SSCE (WASSCE and NECO) Literature-In-English (2026 – 2030) – Set 8 – Questions with Answers and Explanations

Literary Appreciation (30 Questions ONLY)

Drama is primarily meant to _____

A. be read and acted only.
B. criticize the polity.
C. educate and entertain.
D. promote our culture.
E. teach manners only.

Chapter and paragraph are features of _____

A. drama.
B. farce.
C. pantomime.
D. poetry.
E. prose.

Pick the odd item from the following.

A. Actor and actress
B. Flashback and rehearsal
C. Hero and heroine
D. Prologue and epilogue
E. Protagonist and antagonist

The central character in a literary work is the _____

A. actor.
B. artiste.
C. foil.
D. protagonist.
E. villain.

A literary device which expresses meaning in its direct opposite is ______

A. irony.
B. metaphor.
C. paradox.
D. parody.
E. simile.

Through the use of _______, an author sustains the attention of his readers.

A. comic relief
B. flashback
C. imagery
D. soliloquy
E. suspense

"Obina is a lion" exemplifies the use of _____

A. apostrophe.
B. hyperbole.
C. metaphor.
D. simile.
E. synecdoche.

When a literary work makes subtle reference to an earlier event or person, _______ is employed.

A. abstraction
B. allusion
C. digression
D. flashback
E. innuendo

An introductory speech at the beginning of a literary work is called ______

A. denouement.
B. epilogue.
C. peroration.
D. preamble.
E. prologue.

The character who opposes the hero in a play is termed ______

A. antagonistic.
B. eponymous.
C. flat.
D. foil.
E. round.

A long speech delivered by an actor in a play is _____

A. aside.
B. epilogue.
C. monologue.
D. prologue.
E. soliloquy.

Simile is a/an _______

A. complex allusion.
B. direct comparison.
C. implied comparison.
D. silent contrast.
E. simple comparison.

When an unpleasant situation is presented in a dignified manner, _______ is used.

A. allegory
B. dirge
C. euphemism
D. irony
E. paradox

A novelist is to the prose genre what a _______ is to the drama genre.

A. director
B. dramatist
C. playwright
D. producer
E. prompter

A long narrative poem that centres on the hero and his exploits is called _____

A. ballad.
B. epic.
C. legend.
D. limerick.
E. panegyric

Setting in a literary work is always concerned with _____

A. characterization and plot.
B. fact and fiction.
C. plot and theme.
D. theme and time.
E. time and place.

Which of the following is a regular combination in a Shakespearean Sonnet?

A. Lines and stanzas
B. Octave and sestet
C. Rhyme and rhythm
D. Style and diction
E. Tone and mood

"Oh death! You are such a big fool to have taken the father of a child" is an example of ______

A. apostrophe.
B. euphemism.
C. irony.
D. metaphor.
E. personification.

Denouement is the same as ______

A. anti-climax.
B. climax.
C. conflict.
D. epilogue.
E. resolution.

The use of words in which sound suggests meaning is ______

A. alliteration.
B. assonance.
C. consonance.
D. onomatopoeia.
E. rhyme.

A line of poetry is measured by the _____

A. images.
B. number of feet it contains.
C. number of stanzas.
D. number of words.
E. rhythm.

The moral weakness in a hero which causes his downfall in a literary work is known as ______

A. anagnorisis.
B. catharsis.
C. hubris.
D. resolution.
E. tragic flaw.

Pick the odd item out of the following.

A. Dialogue
B. Metre
C. Rhythm
D. Stanza
E. Verse

Epigram can best be defined as a/an _____

A. abstract statement.
B. figure of speech.
C. idiom.
D. proverb.
E. witty saying.

The primary function of a dirge is to _____

A. compare issues.
B. elicit laughter.
C. give courage.
D. induce mourning.
E. provoke thought.

The act of reminding the actor/actress of lines on the stage is known as _____

A. blocking.
B. directing.
C. managing.
D. narrating.
E. prompting.

"The clouds were thickening in the red sky.
And night had charmed
A black power into the pounding waves."

