JAMB Literature in English 2023 past questions
Ten questions from the 2023 JAMB Literature in English paper, with answers and explanations. We hold 84 questions from this paper, and the Skolra app has all of them.
JAMB Literature in English 2023 questions and answers
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1.
The overwhelming pride that destroys the tragic hero is called
- AHamartia
- BHubrisCorrect
- CNemesis
- DCatharsis
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Answer: B
Hubris refers to the excessive pride or arrogance that characterises and ultimately destroys the tragic hero in Greek and Aristotelian tragedy. It is distinct from hamartia, which is the general fatal flaw; hubris specifically denotes overweening pride as the destructive force leading to the hero's downfall.
- A
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2.
The moment of recognition of truth when ignorance gives way to knowledge is known as
- AAnagnorisisCorrect
- BHubris
- CCatharsis
- DHamartia
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Answer: A
Anagnorisis is the Aristotelian term for the dramatic moment of recognition or discovery in which a character moves from ignorance to knowledge. It is often the critical turning point in a tragedy, as when a hero finally understands the true nature of his situation.
- A
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3.
'As virtuous men pass mildly away,
And whisper to their souls, to go
Whilst some of their sad friends do say,
The breadth goes now, and some say, "No".'
John Donne: A Valediction: Forbidding MourningThe tone of this poem is generally
- Acalm and sereneCorrect
- Bmournful and despairing
- Cjoyful and celebratory
- Dangry and bitter
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Answer: A
In 'A Valediction: Forbidding Mourning', Donne compares virtuous men facing death to lovers facing separation — both should accept the parting with equanimity and without grief. The image of virtuous men passing 'mildly away' while friends quietly debate the moment of death establishes a tone of calm, dignified composure rather than anguish or despair.
- A
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4.
A long story narrating a series of complicated events is called a
- ASonnet
- BBallad
- CNovelCorrect
- DDrama
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Answer: C
A novel is an extended work of realistic prose fiction that narrates a series of complicated events involving characters and their development across a sustained narrative. It is distinguished from shorter forms by its length, complexity, and breadth of storyline.
- A
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5.
An action in a play that stimulates the audience to pity a character is
- APathosCorrect
- BHamartia
- CHubris
- DCatharsis
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Answer: A
Pathos is the dramatic quality — a speech, scene, or action — that evokes pity, compassion, or sadness in the audience toward a character. Catharsis is the emotional purging the audience experiences; hamartia is the hero's tragic flaw; hubris is destructive, excessive pride.
- A
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6.
A Government Driver on His Retirement is a poem of thirty-three lines divided into _______ stanzas.
- AfourCorrect
- Bthree
- Ctwo
- Dfive
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Answer: A
'A Government Driver on His Retirement' by Chibuike is a poem of thirty-three lines arranged in four stanzas. This structural detail is a standard JAMB fact about the poem. Knowing the organisation of the poem — its stanza divisions and line count — is essential for answering questions about its form and structure.
- A
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7.
A formal dignified speech or writing praising a person or a thing for past or present deeds is
- Aepitaph
- BpanegyricCorrect
- Celegy
- Dsoliloquy
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Answer: B
A panegyric is a formal, public speech or piece of writing offering elaborate praise of a person or thing, either living or dead, for their deeds and virtues. An elegy is a mournful poem lamenting the dead. An epitaph is an inscription on a tombstone. A soliloquy is a dramatic device where a character speaks thoughts aloud. The definition given — formal dignified praise for past or present deeds — fits panegyric precisely.
- A
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8.
A metrical pause occurring in the middle of a line in a poem is called
- AAssonance
- BCaesuraCorrect
- CRefrain
- DEnjambment
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Answer: B
A caesura is a metrical pause or break occurring in the middle of a line of verse, often marked by punctuation. It differs from enjambment, which is the continuation of a sentence without a pause beyond a line break.
- A
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9.
This question is based on THE LION AND THE JEWEL.
The indication that Soyinka's "The Lion and the Jewel" is culturally set is its use of_____
- AIts use of Yoruba songs, dances, and cultural practicesCorrect
- BIts setting in a modern Nigerian city
- CIts reliance on Western dramatic conventions
- DIts exclusive use of the English language
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Answer: A
Soyinka's 'The Lion and the Jewel' is culturally grounded through its incorporation of Yoruba songs, mimed dances, bride-price customs, village ceremonies, and the oral tradition — all of which anchor the play firmly in Yoruba culture and distinguish it as a culturally specific work.
- A
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10.
This question is based on RAIDER OF THE TREASURE TROVE.
The poetic device in the expression "Rage is chief" is ___
- AMetaphor
- BPersonificationCorrect
- CAlliteration
- DSimile
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Answer: B
"Rage is chief" personifies the abstract emotion of rage by attributing to it the human title of chief — a position of authority and command. Assigning a human social role to an abstraction is a defining instance of personification.
- A
The questions come from past JAMB, WAEC and NECO papers. We use software to help write the answer options and explanations, and every answer is checked twice before it goes on the site. How we check
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