All 50 questions from the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) Literature in English 2020 Objective paper, with the correct answer and a full explanation for each. Free, no signup needed.
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A situation where an audience is aware of an action a character is ignorant of is
Dramatic irony is a situation where the audience is aware of an action or situation rank of dramatic irony, Dramatic irony is a situation where what is known or secret to a character is known to the audience but the character remains unaware of it.
A fictional prose which is neither a novel nor a short story is a/an
A novella is a fictional prose work that is longer than a short story but shorter than a full novel.
Condensed use of language is a dominant feature of
Condensed (economical, compact) use of language is a dominant feature of poetry.
The sudden reversal of a character's fortune in a literary work is
Peripeteia is the sudden reversal of a character's fortune in a literary work.
[Read the extract: "With the pen, he wrote kings into reality, With his words, kingdoms arose, Those same words, slaves inhaled Their hands building walls, their feet tromping territories His pen was like the breath of life."] The underlined words illustrate
The underlined words ("the pen") illustrate metonymy, a figure of speech in which a related term (the pen) is used to represent something closely associated with it (writing/the written word/authority).
"hands and feet" in line 4 illustrate
"Hands and feet" illustrate synecdoche, a figure of speech in which a part is used to represent the whole (the people/slaves as a whole).
His pen was like the breath of life exemplifies
"His pen was like the breath of life" exemplifies a simile, a figure of speech that makes a direct comparison between two unlike things using "like" or "as".
Comic relief occurs in
Comic relief occurs in tragedies, where a humorous scene or character is introduced to relieve the audience from the intense emotional strain of the tragic narrative.
One week of fasting makes one weak is an example of
This is an example of a pun, a play on words that exploits multiple meanings or similar-sounding words ("week"/"weak") for humorous or rhetorical effect.
Students rarely read Julius Caesar these days illustrates
This illustrates caesura, a rhythmic pause or break in a line, here found in the natural pause when reading the title "Julius Caesar" in the middle of the sentence.
In literature, the term poetic justice applies to
Poetic justice applies to the rewarding of good characters and the punishing of bad ones, i.e. virtue is ultimately rewarded and vice punished.
Ascribing human moods to nature, as in a playful breeze illustrates
Ascribing human moods or feelings to nature (as in "a playful breeze") illustrates pathetic fallacy.
The end of a performance is followed by
The end of a theatrical performance is followed by a curtain call, when the performers (dancer, actors and actresses) come out to be applauded by the audience.
[Read the lines: "Marching along fifty score strong Great hearted gentlemen singing this song"] The underlined words illustrate
The underlined words illustrate assonance, the repetition of the same vowel sounds in succession ("along"..."strong"; "great"..."hearted").
A short poem with a witty or sarcastic ending is a/an
An epigram is a short poem with a witty or sarcastic ending.
[Read the extract and answer Questions 17 and 18: "I find no peace and all my war is done; I fear and hope. I burn and freeze like ice."] The big boulder blasted the house illustrates
"The big boulder blasted the house" illustrates alliteration, the repetition of the same consonant sounds (the 'b' sound) in successive words.
The dominant literary device used in the lines is
The dominant literary device used in the lines is paradox, an expression that appears self-contradictory on the surface but reveals a deeper truth ("I fear and hope", "I burn and freeze like ice").
The feeling of the narrator in the extract is one of
The feeling of the narrator in the extract is one of confusion, reflected in the contradictory emotional states expressed (fear and hope, burning and freezing).
Which of the following is written by an African playwright?
The Blood of a Stranger is written by an African playwright, Dele Charley.
Which of the following is written by a Non-African poet?
"The Schoolboy" is a poem written by a Non-African poet, William Blake.
[PART II: Read the passage about a sea storm at night and answer Questions 21 to 25.] The most suitable title for the passage is
The most suitable title for the passage is "At Sea on a Stormy Night", as the passage reveals the experience of being at sea during a stormy night.
The predominant use of long vowels in the first sentence heightens the
The predominant use of long vowels in the first sentence heightens the endless movement of the waves, capturing the continuous, rolling motion described.
The writer's attitude to the scene is one of
The writer's attitude to the scene is one of awe, a feeling characterized by wonder and dread, as the writer fears and marvels at the scene.
The expression million voices is used as a
The expression "million voices" is used as a hyperbole, an exaggeration used to emphasize the overwhelming, deafening roar of the sea.
A ship in the last line symbolizes
"A ship!" in the last line symbolizes hope, as a ship represents hope for the despondent seafarers, giving the passage's tone an optimistic close.
[Read the poem and answer Questions 26 to 30, describing memory brought by "stilly night", boyhood years, smiles, tears, dimmed eyes and broken hearts.] The theme is about the poet's
The theme of the poem is presented essentially through repetition, and is about the poet's yearning for happier times gone by, echoing memories of fondness and sadness.
The theme of the poem is presented essentially through
The theme of the poem is presented essentially through repetition, a recurrence of certain words or phrases for emphasis (e.g. "memory", "light" and "night").
Two words that give hint of the poet's unhappiness in the poem are
"Shone" and "dimm'd" are two words that give a hint of the poet's unhappiness in the poem; the persona is unhappy for his blindness, as the eyes that shone have now gone dim, perhaps due to old age and sickness.