The dominant figure of speech used in the extract is ________

A. hyperbole.
B. metaphor.
C. oxymoron.
D. personification.
E. simile.

A long lyrical verse which praises is called a/an ______

A. ballad.
B. dirge.
C. epic.
D. ode.
E. sonnet.

The work of art that exposes the vices in the society with the aim of encouraging a desirable conduct is ______

A. allegory.
B. fable.
C. farce.
D. melodrama.
E. satire.

A question which does not require an answer is _____

A. direct.
B. indirect.
C. ironical.
D. paradoxical.
E. rhetorical.

Unseen Poetry

Read the poem and answer the questions (5 Questions ONLY)

This widow-woman of whom I tell my tale
Since the sad day when last she was a wife
Had led a very patient, simple life.
Little she had in capital or rent.
But still, by making do with what God sent.
She kept herself and her two daughters going.
Three hefty sows - no more - were all her showing.
Three cows as well; there was a sheep called Molly.
Sooty her hall, her kitchen melancholy,
And there she ate full many a slender meal;
There was no sauce piquante to spice her veal,
No dainty morsel ever passed her throat,
According to her cloth she cut her coat.

Questions

What is the dominant literary device used in the description of the widow's lifestyle?

A) Hyperbole
B) Irony
C) Understatement
D) Satire

The line “According to her cloth she cut her coat” is an example of which figurative language?

A) Simile
B) Metaphor
C) Proverb/Idiom
D) Personification

The description of the widow’s diet (“no sauce piquante,” “no dainty morsel”) serves mainly to ______

A) Emphasize her poverty and frugality
B) Criticize medieval cooking
C) Show her dislike for rich food
D) Contrast with the rooster’s lavish life

The widow’s life is portrayed as _______

A) Miserable and resentful
B) Contented and stoic
C) Wealthy but lonely
D) Ambitious and restless

The phrase “since the sad day when last she was a wife” suggests that the widow _______

A) Is happy to be single
B) Lost her husband recently
C) Has been widowed for a long time
D) Never remarried because she was poor

Williams Shakespeare - ANTONY and CLEOPATRA

Read the extract and answer the questions (5 Questions ONLY)

OCTAVIUS CAESAR
You may see, Lepidus, and hence shall know,
It is not Caesar’s natural vice to hate
Our great competitor. From Alexandria
This is the news: he fishes, drinks, and wastes
The lamps of night in revel; is not more manlike
Than Cleopatra, nor the queen of Ptolemy
More womanly than he; hardly gave audience, or
Vouchsafed to think he had partners. You shall find there
A man who is the abstract of all faults
That all men follow.

LEPIDUS
I must not think there are
Evils enow to darken all his goodness.
His faults in him seem as the spots of heaven,
More fiery by night’s blackness, hereditary
Rather than purchased, what he cannot change
Rather than what he chooses.

ACT 1 Scene 4 from lines 1 to 16.

Questions

What literary device does Lepidus use when he describes Antony's faults as "the spots of heaven, / More fiery by night’s blackness"?

A) Hyperbole
B) Simile
C) Personification
D) Pun

When Octavius Caesar remarks that Antony "is not more manlike / Than Cleopatra, nor the queen of Ptolemy / More womanly than he," he is primarily criticizing Antony for:

A) His lack of proper royal attire and garments.
B) An inversion of traditional gender roles and a loss of masculinity.
C) Falling behind on modern Egyptian courtly etiquette.
D) Forgetting his vows of marriage to his Roman wife.

In this extract, how do the perspectives of Octavius Caesar and Lepidus regarding Antony differ?

