Lesson C01.2.2

C01.2.2 Edward II (Christopher Marlowe) Quiz: OCR English Literature, Unit 1

20 questions

Written by Revision Ninja · Last reviewed 11 October 2026

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Lesson C01.2.2, Edward II (Christopher Marlowe): 20 multiple choice questions for the OCR English Literature (H472), Unit 1: Component 01: Drama and poetry pre-1900, written with Revision Ninja.

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The 20 questions

  1. Which dramatic genre best categorises Christopher Marlowe's play Edward II?

    • Revenge tragedy
    • History play
    • City comedy
    • Tragicomedy

  2. Who is King Edward's primary favourite at the beginning of Marlowe's play?

    • Earl of Lancaster
    • Edmund Mortimer
    • Hugh Spencer
    • Piers Gaveston

  3. What is the name of King Edward II's neglected queen?

    • Queen Eleanor
    • Queen Isabella
    • Queen Catherine
    • Queen Margaret

  4. Which baron becomes Queen Isabella's lover and leads the rebellion against Edward?

    • Elder Mortimer
    • Earl of Warwick
    • Earl of Arundel
    • Younger Mortimer

  5. Who becomes Edward's primary favourite following the execution of Gaveston?

    • Lightborn
    • Spencer the Elder
    • Spencer the Younger
    • Bishop of Winchester

  6. What is the name of the ruthless assassin Mortimer hires to kill Edward?

    • Lightborn
    • Gurney
    • Rice ap Meredith
    • Matrevis

  7. Which character is King Edward II's loyal yet conflicted brother?

    • Duke of Clarence
    • Earl of Pembroke
    • Earl of Kent
    • Earl of Leicester

  8. Which concept describes the tragic rise and downfall of powerful figures in the play?

    • Rota Fortunae
    • Anagnorisis
    • Machiavellianism
    • Hubris

  9. What token of affection does Gaveston give Edward before departing for exile?

    • Miniature portrait
    • Golden ring
    • Engraved sword
    • Royal seal

  10. What dramatic action characterises Edward's reluctant surrender of his royal crown?

    • Feudal homage
    • Divine judgment
    • Coronation oath
    • Ritual abdication

  11. Which term best describes Mortimer's ruthless, pragmatic pursuit of political power?

    • Machiavellianism
    • Humanism
    • Stoicism
    • Scholasticism

  12. In which location is King Edward II imprisoned and ultimately murdered?

    • Windsor Castle
    • Kenilworth Castle
    • Berkeley Castle
    • Tower of London

  13. What dominant verse form does Marlowe use throughout the play Edward II?

    • Rhyming couplets
    • Blank verse
    • Prose
    • Ballad metre

  14. What action does Edward III take against Mortimer at the end of the play?

    • Orders his execution
    • Imprisons him briefly
    • Exiles him
    • Pardons him

  15. What type of message does Mortimer write to order Edward's death ambiguously?

    • Signed royal warrant
    • Ambiguous Latin letter
    • Verbal command only
    • Encrypted English note

  16. What gruesome object does Edward III present on stage in the final scene?

    • Gaveston's heart
    • Mortimer's severed head
    • Edward II's crown
    • Lightborn's dagger

  17. Why do the noble barons primarily object to Gaveston's high status at court?

    • Foreign nationality
    • Lack of ambition
    • Catholic faith
    • Low social rank

  18. How does the name of the assassin Lightborn function as a literary device?

    • Translation of Lucifer
    • Reference to dawn
    • Symbol of purity
    • Irony of mercy

  19. How does Edward II's tragic flaw differ from classical Aristotelian heroes?

    • Excessive pride
    • Overwhelming ambition
    • Passive weakness
    • Noble selflessness

  20. Which critical perspective frequently analyses the central relationship between Edward and Gaveston?

    • Ecocriticism
    • Marxist theory
    • Postcolonial theory
    • Queer theory

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