William Hazlitt Practice Questions
19 free William Hazlitt practice questions for the English Literature. Tap an option to answer — you get instant feedback, the correct answer, and a detailed explanation for every question.
William Hazlitt is best known in English literature as which kind of writer?
- A A metaphysical poet
- B A Romantic essayist and critic
- C A Victorian novelist
- D A Restoration-era dramatist and playwright of the London stage
Correct answer: A Romantic essayist and critic
William Hazlitt is chiefly remembered as a Romantic prose writer, essayist, and literary critic. His essays combine personal reflection, sharp judgment, and energetic prose.
Which essay by Hazlitt is especially known for its discussion of boxing and popular entertainment?
- A The Fight
- B Dream Children
- C A Defence of Poetry
- D On First Looking into Chapman's Homer
Correct answer: The Fight
The Fight is Hazlitt's celebrated essay on a boxing match. It shows his ability to turn a popular sporting event into vivid, dramatic prose.
Which of the following best describes Hazlitt's prose style?
- A Dry, mechanical, purely scientific, and detached from personal feeling
- B Energetic, conversational, personal, and critical
- C Entirely mythical and allegorical
- D Strictly legal and formal
Correct answer: Energetic, conversational, personal, and critical
Hazlitt's prose is energetic, personal, and often conversational. He combines passionate opinion with critical intelligence and memorable phrasing.
Hazlitt's The Characters of Shakespeare's Plays is mainly a work of what type?
- A Literary criticism
- B Political autobiography
- C Travel writing
- D Religious meditation
Correct answer: Literary criticism
The Characters of Shakespeare's Plays is a major work of Shakespearean criticism. Hazlitt analyzes Shakespeare's characters with psychological insight and imaginative sympathy.
Which Romantic poet was Hazlitt closely associated with in his early intellectual life?
- A Alexander Pope
- B William Wordsworth
- C Alfred Tennyson
- D John Dryden
Correct answer: William Wordsworth
Hazlitt was closely associated with Wordsworth and other Romantic writers, though he later criticized some of them. His essays often show both admiration and independent judgment.
Which title by Hazlitt suggests his interest in contemporary personalities and intellectual life?
- A The Spirit of the Age
- B The Rape of the Lock
- C Lyrical Ballads
- D The School for Scandal
Correct answer: The Spirit of the Age
The Spirit of the Age examines important figures of Hazlitt's own period. The work is valuable for its lively portraits of writers, thinkers, and political personalities.
Which of the following is a famous essay by Hazlitt?
- A On Going a Journey
- B Of Studies
- C The Superannuated Man
- D The Scholar Gypsy
Correct answer: On Going a Journey
On Going a Journey is one of Hazlitt's best-known familiar essays. It expresses his preference for solitary travel and the freedom of thought it provides.
What does Hazlitt mainly praise in the essay On Going a Journey?
- A Traveling alone and thinking freely
- B Remaining permanently at home
- C Traveling mainly for business obligations
- D Rejecting most aspects of the natural world
Correct answer: Traveling alone and thinking freely
In On Going a Journey, Hazlitt praises the pleasure of solitary travel. He values the freedom to observe nature and follow one's own thoughts without social interruption.
Hazlitt's criticism is often admired for which quality?
- A Its striking absence of subjective personal opinion or bias
- B Its passionate individuality and psychological insight
- C Its general refusal to engage with literature
- D Its heavy dependence on statistical data
Correct answer: Its passionate individuality and psychological insight
Hazlitt's criticism is marked by personal conviction, emotional energy, and psychological depth. He often responds to literature as a living experience rather than as a dry academic subject.
Which of the following works is associated with Hazlitt's theatrical criticism?
- A A View of the English Stage
- B Preface to Shakespeare (by Samuel Johnson)
- C The Defence of Poesy (by Sir Philip Sidney)
- D The Life of Johnson
Correct answer: A View of the English Stage
A View of the English Stage is associated with Hazlitt's work as a dramatic critic. It reflects his interest in acting, theatre, and the performance of Shakespearean drama.
What is the central subject of Hazlitt's Lectures on the English Poets?
- A The development and qualities of English poetry
- B The long history of English law and legal reform
- C The rise and growing popularity of the modern novel
- D The rules of classical architecture
Correct answer: The development and qualities of English poetry
Lectures on the English Poets discusses major English poets and poetic traditions. It shows Hazlitt's broad knowledge of literature and his ability to combine criticism with vivid expression.
Which political tendency is often associated with Hazlitt?
- A Conservative support for absolute monarchy
- B Radical sympathy with liberty and reform
- C General indifference to most public affairs
- D Support for feudal hierarchy
Correct answer: Radical sympathy with liberty and reform
Hazlitt was known for his radical political sympathies and admiration for liberty. His political views often influenced his criticism of public figures and social institutions.
Which historical figure did Hazlitt famously admire, despite controversy?
- A Napoleon Bonaparte
- B Oliver Cromwell as a Puritan hero
- C King George III
- D Louis XIV
Correct answer: Napoleon Bonaparte
Hazlitt famously admired Napoleon Bonaparte as a figure of energy and revolutionary possibility. His admiration was controversial and reflected his complex political imagination.
Which of the following is NOT typically associated with William Hazlitt?
- A Personal and familiar essay writing
- B Literary criticism
- C Dramatic and theatrical criticism
- D Epic poetry in heroic couplets
Correct answer: Epic poetry in heroic couplets
Hazlitt is not mainly known as a writer of epic poetry in heroic couplets. He is primarily remembered for essays, literary criticism, dramatic criticism, and political prose.
How does Hazlitt often treat Shakespeare's characters in his criticism?
- A As lifeless, mechanical examples used to teach grammar
- B As psychologically vivid and humanly complex figures
- C As purely historical documents
- D As symbols with no emotional interest
Correct answer: As psychologically vivid and humanly complex figures
Hazlitt treats Shakespeare's characters as living, psychologically complex beings. His criticism is valued for its imaginative sympathy and sensitivity to human motive.
Which essay title reflects Hazlitt's interest in strong personal likes and dislikes?
- A On the Pleasure of Hating
- B On Liberty
- C The Function of Criticism at the Present Time
- D The Study of Poetry
Correct answer: On the Pleasure of Hating
On the Pleasure of Hating is a famous Hazlitt essay that explores resentment, dislike, and human feeling. It shows his boldness in examining uncomfortable emotions.
Hazlitt's essays are often placed in which prose tradition?
- A The familiar essay tradition
- B The medieval chronicle tradition
- C The epic simile tradition
- D The scientific report tradition
Correct answer: The familiar essay tradition
Hazlitt is a major writer in the familiar essay tradition. His essays often combine personal voice, cultural observation, literary judgment, and reflective argument.
Which of the following best explains Hazlitt's importance in Romantic prose?
- A He brought personal intensity and critical brilliance to the essay form
- B He turned away from prose and devoted himself mainly to ballads and folk songs
- C He showed little interest in contemporary political subjects
- D He wrote mainly anonymous religious pamphlets and tracts
Correct answer: He brought personal intensity and critical brilliance to the essay form
Hazlitt's importance lies in his powerful use of the essay as a vehicle for criticism, personality, and thought. His prose captures the intellectual energy of the Romantic age.
Which phrase best describes Hazlitt's critical temperament?
- A Detached, passionless, and coldly mechanical in style
- B Independent, combative, and intensely engaged
- C Timid, neutral, and impersonal
- D Purely devotional and mystical in tone
Correct answer: Independent, combative, and intensely engaged
Hazlitt's criticism is independent, often combative, and deeply engaged with literature and politics. He writes with strong opinions, but also with insight and expressive force.