A) Caesar completely forgives Antony's lifestyle, while Lepidus demands an execution.
B) Caesar views Antony as inherently evil, while Lepidus believes Antony is a perfect ruler without flaws.
C) Caesar emphasizes Antony's absolute moral failings, while Lepidus takes a more generous, defensive stance on his nature.
D) Caesar focuses on Antony’s economic waste, while Lepidus focuses purely on Antony’s military strategies.

What does Caesar mean when he complains that Antony "hardly gave audience, or / Vouchsafed to think he had partners"?

A) Antony has completely lost his hearing due to the loud music in Alexandria.
B) Antony is ignoring his diplomatic duties and acting as though he does not share power with the other Triumvirs.
C) Antony refused to allow an audience of Egyptian civilians into his palace.
D) Antony has failed to pay the actors performing in his courtly plays.

When Lepidus describes Antony's faults as "hereditary / Rather than purchased," the word "purchased" most nearly means:

A) Bought with monetary currency from a merchant
B) Deliberately acquired or intentionally cultivated
C) Stolen during wartime raids
D) Transmitted through physical illness

Read the extract and answer the questions (5 Questions ONLY)

CAESAR Most noble Antony, Let not the piece of virtue which is set Betwixt us as the cement of our love, To keep it builded, be the ram to batter The fortress of it. For better might we Have loved without this mean, if on both parts This be not cherished.

ANTONY Make me not offended In your distrust.

CAESAR I have said.

ANTONY You shall not find, Though you be therein curious, the least cause For what you seem to fear. So the gods keep you, And make the hearts of Romans serve your ends! We will here part.

ACT 2 Scene 3 from lines 12 to 27

Questions

What does the metaphor "the piece of virtue" in Caesar's opening speech refer to?

A) An expensive gemstone given as a diplomatic gift
B) His sister, Octavia, who is marrying Antony
C) A shared legal document outlines the terms of the triumvirate
D) Cleopatra's reputation in Egypt

Which literary device is heavily used in Caesar's line, "Betwixt us as the cement of our love, / To keep it builded, be the ram to batter / The fortress of it"?

A) Extended Metaphor
B) Personification
C) Onomatopoeia
D) Allusion

What does Antony mean when he says, "Though you be therein curious, the least cause / For what you seem to fear"?

A) Caesar is overly imaginative and likes to write fictional stories.
B) Even if Caesar investigates meticulously or acts overly suspicious, he will find no reason to doubt Antony's fidelity.
C) Antony admits that he plans to betray Rome as soon as he leaves.
D) The Roman gods have already warned Antony to stay away from Octavia.

What underlying tone does Caesar strike when he states, "I have said"?

A) A joyous and celebratory tone looking forward to a long friendship
B) A firm, final, and blunt tone indicating that he has given his warning and needs to speak no further
C) A highly anxious, weeping tone pleading for protection
D) An apologetic tone asking Antony for forgiveness

What is the dramatic irony behind Antony wishing that the gods "make the hearts of Romans serve your ends"?

A) The audience knows that Antony secretly plans to make himself the sole dictator of Rome.
B) The audience knows that the Roman citizens will soon rebel against Caesar to support Pompey.
C) The audience knows that Antony will soon abandon Octavia for Cleopatra, causing these same Romans to turn entirely against him in support of Caesar.
D) The audience knows that the gods have already planned a massive natural disaster to strike Rome.

Read the extract and answer the questions (5 Questions ONLY)

SOOTHSAYER If thou dost play with him at any game, Thou art sure to lose; and, of that natural luck, He beats thee ’gainst the odds. Thy lustre thickens, When he shines by. I say again, thy spirit Is all afraid to govern thee near him; But, he away, ’tis noble.

ANTONY Speak no more no more.

SOOTHSAYER To none but thee; no more but when to thee. If thou dost bend thy look on him, thy angel Becomes a fear, as being o’erpowered: therefore Make space enough between you.

ANTONY Speak this no more.

SOOTHSAYER To gods I speak this, and to thee.

ACT 2 Scene 3 from lines 25 to 40

Questions

What primary contrast is established in the Soothsayer's phrase "Thy lustre thickens, / When he shines by"?