The poet refers to memory as being
The poet refers to memory as being "fond" and "sad", because it brings smiles and tears; the poem echoes the experiences of fondness and sadness of the persona, who remembers the fond young days and the sad old days.
The meaning of the expression Ere slumber's chain has bound me is
The meaning of the expression "Ere slumber's chain has bound me" is before I dream. "Ere" is an archaic term for "before" while "slumber's chain" is a metaphor for dream/sleep.
[Read the extract and answer Questions 31 to 35: "Zounds, sir, y' are robbed! For shame, put on your gown! Your heart's burst, you have lost half your soul. Even now, now, very now, an old black ram Is tupping your white ewe..." (Othello, Act I, Scene One, lines 83-89)] The speaker is
The speaker of this extract is Iago.
The listener's initial reaction to the speech is one of
The listener's (Brabantio's) initial reaction to the speech is one of disbelief; Brabantio had initially refused to grant audience to Iago and Roderigo, doubting what they told him.
The underlined expression implies an attitude of
The underlined expression ("an old black ram is tupping your white ewe") implies an attitude of racism; Othello is portrayed in racial terms, described as "old black ram" while Desdemona is referred to as the white ewe.
...y' are robbed! Refers to
"...y' are robbed!" refers to Othello's elopement with Desdemona. Elopement is an act of leaving secretly to get married; having known that Brabantio will not approve of their marriage, Othello and Desdemona are set to elope or get married elsewhere.
The speaker is at
The speaker of the extract is in front of Brabantio's house, communicating with him through the window.
[Read the extract and answer Questions 36 to 40: "I will rather sue to be despised than to deceive so good a commander with so slight, so drunken and so indiscreet an officer. Drunk! And speak parrot! And squabble! Swagger! Swear! And discourse fustian with one's own shadow! O thou invisible spirit of wine, if thou hast no name to be known by, let us call thee devil!" (Othello, Act II, Scene Three, lines 262-267)] The speaker is
The speaker is Cassio.
The speaker is addressing
The speaker is addressing Iago. Iago and Cassio are in conversation after Cassio's stupid act following his deception by Iago, who had gotten him drunk.
The mood is that of
The mood is that of regret. Cassio regrets having made himself a subject of derision and stupidity by falling for Iago's deceit. He regrets his drunkenness: "O thou invisible spirit of wine, if thou hast no name to be known by, let us call thee devil!"
The expression ...so good a commander refers to
The expression "...so good a commander" refers to Othello. It is evident that Othello will lose trust in Cassio due to the act. The extract also reveals Cassio's loyalty to Othello.
The underlined expression, O thou invisible spirit of wine exemplifies
The underlined expression exemplifies apostrophe, a figure of speech in which the speaker directly addresses an entity, a person, or a thing as if it were present.
[Read the extract and answer Questions 41 to 45: "Did he live now, this sight would make him do a desperate turn; Yea, curse his better angel from his side, And fall to reprobation." (Othello, Act V, Scene Two, lines 204-211)] ... he ..., referred to by Speaker X, is
He referred to by Speaker X is Brabantio. This is shortly after Desdemona's murder by Othello. It is unfortunate that Brabantio had died before this time. It is obvious that if Brabantio had been alive, he would have possibly dealt legally against him.
...do a desperate turn means
"...do a desperate turn" means kill Othello. There is no doubt that if Brabantio had been alive at the death of Desdemona he would have ordered the killing of Othello or take a legal action against him. Brabantio was initially against Desdemona and Othello's marriage.
Speaker Y's speech shows that
Speaker Y's (Othello's) speech shows that he is unrepentant. This is evident in the speech: "...Iago knows that she with Cassio hath the act of shame/ A thousand times committed. Cassio confessed it/ And she did gratify his amorous works". He has no reason to feel sorry for what he just happened. He thinks Desdemona deserved the death. He is oblivious of Cassio and Iago's innocence and the culpability of Iago.
Speaker Y has just
Speaker Y (Othello) has just killed Desdemona, who is Othello's wife. Desdemona has been wrongly accused of cuckold or adultery by Iago. Othello has been gullible and this manifests in the way he kills Desdemona without giving her a fair hearing.
Just after this dialogue
Just after this dialogue, Emilia realizes her culpability. Emilia opens up on her culpability or guilt of involvement in Desdemona's death. Emilia had been ordered by Iago to obtain or "steal" Desdemona's handkerchief which was later used to implicate Desdemona.
[Read the extract and answer Questions 46 to 50: "O thou dull Moor, that handkerchief thou speak'st of I found by fortune, and did give my husband; For often with a solemn earnestness- More than indeed belonged to such a trifle- He begged of me to steal't." (Othello, Act V, Scene Two, lines 223-227)] The speaker is
The speaker is Emilia.
The speaker has just been threatened by
The speaker has just been threatened by Iago. Following the threat, Iago stabs Emilia for spilling the bean and Emilia dies afterward.
What has just happened is that
What has just happened is that Othello has murdered his wife. Othello's act of killing Desdemona portrays him as impetuous, callous and gullible.
Soon after this, the speaker
Soon after this, the speaker (Emilia) is killed by Iago. Iago tries to escape but he is arrested and charged.
This stage of the play is known as the
This stage of the play is known as the denouement. Denouement is the stage where conflicts, mysteries and intrigues are resolved in a play. It is also known as resolution.
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