NAQT Literature Exam UPDATED
QUESTIONS AND CORRECT ANSWERS
Hamlet - CORRECT ANSWER A drama written by William Shakespeare, this play revolves
around a royal family in Denmark, where the lead character's father, who shares his name, is killed by
his uncle. The drama is based on the lead character's quest for revenge.
Oedipus Rex - CORRECT ANSWER A drama written by Sophocles, this play revolves around
an Ancient Greek hero who has gained the kingship of Thebes, and his growing horror as he realizes
that a prophecy given to his father has come true.
Macbeth - CORRECT ANSWER A drama written by Shakespeare is about a Scottish general
who receives a prophecy that he will become king of Scotland. Spurred by his wife and his own
ambitions, he murders the king and starts a disastrous rule.
Moby-Dick - CORRECT ANSWER A novel written by Herman Melville, this book revolves
around a man, Ishmael, who joins a voyage led by Captain Ahab on a mission to hunt a whale that
stole his leg.
Illiad - CORRECT ANSWER A poem written by Homer that describes the Greek siege of
Troy.
Don Quixote - CORRECT ANSWER A novel written by Miguel Cervantes Saavedra,
describes the adventures of a bibliophile who decides to be a hero. After some disasters he takes on
his name and gets a sidekick, Sancho Panza, to go on his adventures.
The Great Gatsby - CORRECT ANSWER A novel written by Francis Scott Fitzgerald, this
novel centers around a man named Nick Carraway, who leaves his midwestern home to go to the east.
After arriving he is introduced to Eastern culture, and after witnessing the story of a man, quickly
becomes disgusted in Eastern culture.
Othello - CORRECT ANSWER A Shakespeare drama about a general in the Venetian army.
His friend, who was jealous of him, framed his wife of cheating. After he killed her, he realized the
treachery, and died in despair.
, Paradise Lost - CORRECT ANSWER An epic poem written by John Milton, describes the
biblical story of the fall of man, told from the perspectives of Adam and Eve, and Satan.
The Canterbury Tales - CORRECT ANSWER A collection of stories, in prose and verse,
written by Geoffrey Chaucer set in olden times.
King Lear - CORRECT ANSWER A Shakespeare play about the slow descent into madness, as
the title character slowly gives away chunks of his kingdom to 2 of this daughters cause they flatter
him and slowly loses it all.
Pride and Prejudice - CORRECT ANSWER A noel by Jane Austen, depicts a family of 5
sisters and their parents as they fall in love with aristocrats for various reasons.
1984 - CORRECT ANSWER A dystopian novel by George Orwell, features 3 countries who
have taken up all of the land on Earth, focusing on one where the ruler is a never seen dictator known
as Big Brother.
The Tempest - CORRECT ANSWER A Shakespeare play around a remote island which the
rightful Duke of Milan plots to instate his daughter on his stolen throne through a complicated plot in
which he uses his sorcery skills.
Romeo and Juliet - CORRECT ANSWER A famous Shakespeare romance in which the villain
is insulted as the "King of Cats" as two star crossed lovers try to convince their rival families to allow
them to marry.
The Adventures of Tom Sawyer - CORRECT ANSWER A Mark Twain novel following the
antics of the titular character living in the South, including trying to woo a girl and foiling a grave
robber who framed a friend of his.
The Scarlet Letter - CORRECT ANSWER A Nathaniel Hawthorne novel in which the main
character is marked with the letter A, because of her adultery, and how she fights this and attempts to
move on.
Jane Eyre - CORRECT ANSWER A Charlotte Bronte novel in which a woman goes through
various hardships in her life, facing abusive guardians, and oppressive environment, and hard times,
until she is finally happy when she gets with the man she loves.
QUESTIONS AND CORRECT ANSWERS
Hamlet - CORRECT ANSWER A drama written by William Shakespeare, this play revolves
around a royal family in Denmark, where the lead character's father, who shares his name, is killed by
his uncle. The drama is based on the lead character's quest for revenge.
Oedipus Rex - CORRECT ANSWER A drama written by Sophocles, this play revolves around
an Ancient Greek hero who has gained the kingship of Thebes, and his growing horror as he realizes
that a prophecy given to his father has come true.
Macbeth - CORRECT ANSWER A drama written by Shakespeare is about a Scottish general
who receives a prophecy that he will become king of Scotland. Spurred by his wife and his own
ambitions, he murders the king and starts a disastrous rule.
Moby-Dick - CORRECT ANSWER A novel written by Herman Melville, this book revolves
around a man, Ishmael, who joins a voyage led by Captain Ahab on a mission to hunt a whale that
stole his leg.
Illiad - CORRECT ANSWER A poem written by Homer that describes the Greek siege of
Troy.
Don Quixote - CORRECT ANSWER A novel written by Miguel Cervantes Saavedra,
describes the adventures of a bibliophile who decides to be a hero. After some disasters he takes on
his name and gets a sidekick, Sancho Panza, to go on his adventures.
The Great Gatsby - CORRECT ANSWER A novel written by Francis Scott Fitzgerald, this
novel centers around a man named Nick Carraway, who leaves his midwestern home to go to the east.
After arriving he is introduced to Eastern culture, and after witnessing the story of a man, quickly
becomes disgusted in Eastern culture.
Othello - CORRECT ANSWER A Shakespeare drama about a general in the Venetian army.
His friend, who was jealous of him, framed his wife of cheating. After he killed her, he realized the
treachery, and died in despair.
, Paradise Lost - CORRECT ANSWER An epic poem written by John Milton, describes the
biblical story of the fall of man, told from the perspectives of Adam and Eve, and Satan.
The Canterbury Tales - CORRECT ANSWER A collection of stories, in prose and verse,
written by Geoffrey Chaucer set in olden times.
King Lear - CORRECT ANSWER A Shakespeare play about the slow descent into madness, as
the title character slowly gives away chunks of his kingdom to 2 of this daughters cause they flatter
him and slowly loses it all.
Pride and Prejudice - CORRECT ANSWER A noel by Jane Austen, depicts a family of 5
sisters and their parents as they fall in love with aristocrats for various reasons.
1984 - CORRECT ANSWER A dystopian novel by George Orwell, features 3 countries who
have taken up all of the land on Earth, focusing on one where the ruler is a never seen dictator known
as Big Brother.
The Tempest - CORRECT ANSWER A Shakespeare play around a remote island which the
rightful Duke of Milan plots to instate his daughter on his stolen throne through a complicated plot in
which he uses his sorcery skills.
Romeo and Juliet - CORRECT ANSWER A famous Shakespeare romance in which the villain
is insulted as the "King of Cats" as two star crossed lovers try to convince their rival families to allow
them to marry.
The Adventures of Tom Sawyer - CORRECT ANSWER A Mark Twain novel following the
antics of the titular character living in the South, including trying to woo a girl and foiling a grave
robber who framed a friend of his.
The Scarlet Letter - CORRECT ANSWER A Nathaniel Hawthorne novel in which the main
character is marked with the letter A, because of her adultery, and how she fights this and attempts to
move on.
Jane Eyre - CORRECT ANSWER A Charlotte Bronte novel in which a woman goes through
various hardships in her life, facing abusive guardians, and oppressive environment, and hard times,
until she is finally happy when she gets with the man she loves.
