DSST Humanities 4 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: The literary term 'in medias res' means a story begins:
- At the very beginning of events
- In the middle of the action (Correct answer)
- With a flashback to the past
- With the resolution of the conflict
Correct answer: In the middle of the action
In medias res is a Latin phrase meaning 'in the middle of things,' referring to narratives that open in the midst of ongoing action.
Question 2: Which art movement, founded by Marcel Duchamp, challenged conventional notions of art using 'ready-mades'?
- De Stijl
- Dadaism (Correct answer)
- Constructivism
- Fauvism
Correct answer: Dadaism
Dadaism rejected traditional aesthetics and logic; Duchamp's ready-mades (like Fountain) exemplified the movement.
Question 3: Which playwright wrote 'A Midsummer Night's Dream' and 'Othello'?
- Christopher Marlowe
- Ben Jonson
- William Shakespeare (Correct answer)
- John Webster
Correct answer: William Shakespeare
William Shakespeare wrote both A Midsummer Night's Dream (c. 1595) and Othello (c. 1603).
Question 4: The concept of the 'sublime' in Romantic aesthetics refers to:
- Beauty that is perfectly balanced and harmonious
- An overwhelming sense of awe, terror, and grandeur (Correct answer)
- A sense of quiet, peaceful contemplation
- Humor arising from incongruity
Correct answer: An overwhelming sense of awe, terror, and grandeur
The sublime describes experiences of vast, overwhelming power in nature that inspire awe and terror mixed with wonder.
Question 5: Which of the following is an example of a 'tone poem' or 'symphonic poem'?
- Beethoven's Symphony No. 5
- Smetana's The Moldau (Correct answer)
- Bach's Brandenburg Concertos
- Vivaldi's The Four Seasons
Correct answer: Smetana's The Moldau
Smetana's The Moldau is a tone poem—a single-movement orchestral work that depicts a narrative or scene.
Question 6: In Elizabethan theater, female roles were played by:
- Female actors hired from France
- Young boys or male apprentices (Correct answer)
- Elderly men in costume
- Puppets manipulated by stagehands
Correct answer: Young boys or male apprentices
In Elizabethan England, women were not permitted to act on stage, so young boys played female roles.
Question 7: Which technique in painting involves applying thick, textured paint directly to the canvas?
- Sfumato
- Chiaroscuro
- Impasto (Correct answer)
- Trompe l'oeil
Correct answer: Impasto
Impasto is a technique where paint is laid on so thickly that brush or palette knife marks are visible.
DSST Humanities 4
The literary term 'in medias res' means a story begins: