Saturday, November 1, 2025

XI 4.1 History of Drama - Objective Questions

MCQs

1.      Which one is not an element of drama?

a)     Character

b)     Climax

c)     Theme

d)     Setting

Ans: b)

2.      The sequence of events in a play is known as:

a)     Theme

b)     Setting

c)     Plot

d)     Dialogue

Ans: c)

3.      Dialogue in drama helps to:

a)     Provide background music

b)     Create suspense

c)     Move the plot and express characters

d)     Describe scenery

Ans: c)

4.      What type of play includes abstract vices and virtues as characters?

a)     Comedy

b)     Tragedy

c)     Morality Play

d)     Farce

Ans: c)

5.      Which period saw the beginning of English drama?

a)     Renaissance

b)     Elizabethan

c)     Medieval

d)     Victorian

Ans: c)

6.      Which dramatist wrote the play, ‘Dr. Faustus’?

a)     Shakespeare

b)     Christopher Marlowe

c)     Ben Jonson

d)     Thomas Kyd

Ans: b)

7.      The Restoration period began in:

a)     1600

b)     1660

c)     1700

d)     1837

Ans: b)

8.      Which king’s reign is associated with the revival of theatre after the Puritan ban?

a)     James I

b)     Charles I

c)     Charles II

d)     Henry VI

Ans: c)

9.      “The Way of the World” is a play written by -

a)     Dryden

b)     Sheridan

c)     Congreve

d)     Etherege

Ans: c)

10.  Which is not a feature of One Act Play?

a)     Multiple plots

b)     Limited characters

c)     Unity of time, place, and action

d)     Simplicity of plot

Ans: a)

11.  Which play belongs to the Post-modern era ie after 1950?

a)     Murder in the Cathedral

b)     Waiting for Godot

c)     Dr. Faustus

d)     The Way of the World

Ans: b)

12.  The Indian book on Dramatics, “Natyashastra” was written by -

a)     Kalidas

b)     Patanjali

c)     Bharat Muni

d)     Valmiki

Ans: c)

13.  Modern Indian Drama has its roots in:

a)     English drama

b)     Sanskrit drama

c)     Greek theatre

d)     Persian theatre

Ans: b)

14.  Which of these is a major characteristic of Medieval drama?

a)     Absurdism

b)     Religious themes

c)     Feminist theory

d)     Realistic settings

Ans: b)

15.  Who was known as a classicist, moralist, and genius in comedy?

a)     T.S. Eliot

b)     Samuel Beckett

c)     Ben Jonson

d)     Henrik Ibsen

Ans: c)

16.  What is the main function of conflict in a drama?

a)     To create unity of plot

b)     To introduce stage directions

c)     To challenge characters

d)     To summarize the theme

Ans: c)

17.  The Restoration comedy is best described as:

a)     Satirical and witty

b)     Absurd and existential

c)     Moralistic and tragic

d)     Allegorical and spiritual

Ans: a)

18.  A play’s “theme” refers to its -

a)     Conflict

b)     Dialogue

c)     Main idea or message

d)     Ending

Ans: c)

19.  Who wrote the play, ‘Murder in the Cathedral’?

a)     John Osborne

b)     T.S. Eliot

c)     Oscar Wilde

d)     Ben Jonson

Ans: b)

20.  ________ used the form of Greek tragedy in the 20th century drama:

a) T.S. Eliot

b) John Osborne

c) Bernard Shaw

d) Harold Pinter

Ans: a)

21.  One Act Plays are known for:

a) Complex character webs

b) Multiple themes

c) Simplicity and unity

d) Long and detailed acts

Ans: c)

22.  The stage description, “raised platform without artificial light” refers to:

a) Post-modern drama

b) Elizabethan drama

c) Victorian drama

d) Street theatre

Ans: b)

23.  ‘All for Love’ is a play written by:

a) William Congreve

b) George Etherege

c) John Dryden

d) Samuel Beckett

Ans: c)

24.  The play, ‘Candia’ was written by:

a) G.B. Shaw

b) Ibsen

c) Oscar Wilde

d) Eliot

Ans: a)

25.  The tragedy drama, ‘The Duchess of Malfi’ is written by -

a) John Webster

b) Marlowe

c) Thomas Middleton

d) John Dryden

Ans: a)

 

True /False 

1.      Tragedy and Tragicomedy are both types of comedy.

False

2.      The Puritans supported theatre during Interregnum.

False

3.      Ben Jonson was known for his tragedies.

False

4.      The theme of a drama can be obscure or clear.

True

5.      Sentimental comedy was popular during the Restoration Period.

True

6.      Drama lacks any audio-visual elements.

False

7.      Oscar Wilde wrote “Candia”.

False

8.      Stage directions help guide the actors in how to perform.

True

9.      Robin Hood was written during the Elizabethan period.

False

10.  The term “Kitchen Sink Drama” belongs to the Post-modern era.
True

11.  George Bernard Shaw contributed to social and psychological drama.
True

12.  The Abbey Theatre is associated with the Irish literary revival.
True

 

Match The Pairs

 

Column A

Column B

1.      Natyashastra

a.      William Congreve

2.      Waiting for Godot

b.      Christopher Marlowe

3.      The Way of the World

c.      Post-World War era

4.      Dr. Faustus

d.      Bharat Muni

5.      Kitchen Sink Drama  

e.      Samuel Beckett

6.      Stream of Consciousness

f.       Howard Pyle

7.      Robin Hood

g.      Modernist Drama

8.      Henrik Ibsen

h.      Elizabethan period

9.      William Shakespeare

i.       Post-modern drama

10.  Harold Pinter

j.       Realist drama

 

Odd One Out

1.      Romeo and Juliet, Midsummer Night’s Dream, Hamlet, Pygmalion

Odd: Pygmalion

2.      Comedy of Manners, Farce, Melodrama, Poetic Drama

Odd: Poetic Drama

3.      Samuel Beckett, Arthur Miller, Henrik Ibsen, Christopher Marlowe

Odd: Christopher Marlowe

4.      Exposition, Climax, Dialogue, Denouement

Odd: Dialogue

5.      Unity of time, place, action, theme

Odd: Theme

6.      Waiting for Godot, Kitchen Sink Drama, Everyman, Look Back in Anger

Odd: Everyman

 

Fill In The Blanks.

1.      The _________ period witnessed the closure of theatres by Puritans.

Ans: Interregnum

2.      ________ wrote the play, ‘Pygmalion’.

Ans: George Bernard Shaw

3.      ________ drama is based on the internal thoughts of characters.

Ans: Stream of Consciousness

4.      The performance of plays in Churches began during the ________.

Ans: 10th century

5.      ________ is considered a forerunner of modernist and realist drama.

Ans: Henrik Ibsen

6.      The time period context of the play is a part of its ________.

Ans: Setting

7.      ________ are instructions in a script to guide actors.

Ans: Stage directions

8.      The play, ‘A Doll’s House’ was written by ________.

Ans: Henrik Ibsen

9.      Comedy with more genial atmosphere was seen in the ________ period.

Ans: Restoration

10.  Shakespeare wrote around _______ plays.

Ans: 40

11.  The Abbey Theatre is located in ________.

Ans: Dublin

12.  Drama is a form of ________ communication.

Ans: Audio-visual

13.  Look Back in Anger is a play written by ________.

Ans: John Osborne

14.  The climax in drama refers to the ________ point of the play.

Ans: Turning

15.  The _________ period saw decline in serious drama due to lack of intelligent audience.

Ans: Victorian

16.  _________ is known as the father of absurd theatre.

Ans: Samuel Beckett

17.  ________ wrote the play “The Jew of Malta.”

Ans: Christopher Marlowe

18.  A play in which characters represent abstract qualities is called a ________ play.

Ans: Morality

19.  The ________ period saw the introduction of actresses to play female characters on stage.

Ans: Restoration

20.  The ________ represents the time and location of the drama’s action.

Ans: Setting

 

XI 4.1 History of Drama - Objective Questions

MCQs 1.       Which one is not an element of drama? a)      Character b)      Climax c)      Theme d)      Setting Ans: b) 2...