The Castle of Otranto

Multiple Choice and Long Answer questions create ideal opportunities for whole-text review, unit exam, or summative assessments.

Multiple Choice

1. What seems to be the main motivation for Manfred’s actions in this novel?

A) Fear of outsiders and unfamiliar ideas

B) Jealousy over his relationships

C) A desire to retain power in his lineage

D) Greed and the desire to accumulate capital

2. Which is the most reasonable interpretation of the symbolic power of Alfonso the Good?

A) He represents the wisdom of fearing God’s jealousy and wrath.

B) He represents the divine sanction of noble actions and legitimate uses of power.

C) He represents the legitimacy of the patriarchy and the rule of primogeniture.

D) He represents the church’s ability to both confer and take away a ruler’s power.

3. Which of the following statements is best supported by the action of the novel?

A) Loyalty to family means unquestioning obedience to one’s parents.

B) Scheming and double-dealing may be wrong, but they are often effective.

C) Romantic love is more important than political expediency.

D) Even the most powerful ruler cannot escape God’s plans.

4. What tone does the narrative take toward Hippolita’s choices?

A) Mostly admiring and respectful

B) Sometimes amused and sometimes puzzled

C) Mostly scornful and condescending

D) Sometimes pitying and sometimes approving

5. What seems to motivate Hippolita’s acquiescence to Manfred’s plans?