MA in ENGLISH LiTERaTURE QUESTIONS

ENGLISH—2009

Subject Code : 1151 (Chaucer and Shakespeare)

Time-4 hours Full marks—100

[N.B.— All questions are of equal value. Answer question No. 1 and four others.]

1.   Locate and explain any four of the following:—
(a)   Look to her, Moor, if thou hast eyes to see: She has deceived her father and may thee.

(b)   Be not afeared, this isle is full of noises
Sounds and sweet airs, that give delight and hurt not.
He hadde maad ful many a marriage
Of yonge wommen, at his owne cost.

(c)   Ingratitude, thou marble-hearted fiend,
More hideous when thou showest thee in a child
Than the sea-monster.

(e)  O it is excellent
To have a giant’s strenght, but it is tyrannous
To use it like a giant.

(f)     Wommenes counseils been ful oft colde
Wommenes counseils broughte us first to wo
And made Adam from Paradys to go
There as he was ful merye and wel at ese.

(g)   Thus was I, sleeping, by a brother’s hand
O life, of croun, of queen, at once dispatched.

(h)   Criseyde gan all his chere espyen
And let so soft it in her herte sinke.

2. (a) Comment on Chaucer’s use of humour and irony in The Prologue to the Canterbury Tales.

Or
(b)How does Chaucer give human attributes to the animals in The Nun’s Priest’s Tale?
Or
(c)  Show in what ways Chaucer’s Troilus and Creseyde transcends the literary convention.

3. (a) Show how the ghost acts as a powerful driving force in Hamlet.

Or
(b) To what extent is Hamlet an unconventional revenge play?

4. (a) Do you think that Othello was a victim of credulity and jealousy?

Or
(b) Write a note on Shakespeare’s use of intrigues in Othello:

5. (a) What is the role of Foal in king Lear? Why does he disappear so mysteriously?

Or
(b) Give a description of the storm scene in King Lear with a critical note on its significant

6. (a) Discuss   the   theme   of colonisation   as   depicted   in Shakespeare’s The Tempest.

Or
(b) Attempt a comparison and contrast between Caliban and Ariel in The Tempest.

7. (a) Will you consider Measure for Measure as a dark comedy?

Give reasons for your answer.
Or
(b) The conclusion of Measure for Measure does not adequately resolve the complex moral issue the play presents. Justify.

Bangladesh National University MA(Final) Syllabus for English Literature

Bangladesh National University MA(Final) Syllabus Syllabus

Bangladesh National University Syllabus: MA(Final)-English Session from:2005-2006(New syllabus)

Course Description:
Subject Code---- Subject---------------------Unit -----Marks

1151 ---------Chaucer and Shakespeare------1.0---- ---100
1152 ---------Modern Poetry ----------------1.0------- 100
1153--------- Modern Drama ----------------1.0------- 100
1154--------- Modern Novel and Prose ------1.0-------- 100
1180 ---------Tutorial -----------------------0.5------ --50
1190 ---------Viva ---------------------------0.5 --------50

Total----------------------------------------- 5.0 --------500

Detailed Syllabus:

Subject Code-1151: Chaucer and Shakespeare

1.Chaucer-

1. The Prologue to the Canterbury Tales,
2.  The Nuns Priests Tale, 
3. Troilus and Cresyde

2.Shakespeare-

1. Hamlet, 
2. Othello, 
3. king lear, 
4. Tempest, 
5. Measure for Measure

Books Recommended:

1W.P. Kerr,Medieval English Literature
2N.G. Coghill,The Poet Chaucer
3C.S. Lewis,The Allegory of Love
4M. Bowden,A Commentary on the General Prologue to the Canterbury Tales


Subject Code-1152: Modern Poetry

1 Whitman-Song of Myself
2 W.B. Yeats-Selected Poems (ed.Norman Jeffer excluding the pieces included in the First year Honours Course
3 Robert Frost-Poems (as in Norton-excluding Stopping by woods on a Snowy Evening)
4 W.H. Auden-Poems (as in Norton)
5. Dylan Thomas-Poems (as in Norton excluding Fern Hill)
6. Heany Seamus-Poems (as in Norton)


Books Recommended:

1G.W. Cunliffe,English Literature during the last half of a century
2C.M. Bowra,The Heritage of symbolism
3V.De Sola Pinto,Crisis in Modern Poetry
4D.H. Lawrence,Studies in Classic American Literature
5Geofrey Dutton,Walt Whitman
6Phillip L. Gerber,Robert Frost

Subject Code-1153: MOdern Drama
1 Synge-Riders to the Sea
2 G.B.Shaw-Man and Superman
3 -O NeilDesire Under the Elms
4 Samuel Becket-Waiting for Godot
5 A. Miller-Death of a Salesman 6 Osborne-Look Back in Anger


Books Recommended:

1. H.Lawrence,Studies in Classic American Literature
2 Murcus Cunlife,Literature of the United States
3 Jean Gould,Modern American Playwrights
4 H.w.Hubel,who are the major American Writers?
5 Doris B. Folk,Eugene O Neil and the Tragic Vision
6 G.W. Cunliffe,English Literature During the last half of a century

Subject Code-1154(A):Modern Novel and Prose
1 E.Hemingway-A Farewell to Arms
2 W. Golding-Lord of the Flies
3 N. Hawthorne-The Scarlet Letter
4 Aldous Huxley-Brave New World
5 J. Paul Sartre-Nausea

Prose:

 1F.R. Leavis-Literature and Society
2Virginia Woolf-Shakespeare's Sister
Books Recommended:
1G.W.Cunliffe,English Literature during last Half a Century
2dmund Wilson,Axel's Castle
3Hallbrook Jackson,The Eighteen Nineties
4Perry Lubbock,The Craft of the Fiction

OR, Subject Code-1154(B)
Introduction to English Language Study: (This group is not for the Students pursuing the Honors Syllabus effective from the session 2001-2002)
Course Contents:
1Phonetics and Phonology:Vowel and Consonant Phonemes, IPA Transcription, Stress and Intonation
2Morphology:Morpheme, inflection, derivation and word fomation
3Determination, Modification, Tensed and Non Tensed Clauses, aspects, voice Constraints and Cohesion in English
4Semantics:Difficulties in defining meanings and seven types of Meaning.
5:Pragmatics:Transactional and International Function of Language, Discoursal Analysis, Speech Act and Conversational AnalysisCore Reading:
1Roach, Peter, 1991,English Phonetics and Phonology, Cambridge (CUP)
2Palmer, FR, 1981,Grammar, Harmondsworth
3Leech, G and J Suartvik,1975,A communication Grammar of English London: Longman.
4Halliday, M.A.K and Hason,1976, Cohesion in English London: Longman
5Maniruzzaman,M 2004,Advanced Reading and Writing Skills Dhaka: Friends Publication
6Leech,G,1974,Semantics (CUP)
7Brown and Yule1982,Discourse Analysis (CUP)
Recommended Reading:
1Coulthard M 1985,An Introduction to Discourse Analysis, London: Longman
2Palmer, F.R. 1982,Semantics(CUP)
3Levinson,S:1983,Pragmatics(CUP)
4Ginson,A.C.1980,An Introduction to the Pronunciation of English, London, Edward Arnold.
5Searle, J.R. 1981,Speech Act, London (CUP)


OR, Subject Code-1154(C)
This is an Alternative paper only for the students pursuing the 4 years (Integrated) Honours Course according to the Syllabus effective from the session 2001-2002
Practical Criticism and Critical Theories:
A .Practical Criticism :50 marks
1 scansion 10 Marks
2 Critical appreciation of a poetic piece 10 Marks
3 Critical appreciation of a prose piece 20 Marks
This part of this paper aims at helping students learn how to interpret a text very closely.The focus will be to enable the students to identify figures of speech, rhyme schemes , stanza forms, metre, tone, style, setting and points of view i order to grasp the total meaning of the text.
 
B. Critical Theories:
In this part of this paper students will be required to familiarize themselves with the leading trends in Critical Theories. The focus will be on; Symbolism, Imagism, Structuralism, Histricism, Deconstruction, Psychoanalytic Criticism, Feminist Criticism, Post Colonial Theory, Readers Purpose theory etc.
Books Recommended:
A.1.Brooks and Warren,Understanding Poetry
2.David Daiches,Critical Approaches
3.Empson,Seven Ambiguities
4.I.A. Richards,Principles of Literary Criticism
5. Michael Ryan,Literary Theory:
A. Practical Introduction
B. 1. David Lodge (ed),Modern Criticism and Theory
2. Stanley Fish, Is there a Text in this class
3.Steeven Connor,Post Modernist Culture: A Introduction of the Theories of the Contemporary
4. Peter Barry,Beginning Theory