Dr. Norman Prinsky
Humanities 2001: Ancient through Seventeenth-Century Culture (Augusta State University)
Test on Dante's Inferno, Cantos 23-34 (Mark Musa translation)
1. In Canto 23 (The Hypocrites), Dante’s thoughts about the preceding canto, as well as Vergil’s mirroring of them (lines 13-33 and 51; “I was thinking”; “As though I were”), help to allegorically suggest: (a) the increasing dangerousness to human nature and reason of the sins of the leopard (b) the surprising humaneness of the sinners in this circle or sub-circle (c) the decreasing cordiality between Dante and Virgil (d) the increasing animosity between Dante and Virgil
2. In Canto 23, the simile describing Vergil’s actions toward Dante, when sighting the guards of the preceding canto (lines 37-45; “My guide instinctively”) allegorically or symbolically contrasts with: (a) the laziness of the sinners in relation to others while alive (b) the seeming solicitude or care for others by the sinners of this circle (c) the devotion to mere academic learning of the sinners while alive (d)
3. In Canto 23, the sinners’ clothing and its consequences (lines 58-72; “And now, down there”) symbolically or allegorically point to all of the following except which one: (a) outward appearance vs. inner reality (b) loose or voluminous talk (c) glib or fast talk (d) physical violence of their deeds
4. In Canto 23, the travel directions given to Vergil and Dante by the sinners of this canto (lines 128-138; “‘Could you please tell us’”): (a) parallel their untruthfulness in life (b) are as obscure as their language while alive (c) ironically contrast with their untruthfulness in life (d) are as pious as they were in life
5. In Canto 23, Vergil’s reaction to the contrast between the travel directions given by the sinners of this canto with those given in the preceding canto (lines 139-141; “My guide stood there”) allegorically or symbolically suggests: (a) the limitations of human reason by itself (b) the need to know the Judeo-Christian as well as Classical tradition (c) the increasing power of human intelligence in the course of the journey (d) the rejection of Judaism and Islam as false religions
6. The opening eighteen-line epic simile of Canto 24 implicitly applies to the remainder of the canto's description of the residents of the seventh bolgia in all the following ways except which one: (a) ordinary hardworking peasants contrasted to the earthly work habits of the residents (b) kind of death and resurrection of the natural world an ironic parallel and contrast to the transformation process of the residents (c) the idea of giving and care of the peasants and nature in the epic simile a contrast to the residents' earthly behavior (d) the peasants' not being fooled at first by appearances (of the natural world) a contrast to the residents' gullibility to others' schemes
7. Probably most opposite to the sinners and sin in the seventh bolgia in Canto 24 is which of the following in how Virgil relates to Dante in the canto: (a) sternly lecturing Dante (b) immediately granting Dante’s request (c) physically carrying Dante (d) revealing a special book he has been holding in reserve for Dante
8. The kind (species) of creature that attacks the residents of the seventh bolgia in Cantos 24-25, as well as what some of them turn into in Canto 25, has the symbolic association, relevant to their sin, of: (a) bodily harm (b) guile (c) audacity (d) misleading beauty
9. The varieties of the species of creature described in Canto 24 probably derives from what famous Roman poet: (a) Catullus (b) Horace (c) Lucan (d) Martial (e) Ovid
10. Where the species of creature is said to locate on the body in Canto 24 (lines 95-96) may allegorically signify what damage has been done to the sinners’ victims, as well as to the state in: (a) procreative or productive power (b) communication (c) morality (d) intellectual capacity
11. At the opening of Canto 25 (lines 1-18), Vanni Fucci illustrates all of the following sins except which one: (a) theft (b) unrepentance (c) blasphemy (d) lust (e) arrogance
12. In Canto 25, in the reference to Thebes is represented the Middle Ages’: (a) ignorance of Greco-Roman culture (b) allegorizing of classical literature and mythology (c) Italian patriotism (d) rejection of the classical tradition
13. By Canto 25, in comparison or contrast to Canto 4, Dante the pilgrim, in relation to Vergil (Virgil), Lucan, and Ovid: (a) remains a humble follower of classical tradition (b) exchanges writing poetry for prose (c) has surpassed the pagan writers because of Christianity (d) rejects use of classical mythology in literature
14. In Canto 25, the detailed description of the process of what happens to the sinners ironically suggests how thievery: (a) transforms owners’ goods into thieves’ goods (b) illustrates thieves’ ignorance of the Ten Commandments (c) benefits corrupt politicians as much as the thieves (d) differs from one European country and another European country
