Isabella, or the Pot of Basil MCQs & Summary

By: Prof. Dr. Fazal Rehman | Last updated: February 11, 2025

Summary:

“Isabella, or the Pot of Basil” is a narrative poem by John Keats, based on a story from Decameron by Giovanni Boccaccio. The poem tells the tragic love story of Isabella, a young woman from a wealthy merchant family, and Lorenzo, a poor worker employed by her brothers. Isabella’s brothers disapprove of their love and murder Lorenzo to protect their family’s wealth. Isabella discovers Lorenzo’s fate through a vision, finds his buried body, and cuts off his head, placing it in a pot of basil, which she waters with her tears. Her grief consumes her, and when her brothers take away the pot, she dies heartbroken.

MCQs:

2. Why do Isabella’s brothers kill Lorenzo?
A) They dislike him personally
B) They want Isabella to marry a rich man
C) Lorenzo tries to steal their money
D) Lorenzo insults them
Answer: B) They want Isabella to marry a rich man

1. Who is Isabella in love with?
A) A knight
B) A king
C) Lorenzo
D) A nobleman
Answer: C) Lorenzo

2. Why do Isabella’s brothers kill Lorenzo?
A) They dislike him personally
B) They want Isabella to marry a rich man
C) Lorenzo tries to steal their money
D) Lorenzo insults them
Answer: B) They want Isabella to marry a rich man

3. How does Isabella find out about Lorenzo’s murder?
A) A letter from Lorenzo
B) A dream/vision
C) A witness tells her
D) Her brothers confess
Answer: B) A dream/vision

4. What does Isabella do with Lorenzo’s body?
A) Burns it
B) Buries it in a church
C) Cuts off his head and places it in a pot of basil
D) Leaves it in the forest
Answer: C) Cuts off his head and places it in a pot of basil

5. What happens to Isabella’s pot of basil?
A) It is stolen by her brothers
B) It grows into a tree
C) It is blessed by a priest
D) It is given to Lorenzo’s family
Answer: A) It is stolen by her brothers

6. What ultimately happens to Isabella?
A) She marries someone else
B) She leaves the city
C) She dies of grief
D) She becomes a nun
Answer: C) She dies of grief

7. What is the main theme of the poem?
A) The importance of family honor
B) The conflict between love and greed
C) The dangers of ambition
D) The power of fate
Answer: B) The conflict between love and greed

8. Which literary device is heavily used in the poem?
A) Satire
B) Symbolism
C) Irony
D) Allegory
Answer: B) Symbolism

9. What does the pot of basil symbolize?
A) Isabella’s wealth
B) The passage of time
C) Eternal love and grief
D) Revenge
Answer: C) Eternal love and grief

10. What literary work inspired Keats’ “Isabella, or the Pot of Basil”?
A) The Canterbury Tales
B) The Decameron
C) Paradise Lost
D) The Divine Comedy
Answer: B) The Decameron

MCQs & Summary of Some Famous Poems of John Keats

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