Comedy of Manners Practice Questions
20 free Comedy of Manners practice questions for the English Literature, each with the correct answer and a detailed explanation. Open any question below, or take the full set as an interactive quiz.
Questions
20 questions
All Comedy of Manners questions
- Q1. Which of the following is the defining characteristic of the 'Comedy of Manners' genre during the Restoration period?
- Q2. In William Congreve’s 'The Way of the World', which famous scene involves the negotiation of marital conditions between Mirabell and Millamant?
- Q3. Which character archetype is defined as a person who over-affects fashion and wit, only to be ridiculed by the 'true wits'?
- Q4. Who is the author of 'The Country Wife' (1675), a play notorious for its scandalous 'China Scene'?
- Q5. Which Restoration playwright was the first professional woman writer in England, known for 'The Rover'?
- Q6. What is the primary function of 'Wit' (esprit) in the Comedy of Manners?
- Q7. In Wycherley’s 'The Country Wife', what ruse does Mr. Horner use to gain access to the wives of jealous husbands?
- Q8. The term 'Restoration' in Restoration Comedy refers to the return of which monarch to the English throne?
- Q9. Which play by George Etherege features the definitive 'true wit' Dorimant and the archetypal fop Sir Fopling Flutter?
- Q10. What significant physical change occurred in English theaters during the Restoration that affected the performance of comedies?
- Q11. Which of these is a common plot motif in the Comedy of Manners?
- Q12. Who wrote 'The Provoked Wife' (1697), a play that questioned the permanence of marriage and the double standard for infidelity?
- Q13. The 'Double Entendre' is a common linguistic device in these plays. What does it entail?
- Q14. In 'The Way of the World', which character serves as the villainous foil to Mirabell, attempting to steal Lady Wishfort's fortune?
- Q15. Which critic wrote 'A Short View of the Immorality and Profaneness of the English Stage' (1698), attacking the Comedy of Manners?
- Q16. George Farquhar’s 'The Beaux' Stratagem' (1707) is noted for shifting the Comedy of Manners in which direction?
- Q17. What is the typical social setting for a Comedy of Manners?
- Q18. In the context of this genre, what is a 'Rake'?
- Q19. Which character in 'The Way of the World' is an elderly woman obsessed with staying young and being courted?
- Q20. Which 18th-century playwright revived the Comedy of Manners style with 'The School for Scandal'?