A) A physical contrast between a cloudy day and a sunny afternoon.
B) A metaphorical contrast where Octavius Caesar's natural brightness and luck eclipse and dim Antony’s own greatness.
C) A literal description of the atmospheric dust created by moving armies.
D) A comparison between Egyptian cosmetics and Roman armor.

What does the word "angel" most nearly represent in this specific dialogue context?

A) A physical, winged divine being sent down to protect the city of Rome.
B) A gold coin commonly used to pay foreign mercenaries.
C) A person's inner guiding daemon, genius, or protective spiritual essence.
D) A secret message sent from Cleopatra's court to Antony.

What type of tone does Antony strike when he repeatedly commands, "Speak no more no more" and "Speak this no more"?

A) An objective, academic curiosity to learn more about the future.
B) A defensive, uncomfortable, and unsettled tone indicating he recognizes the painful truth of the prophecy.
C) A highly cheerful and dismissive tone because he believes the Soothsayer is joking.
D) A polite and formal diplomatic greeting welcoming a guest.

What is the tactical advice that the Soothsayer offers to Antony to preserve his greatness?

A) To challenge Caesar to a game of cards immediately.
B) To maintain a vast geographical distance between himself and Caesar.
C) To invite Caesar to move into his home in Egypt.
D) To give up his political titles and become a simple soldier.

Which literary device is used when the Soothsayer states that Antony's angel "Becomes a fear, as being o’erpowered"?

A) Simile
B) Paradox
C) Onomatopoeia
D) Alliteration

Read the extract and answer the questions (5 Questions ONLY)

Speaker: Antony, then Servant

Antony has just heard Caesar's terms from the Ambassador.

ANTONY
To the boy Caesar send this grizzled head,
And he will fill thy wishes to the brim
With principalities.

CLEOPATRA
That head, my lord?

ANTONY (to Ambassador)
To him again. Tell him he wears the rose
Of youth upon him, from which the world should note
Something particular: his coin, ships, legions
May be a coward's, whose ministers would prevail
Under the service of a child as soon
As i' th' command of Caesar. I dare him therefore
To lay his gay caparisons apart
And answer me declined, sword against sword,
Ourselves alone. I'll write it. Follow me.

Antony and Ambassador exit.

Later in the same scene. A Servant has just brought in Thidias, Caesar's messenger, after whipping him.

SERVANT
Soundly, my lord.

ANTONY
Cried he? And begged he pardon?

SERVANT
He did ask favor.

ANTONY (to Thidias)
If that thy father live, let him repent
Thou wast not made his daughter; and be thou sorry
To follow Caesar in his triumph, since
Thou hast been whipped for following him.

Act 3, Scene 13, lines 25–35

Questions

Antony calls Caesar “the boy Caesar.” What does this epithet convey?

A) Respect for Caesar's youth
B) Contempt for Caesar's youth and inexperience
C) Affection for a younger relative
D) Fear of Caesar's growing power

Antony challenges Caesar to “lay his gay caparisons apart / And answer me declined, sword against sword.” What does “caparisons” refer to?

A) Military uniforms
B) Ornamental trappings or showy decorations of power
C) Legal documents
D) Naval ships

Antony tells the whipped Thidias, “let him repent / Thou wast not made his daughter.” What is the implication of “daughter” rather than “son”?

A) Antony prefers daughters over sons
B) Antony implies Thidias is weak, effeminate, and deserves to be whipped like a girl
C) Thidias has sisters
D) Caesar only hires female messengers

The phrase “grizzled head” (Antony's own head) as something to send to Caesar is an example of:

A) Synecdoche (a part representing the whole)
B) Oxymoron
C) Assonance
D) Personification

What is Antony’s emotional state in these extracts?

A) Calm and calculating
B) Joyful and celebratory
C) Raging, proud, humiliated, and reckless
D) Indifferent and tired