Connell Guides Quiz #9

Explanation
The correct answer is "The Amber Spyglass." This is the name of the last installment of Philip Pullman's trilogy of fantasy novels, His Dark Materials. The trilogy follows the adventures of Lyra Belacqua as she explores parallel universes and uncovers dark secrets. "The Amber Spyglass" is a reference to a powerful object in the story that plays a significant role in the final book.

Explanation
Bassanio chooses the lead casket. In the play, Portia's father leaves a note with each casket, and the correct one contains a portrait of Portia. The gold and silver caskets are flashy and attractive, but Bassanio wisely chooses the plain and unassuming lead casket, showing that he values substance over appearance. This choice proves his sincerity and wins him Portia's hand in marriage.

Explanation
A haiku is a slim poetic form that consists of three lines. It traditionally features the juxtaposition of two images and includes a reference to a season. Haikus originated in Japan and are known for their concise and evocative nature. They often capture a fleeting moment in nature and create a sense of simplicity and beauty.

Explanation
In the fairy tale "Rumpelstiltskin," a miller's daughter is tasked with spinning straw into gold three times by an impish creature. In return, the creature demands that she give him her firstborn child unless she can guess his name within three days. This story is a popular tale collected by the Brothers Grimm.

Explanation
In An Inspector Calls, the inspector calls because of a suicide. This event sets off a chain of events in the play, as the inspector's investigation into the suicide leads to the uncovering of secrets and the exposure of the characters' guilt. The inspector's purpose is to hold the characters accountable for their actions and to highlight the consequences of their behavior. The suicide serves as a catalyst for the inspector's arrival and the subsequent revelations in the play.

Explanation
"Three Men in a Boat" is a comic novel by Jerome K. Jerome, published in 1899. It recounts a trip taken by three friends from Kingston to Oxford. The novel is known for its humorous anecdotes and misadventures during the journey, making it a classic example of comic literature.

Explanation
The term "weird" in Shakespeare's Macbeth refers to the concept of fate. In the play, the Three Witches are often associated with predicting and influencing the future, suggesting that they have control over the characters' destinies. The use of the word "weird" connects them to the Old English term "Wyrd," which means fate or destiny. Therefore, the correct answer is "Fate."

Explanation
In the Samuel Beckett play, Play, each character is being held in an urn. This suggests that the characters are trapped or confined in their situations, unable to escape or move freely. The choice of an urn as the vessel adds to the sense of confinement and imprisonment, emphasizing the characters' immobility and their entrapment in their relationships. The urn symbolizes their stagnant existence and the limitations they face in their lives.

Explanation
The correct answer is Jacob Marley. In A Christmas Carol, Jacob Marley's spirit is the first to visit Ebenezer Scrooge and warn him about the consequences of his actions. Marley's ghost tells Scrooge that he will be visited by three more spirits in order to help him change his ways and avoid a similar fate. Marley's visit serves as a catalyst for Scrooge's transformation throughout the story.

Explanation
Dante's 'Divine Comedy' is the correct answer because it is a long poem written in three-line stanzas called terza rima. It is divided into three books, each consisting of thirty-three cantos. The poem follows the protagonist's journey from Hell to Heaven, exploring various levels of the afterlife and delving into themes of sin, redemption, and divine justice. Chaucer's 'Canterbury Tales', Boccaccio's 'Decameron', and Milton's 'Paradise Lost' are all significant literary works, but they do not fit the description provided in the question.