. Wace
C. Gaimar
D. Malory

B. Wace
Wace’s Roman de Brut was a French verse translation that added to the Arthurian legend.

16. Layamon’s “Brut” was the first translation of Geoffrey’s history into what language?

A. French
B. Norman-French
C. Latin
D. English

D. English
Completed around 1200, Layamon’s work adapted the story for an English-speaking audience.

17. When was Layamon’s “Brut” completed?

A. About 1200
B. 1155
C. 1250
D. 1100

A. About 1200
This work is a key monument of early Middle English literature.

18. What is linguistically distinctive about Layamon’s “Brut”?

A. Uses one French word in eighty
B. Has very few French words
C. Uses one French word in six or seven
D. Mix of French and Latin words

B. It has very few French words.
Despite being based on a French source, its vocabulary is overwhelmingly Anglo-Saxon.

19. What new literary form, popular in the Middle Ages, did the Normans introduce to England?

A. Allegorical poems
B. Metrical romances
C. Religious drama
D. Ballads

B. Metrical romances
These tales of chivalry, knights, and love became the dominant form of courtly literature.

20. The stories of King Arthur are a major example of what Anglo-Norman literary form?

A. The Moral Play
B. Miscellaneous Literature
C. The Metrical Romance
D. The Mystery Play

C. The Metrical Romance
The “Matter of Britain,” focusing on King Arthur, was a central subject of metrical romances.

21. What type of religious drama included the Chester, Wakefield, and York cycles?

A. Morality Plays
B. Interludes
C. Miracle and Mystery Plays
D. Classical Drama

C. Miracle and Mystery Plays
These were cycles of short plays based on biblical stories, performed by town guilds.

22. Which of these works is an example of miscellaneous literature from the Norman Period?

A. Piers Plowman
B. Morte d’Arthur
C. The Pearl
D. The Canterbury Tales

C. The Pearl
The Pearl is an elegant allegorical poem from the 14th century, often grouped with Sir Gawain.

23. “The Land of Cockaygne” is a satire about what group?

A. Sir Gawain and the Green Knight
B. Monks and monastic religion
C. Wace’s Brut
D. The Pearl

B. Monks and monastic religion
It’s a satirical poem describing a fictional land of luxury, mocking monastic gluttony and idleness.

24. Who were ballads written for during the Norman period?

A. The common people
B. The clergy
C. The learned scholars
D. The aristocracy

A. The common people
Ballads were the narrative songs of ordinary people, distinct from courtly romances.

25. What was considered England’s “only really popular literature” for centuries?

A. Religious Dramas
B. Historical Chronicles
C. Metrical Romances
D. Ballads

D. Ballads
Transmitted orally, ballads were the primary entertainment for the non-literate population.

26. Which author from around 1470 wrote extensively about Arthur and Guinevere?

A. Malory
B. Chaucer
C. John Gower
D. John Lydgate

A. Malory
Sir Thomas Malory’s Morte d’Arthur (c. 1470) is the most famous prose collection of Arthurian tales.

27. After the Norman Conquest, young Anglo-Saxon writers began to look to whom for literary models?

A. Germanic traditions
B. French writers
C. Isolationist figures
D. Latin classics

B. French writers
The new ruling class brought French literary tastes, which local writers began to imitate.

28. Norman-French literature was known for having more of what than thought or feeling?

A. Realism
B. Satire
C. Fancy
D. Philosophy

C. Fancy
It was often characterized by imagination and superficial graces rather than the “deep thought” of Anglo-Saxon poetry.