15. In Canto 26, the figure of speech ascribed to Florence (lines 1-3), relates to all the following except which one: (a) ironic contrast to how God is said to preside over the deep in the opening of Genesis (b) Dante’s knowledge about Leonardo da Vinci’s plans for flying machines (c) Dante the pilgrim’s remarks about the management of his talent (lines 19-24) (d) the description of the locomotion of Ulysses’ ship in its terminal exploration (lines 121-126) (e) the depiction of Satan and his climate control in Canto 34
16. In Canto 26, Dante the pilgrim’s remarks about the handling of his talent (lines 19-24) connects to (a) the rashness of Ulysses’ final sea voyage (b) the general notion of pilgrimage (c) the domination of Italy by the navy of Florence (d) a and b
17, In Canto 26, lines 25-33 represent the figure of speech: (a) tragic paradox (b) allegorical antonomasia (c) comic hyperbaton (d) epic simile
18. The particular figure of speech referred to in 26.25-33 (“As many fireflies . . . were visible”) helps convey the contrast between the sinners and all the following except which one: (a) pious common person (b) someone particularly intelligent (c) productive common person (d) someone satisfied with the ordinary natural world
19. In Canto 26, the peculiar physical form that all the sinners take primarily symbolizes: (a) passion (b) spirituality (c) intellect (d) avarice
20. In Canto 26, the punishment-form that “steals” the appearance of the sinners (lines 37-42) relates most closely to the sin punished in: (a) Canto 8 (b) Canto 12 (c) Canto 18 (d) Canto 24
21. In Canto 26, the allegorical implications of Dante’s action on the bridge (lines 43-45) suggests all the following except which one: (a) Dante-pilgrim’s affinity with these sinners (b) passionate intellectual curiosity (c) medieval uninterest in and rejection of architecture (d) faith’s necessary joining with intellect
22. In Canto 26, in the details of Dante’s request to Vergil (Virgil) about speaking with Ulysses (lines 64-69) are suggested all the following except which one: (a) Dante-pilgrim’s affinity with these sinners (b) passionate intellectual curiosity (c) Dante-author’s admiration for Homer’s works (d) Italian favoring of the Trojans over the Greeks
23. In Canto 26, the contrast in the way Ulysses has sought to reach Mount Purgatory versus the way Dante the character is pursuing the goal symbolically suggests the contrast between: (a) romantic love and religious love (b) Greek and Roman (c) visual arts and literature (d) faith and intellect
24. In Canto 27, the epic simile about the brazen bull (lines 3-15) relates to the sinners of this particular circle by illustrating the catastrophic abuse of: (a) intellect (b) animals (c) sports (d) sexuality
25. In Canto 27, the second sinner to speak to Vergil (Virgil) and Dante the pilgrim, when he says “If you have just now fallen to this world / of blindness” (lines 25-27), incorporates (not necessarily wittingly) in the word “blindness” all the following meanings except which one: (a) the darkness of much of hell (b) the difficulty that this sinner has in seeing through his encasing punishment (he can’t tell that Dante the pilgrim is living) (c) the moral blindness of the sinners (d) hell’s sinners being unable to see present events on earth, though knowing past and future events (e) author Dante’s well-known real physical vision problems that bothered him in later life
26. In Canto 28 (The Sowers of Discord), the bodily punishment of the sinners most closely relates to which element of the sin: (a) scandal (b) schism (c) scrimping (d) secularity
27. In Canto 28, the underling syntax (grammar) of lines 7-21 exemplifies the: (a) periodic sentence (b) loose sentence (c) simple sentence (d) compound sentence
28. In Canto 28, the grammatical and stylistic component referred to in the immediately preceding question helps convey: (a) meagerness (b) simplicity (c) emancipation (d) amplitude
29. In Canto 28, the first main sinner (lines 22-63) is thematically most closely related to: (a) the architecture of the castle in Limbo (4.103-117) (b) the geography of the fourth circle’s boundary (7.97-108 and 7.118-129) (c) the architecture of the city of Dis (8.67-75) (d) the geography of the seventh circle (12.1-10)
30. In Canto 28, the simile toward the end of the canto of Bertrand de Born holding his severed head like a lantern symbolically suggests: (a) scientists' troublemaking (b) distortion of the mind's right uses (c) erroneous medieval beliefs about anatomy (d) love's and sex's betrayal of religion (e) why aspirin, acetominophen, ibuprofen, and naproxin sodium were invented
31. In Canto 29 (The Falsifiers; Class I - Alchemists), the metaphor in Dante’s reference to “the final cloister / of Malebolge” (lines 40-41) could be categorized as: (a) tender (b) sincere (c) amorous (d) ironic
32. In Canto 29, the imagery and symbolism of the punishment of the sinners emphasizes most the damage of their sin to: (a) the individual (b) religion (c) society (d) women
