GRE Subject Test: Literature in English : Identification of World Plays Before 1925

Study concepts, example questions & explanations for GRE Subject Test: Literature in English

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All GRE Subject Test: Literature in English Resources

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Example Question #11 : Identification Of World Plays

Which four-part operatic masterpiece by the German composer Richard Wagner includes use of ancient Norse sagas, mythical structures, and musical elements such as the leitmotif?

Possible Answers:

Tristan und Isolde

Don Giovanni

Lohengrin

The Valkyries

The Ring of the Nibelung

Correct answer:

The Ring of the Nibelung

Explanation:

The dramatic work in question is the Ring cycle, known in German as Der Ring des Nibelungen. The work’s structure is modeled on the ancient Greek dramas that contained three tragedies and a satyr play, with a full performance lasting more than half a day. Characters include Wotan, Fricka, Freia, Siegmund, Sieglinde, Siegfried, Gunther, and Brünnhilde.

Example Question #12 : Identification Of World Plays

Which famous Mozart opera is based on the legend of a seductive, lascivious Italian nobleman and has inspired such writers as Flaubert, Kierkegaard, and George Bernard Shaw?

Possible Answers:

La Bohème

The Magic Flute

The Marriage of Figaro

Don Giovanni

The Barber of Seville

Correct answer:

Don Giovanni

Explanation:

This is Don Giovanni, named after the title character. Don Giovanni (or Don Juan as he is known in legend) seduces and takes advantage of many other characters in the opera before he is confronted with a ghost that kills him and carries him down to hell. This character has served as an archetype and as a common cultural reference for a young male philanderer in literature.

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All GRE Subject Test: Literature in English Resources

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