29. Which French epic highlights the Norman focus on “fancy” when compared to “Beowulf”?

A. The Battle of Maldon
B. The Wanderer
C. The “Chanson de Roland”
D. Cædmon’s Paraphrase

C. The “Chanson de Roland”
The Song of Roland (a French epic) shows more imagination and less grim realism than Beowulf.

30. What was the title of Robert Manning’s other work, a collection of stories about sins?

A. The Pearl
B. The Ormulum
C. Handlyng Synne
D. Sir Gawain and the Green Knight

C. Handlyng Synne
Handlyng Synne (Handling Sin), c. 1303, was a confessional manual with illustrative stories.

31. What is a key stylistic feature of “The Ormulum”?

A. Complex rhyming schemes
B. Claims high literary quality
C. Complicated spelling (doubled consonants)
D. Alexandrine couplets

C. It uses a complicated spelling system with doubled consonants
The author, Orm, used this system to indicate how vowels should be pronounced.

32. How long was the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle continued after the Norman Conquest?

A. A century
B. Two centuries
C. Half a century
D. A decade

A. A century
The final entry in the Peterborough manuscript was made in 1154, nearly a century after the Conquest.

33. Why is the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle a valuable literary monument?

A. Shows English language development
B. A dry record of events only
C. Shows French literary influence
D. A primarily philosophical work

A. It shows the development of the English language.
Its continuation shows the evolution of Old English into Early Middle English.

34. What three ideals were expressed in the metrical romances of the Norman period?

A. History, wisdom, morality
B. Love, chivalry, religion
C. Patriotism, freedom, loyalty
D. Beauty, truth, justice

B. Love, chivalry, and religion
These three themes formed the core of the medieval romance genre.

35. Why is “Sir Gawain and the Green Knight” considered a work from a period of formation?

A. Demonstrates strong French influence
B. One of many works of permanent fame
C. Example from a period with no permanent fame
D. Has strong literary merit

C. It is an example from a period that left no works of great and permanent fame.
While Sir Gawain is a masterpiece, the period (1066-1350) is seen as foundational, not a golden age.

36. How were ballads primarily transmitted?

A. Through oral transmission
B. Through printed copies
C. Through written manuscripts
D. Through dramatic performances

A. Through oral transmission
They were passed down by singing and recitation long before being written down.

37. What is a general observation about the literary works of the Norman-French period?

A. Devoid of sincere/talented writers
B. The literature was primarily philosophical
C. Left no literary work of permanent fame
D. Produced numerous works of permanent fame

C. The period left no literary work of great and permanent fame.
This is a common critical view, seeing the era as a transition before Chaucer.

38. According to Matthew Arnold, what was the “genius” of the Normans?

A. Commonness, humdrum, fidelity to nature
B. Talent for affairs, strenuousness, rapidity
C. Moral earnestness, spiritual enthusiasm
D. Philosophical contemplation, artistic expression

B. Talent for affairs, strenuousness, and clear rapidity.
Arnold contrasted this Norman “genius” with the Anglo-Saxon “fidelity to nature.”

39. Which satirical work describes a debate between two birds?

A. “Piers Plowman”
B. “The Owl and the Nightingale”
C. “The Pearl”
D. “Land of Cockaygne”

B. “The Owl and the Nightingale”
This c. 1200 poem features a debate between the two birds on different ways of life.

40. What is the Middle English period generally known for?

A. Regression to pre-Roman influences
B. Great social and linguistic change
C. Stability and artistic stagnation
D. Focus on scientific advancement

B. Great change, both social and linguistic.
This era saw the blending of Norman and Anglo-Saxon cultures and languages.

41. What literary movement brought new sympathy for women and the póor?

A. The decline of feudalism
B. The advent of the printing press
C. Blossoming of chivalry/romance
D. The rise of nation-states

C. The blossoming of chivalry and the spirit of romance.
The ideals of chivalry and courtly love (part of romance) elevated the status of women in literature.

42. What “modern” characteristic began to appear in Middle English literature?

A. Widespread adoption of formal styles
B. Renewed interest in classical mythology
C. Emphasis on individual heroism
D. Sharper criticism/interest in human affairs

D. A sharper spirit of criticism and interest in human affairs.
Literature began to move beyond pure epic or religion to include social criticism and satire.