33. In Canto 29, the imagery of how the sinners manually deal with their sin symbolizes: (a) pride (b) greed (c) envy (d) sloth
34. In Canto 30, Dante’s reference to the Trojans (lines 13-15; “And when the . . . king and kingdom”) primarily shows: (a) religious condemnation (b) favorable Italian bias (c) deference to Vergil (Virgil) (d) attachment to royalty (e) allusion to Pat Sajak and Vanna White
35. In Canto 30, the shape of Master Adamo’s body, mentioned in a simile (30.49; “And there I saw a soul shaped like”) ironically connects with: (a) painting (b) architecture (c) sculpture (d) music
36. In Canto 30, the iconographical shape of Master Adamo’s body, mentioned in the simile referred to in the immediately preceding question connects symbolically (and mentioned in Sayre (Figure 13.10) or Sayre2 (Figure 10.26) to an ironic version or inversion of: (a) the Last Supper (b) the Passion (c) the Crucifixion (d) the Resurrection (e) the Last Judgment
37. In Canto 30, the most vividly repeated part of Master Adamo's punishment (brought up repeatedly by Sinon) symbolically connects with the image stamped on his coins through John the Baptist's: (a) principal material in operating (b) fate at the request of Salomé (c) temperament (d) clothing
38. In Canto 30, what Vergil (Virgil) reproves Dante-pilgrim for (30.130-148; “I was listening . . . to have a taste for”) would most condemn which modern TV show (and genre of TV show): (a) Jerry Springer (b) Rachel Ray (c) Jimmy Kimmel Live (d) Ellen (DeGeneres) (e) Live with Regis and Kelly (f) Dr. Phil
39. In Canto 31 (The Giants), what Dante-pilgrim first becomes aware of within the circle or bolgia ties in with which one of the fine arts associated with Master Adamo’s punishment in Canto 30: (a) painting (b) architecture (c) sculpture (d) music
40. In Canto 31, the item referred to in the immediately preceding question would have the allegorical symbolism of an ironic version or inversion of: (a) the Last Supper (b) the Passion (c) the Crucifixion (d) the Resurrection (e) the Last Judgment
41. In Canto 31, Dante’s differentiation between elephants or whales, and the giants, notes Nature’s wisdom in rejecting the combination of size with: (a) strength (b) intellect (c) beauty (d) affluence
42. In Canto 31, with Ephialtes, Briareus, Tityos, and Typhon – reference to the Titans' rebellion against the Olympians – Dante shows: (a) rejection of the classical tradition (b) allegorization of the classical tradition (c) ignorance of the classical tradition (d) rediscovery of the classical tradition
43. In Canto 32, as the bottom, ninth circle of Hell or Inferno is reached, its main environmental feature, symbolically appropriate to the sins of the leopard, suggests about this whole category of sin (symbolized by the animal) its quality of: (a) fury (b) calculation (c) speed (d) bodily harm to others
44. In Canto 33 (ninth circle continued), what Count Ugolino is doing to Archbishop Ruggieri is the next-to-last culmination of the motif in Inferno (symbolizing, among other things, the self-destructiveness of sin) of: (a) pity (b) scatology (c) music (d) cannibalism
45. In Canto 34, The group of traitors being punished directly by Satan in the last canto suggests which element of the work: (a) scholasticism (b) hierarchicalism (c) ahistoricism (uninterest in history) (d) stoicism
46. In Canto 34, the group of traitors being punished directly by Satan in the last canto suggests: (a) medieval emphasis on feudal loyalty (b) combining Greco-Roman culture with Christianity (c) a and b (d) rejection of the Greco-Roman tradition or culture
47. As depicted in Inferno's last canto, the most notable features of Satan's head (including coloration) symbolically suggest all of the following except which one: (a) treachery (b) perversion of the Trinity (c) wrathfulness (d) pride (e) deceptive beauty
48. According to the standard music history textbook by Donald Grout (cited or quoted in lecture or Prinsky’s Notes and Questions), Dante's Comedy resembles in structure the Medieval musical form: (a) motet (b) organum (c) Goliard song (d) chant
49. Several scholars have noted the resemblance of both Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales and Dante’s Divine Comedy to which visual art form in the Middle Ages: (a) the sculptures found in the jambs and tympanums of the cathedral (b) the layout of altarpiece art in the cathedral (c) the stained glass windows of the cathedral (d) the overall architecture of the cathedral (e) the reliquaries of the medieval cathedral
50. By 2010, about how many translations into English had been done of Dante’s Inferno or Divine Comedy: (a) 60 (b) 70 (c) 80 (d) 90 (e) 100
51. Later serious or art music compositions based on Dante’s material have been done by all the following composers except which one: (a) Schubert (b) Liszt (c) Tchaikovsky (d) Rachmaninov
52. Later art illustrations or sculptures based on Dante’s material have been done by all the following artists except which one: (a) Botticelli (b) Blake (c) Delacroix (d) Matisse (e) Rodin