Table of Contents

MCQs – Middle English Period

Given below are MCQs – Middle English Period from 1066 to 1250, focusing on its history, language, and key literary works. These questions are ideal for academic revision or competitive exams.

Historical and Linguistic Background

Brief Overview:

👑 Kings of England (1066–1250):

William I (1066–1087) – William the Conqueror, introduced Norman rule.
William II (1087–1100) – Known as William Rufus.
Henry I (1100–1135) – Son of William the Conqueror.
Stephen (1135–1154) – Period of civil war known as “The Anarchy”.
Henry II (1154–1189) – Founder of the Plantagenet dynasty, introduced legal reforms.
Richard I (1189–1199) – The “Lionheart”, mostly away on the Crusades.
John (1199–1216) – Signed the Magna Carta in 1215.
Henry III (1216–1272) – Had a long reign, during which early calls for Parliamentary reform were made.

MULTIPLE CHOICE QUESTIONS WITH ANSWERS MARKED IN RED:

The Middle English period began in which year?
A) 1000
B) 1066
C) 1100
D) 1150
The Norman Conquest of England was led by:
A) King Harold
B) Richard the Lionheart
C) William the Conqueror
D) Henry II
After the Norman Conquest, which language became dominant in English courts and nobility?
A) Latin
B) French
C) Greek
D) Celtic
Which language was used for religious and scholarly writings during this period?
A) Anglo-Saxon
B) French
C) Latin
D) Gaelic
Which language eventually emerged from the blending of Old English and Norman French?
A) Gaelic
B) Anglo-Saxon
C) Middle English
D) Welsh
The feudal system introduced by the Normans was based on:
A) Democracy
B) Socialism
C) Land ownership and service
D) Trade guilds
Which dialect was prominent in religious prose like Ancrene Wisse?
A) East Midland
B) Northern
C) West Midlands
D) Southern
What was a major effect of the Norman Conquest on the English language?
A) It made English extinct.
B) It introduced a large number of French words.
C) It removed Latin influences.
D) It increased runic scripts.
The Norman Conquest occurred after which famous battle?
A) Battle of Agincourt
B) Battle of York
C) Battle of Hastings
D) Battle of Towton
What characterizes Early Middle English writing style?
A) Rich rhyming schemes
B) Strong alliteration only
C) Transition from inflectional to word-order grammar
D) Strict iambic meter
Which is one of the earliest examples of Middle English prose?
A) Canterbury Tales
B) Peterborough Chronicle
C) Sir Gawain and the Green Knight
D) Beowulf
The Ormulum was written by:
A) Layamon
B) Unknown
C) Orm
D) Gawain Poet
The Ormulum primarily contains:
A) Poetry on war
B) Religious homilies in verse
C) Political satire
D) Epic tales
Which work uses a highly phonetic spelling system?
A) Brut
B) Ormulum
C) Owl and Nightingale
D) Beowulf
What is the Ancrene Wisse?
A) A poem of courtly love
B) A chronicle of kings
C) A religious guide for anchoresses
D) A satire on monks
The author of Laȝamon’s Brut is:
A) Gawain poet
B) Geoffrey of Monmouth
C) Layamon
D) William Langland
Which work is an early attempt to write Arthurian legends in English?
A) The Owl and the Nightingale
B) Sir Gawain and the Green Knight
C) Layamon’s Brut
D) Morte d’Arthur
The Brut is based on which Latin text?

Middle English Period – Castle

A) Bible
B) De Civitate Dei
C) Historia Regum Britanniae
D) Confessio Amantis
Which of the following works is written as a debate between two birds?
A) Hali Meiðhad
B) Ancrene Wisse
C) The Owl and the Nightingale
D) Brut
The theme of Hali Meiðhad revolves around:
A) War
B) Virginity and female piety
C) Political philosophy
D) Comedy
Which theme dominated the literature of this period?
A) Love and romance
B) Religion and morality
C) Rebellion
D) Science
What is an anchoress?
A) A nun who travels
B) A teacher of Latin
C) A woman living in religious seclusion
D) A court poet
Which poetic form was popular in early Middle English verse?
A) Haiku
B) Free verse
C) Alliterative verse
D) Terza Rima
The Peterborough Chronicle is unique because it was:
A) Written in French
B) A religious text
C) A historical record in English prose
D) A fictional tale
Which work is considered a bridge between Old English and Middle English?
A) The Owl and the Nightingale
B) Canterbury Tales
C) Peterborough Chronicle
D) Brut
Layamon’s Brut emphasizes:
A) French legends
B) Church doctrine
C) Anglo-Saxon heritage
D) Roman mythology
The Ormulum was written to:
A) Promote romance
B) Teach Christianity to the English people
C) Tell heroic tales
What type of audience was Ancrene Wisse intended for?
A) Nobles
B) Children
C) Religious women
D) Merchants
The Owl and the Nightingale debates over:
A) Politics
B) Philosophy
C) Morality and poetic skill
D) War strategies
Middle English in this period was mainly used in:
A) Government offices
B) Common speech and some literature
C) Church rituals
D) Court poetry
Which of the following later built upon the themes found in Layamon’s Brut?
A) Langland
B) Sir Thomas Malory
C) Chaucer
D) Milton
Middle English evolved from Old English due to influence from:
A) Vikings
B) Norman French
C) Celtic tribes
D) Greek traders
The purpose of most early Middle English writings was to:
A) Educate and moralize
B) Entertain nobility
C) Promote rebellion
D) Document legal systems
Which literary device was dominant in early English verse?
A) Alliteration
B) End rhyme
C) Blank verse
D) Irony
The best-known manuscript preserving The Owl and the Nightingale is the:
A) Peterborough Codex
B) Exeter Book
C) Jesus College MS 29
D) Cotton Nero A.x
The use of English for religious instruction in Ancrene Wisse reflects:
A) Political rebellion
B) A move toward vernacular accessibility
C) A lack of Latin scholars
D) French influence
The spelling system in Ormulum was meant to:
A) Confuse the reader
B) Reflect Latin grammar
C) Represent exact pronunciation
D) Follow Norman French rules
Which period immediately follows the 1066–1250 era?
A) Old English Period
B) Elizabethan Age
C) Later Middle English Period (1250–1500)
D) Romantic Period
Which genre was rare in this period?
A) Religious texts
B) Homilies
C) Historical chronicles
D) Secular drama
The dominant audience for literature during this time was:
A) Urban merchants
B) Knights and kings
C) Clergy and religious communities
D) Children and youth