43. The Norman love of pageantry likely helped develop what in England?

A. The drama
B. Philosophical treatises
C. Ballads
D. The novel

A. The drama.
The Norman taste for spectacle and public display influenced the growth of religious plays.

44. Who were the first actors and authors of the Miracle plays?

A. Priests and their chosen assistants
B. Trade guilds and craftsmen
C. Professional actors
D. Wandering minstrels

A. Priests and their chosen assistants.
Initially, drama was performed inside the church by clergy as part of the service.

45. What artistic quality are the Wakefield (or Towneley) plays known for?

A. Use of classical allusions
B. Uniformity of metrical pattern
C. Strict adherence to religious dogma
D. A very strong vein of realism

D. A very strong vein of realism.
The Wakefield cycle is famous for its humor, realistic characters, and local color.

46. The anonymous Wakefield Master is known for using what in his Shepherds’ plays?

A. Highly stylized classical forms
B. Distinctive Yorkshire dialect/references
C. French literary conventions
D. Latinate vocabulary

B. A distinctive Yorkshire dialect and local references.
This author, responsible for plays like The Second Shepherds’ Play, grounded his work in local life.

47. What were “Interludes” in medieval drama?

A. Long, multi-day cycles
B. Solemn historical tragedies
C. Strictly religious church plays
D. Short pieces for entertainment/instruction

D. Short dramatic pieces for entertainment and instruction.
These were short, often humorous or moral plays performed between courses at banquets.

48. What was the main purpose of the feudal system established by the Normans?

A. Promote religious devotion
B. Exchange land (“fief”) for military service
C. Collect agricultural produce
D. Encourage monetary payment for land

B. To exchange land (a “fief”) for military service
Feudalism was a military and political system based on loyalty and land tenure.

49. Which two famous English universities began during the Anglo-Norman period?

A. London and Durham
B. Oxford and Cambridge
C. York and Canterbury
D. Winchester and Exeter

B. Oxford and Cambridge
Both universities trace their origins to the 12th and 13th centuries, during this period.

50. Which influential prose work was a guide for female recluses (anchoresses)?

A. The Ormulum
B. Ancrene Wisse
C. Piers Plowman
D. Handlyng Synne

B. Ancrene Wisse
Also known as the Ancrene Riwle, this was a major work of early Middle English prose.

Brief Overview

The Anglo-Norman Period (or Early Middle English Period) in English history and literature spans from the Norman Conquest of 1066 to roughly 1350 .

The profound political, social, and linguistic influence of the French-speaking Norman conquerors on the Anglo-Saxon culture of England defines this era.

The central conflict of this age was linguistic and cultural. For nearly 300 years, three main languages existed in England:

French (specifically Anglo-Norman): The language of the court, the nobility, law, government, and high culture.

Latin: The language of the Church, scholarship, and written records.

English (Middle English): The language of the majority, including the common people and laborers.

The fusion of Anglo-Saxon and Anglo-Norman led to massive changes in the English language, including the introduction of thousands of French words (e.g., parliament, justice, beef, pork) and the simplification of Old English grammar.

Key Literary Characteristics
The literature of this period was largely aristocratic and often featured the romance genre, focusing on chivalry, courtly love, and heroic knights.

Matter of Britain: The legends of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table became immensely popular, spread largely by French writers like Chrétien de Troyes.

Religious Literature: Continued importance of religious works, including saints’ lives and miracle plays.

Historical Chronicle: Works like Layamon’s Brut attempted to bridge the gap between English and French traditions by telling English history in the newly evolving English language.

By the 14th century, English had re-emerged as the dominant language of all social classes, paving the way for the Age of Chaucer.

Anglo-Saxon

Anglo-Norman

Renaissance and Reformation

The Enlightenment (Neo-Classical) Age

The Romantic Age

The Victorian Era

The Modern Age

Brief Overview