The House of Fame MCQs & Summary

By: Prof. Dr. Fazal Rehman Shamil | Last updated: February 26, 2025

Summary:

The House of Fame is a dream vision poem written by Geoffrey Chaucer between 1379 and 1380. The poem is divided into three books and explores themes of fame, fortune, and the unreliability of human reputation. The narrator, likely Chaucer himself, dreams of being taken to the House of Fame by a golden eagle.

• Book I: The narrator dreams that he is in a glass temple, where he sees carvings of Virgil’s Aeneid, recounting the story of Aeneas and Dido. He ponders how fame is created and sustained.
• Book II: A giant golden eagle appears and carries the narrator to the House of Fame. While flying, the eagle explains that fame and rumor spread through sound waves and the wind.
• Book III: The narrator reaches the House of Fame, a magnificent palace where people are rewarded or ignored based on arbitrary and unpredictable forces. He sees historical and mythological figures whose fates depend on Fortune and Reputation rather than merit. The poem ends abruptly, leaving the reader uncertain about the final message.

This poem is considered one of Chaucer’s most philosophical works, questioning how fame is created and whether it holds true value.

MCQs:

1. Who wrote The House of Fame?
   A) William Langland
   B) Geoffrey Chaucer
   C) John Gower
   D) Thomas Malory
   Answer: B) Geoffrey Chaucer
2. What is the structure of The House of Fame?
   A) Sonnet sequence
   B) Three-part dream vision
   C) Heroic epic
   D) Moral allegory
   Answer: B) Three-part dream vision
3. What carries the narrator to the House of Fame?
   A) A chariot
   B) A golden eagle
   C) A magical horse
   D) A talking cloud
   Answer: B) A golden eagle

   

4. What does the House of Fame represent?
   A) The power of nature
   B) The unpredictability of reputation
   C) The corruption of government
   D) The influence of the church
   Answer: B) The unpredictability of reputation
5. Which Roman poet’s work is carved in the glass temple?
   A) Ovid
   B) Horace
   C) Virgil
   D) Homer
   Answer: C) Virgil
6. What does the eagle explain to the narrator during the flight?
   A) The secrets of alchemy
   B) How sound waves spread news and rumors
   C) The history of the English language
   D) The origins of the Trojan War
   Answer: B) How sound waves spread news and rumors
7. Why is The House of Fame considered incomplete?
   A) Chaucer died before finishing it
   B) The ending is abrupt and lacks closure
   C) The manuscript was lost
   D) It was intended as part of a longer series
   Answer: B) The ending is abrupt and lacks closure
8. What kind of people does the narrator see in the House of Fame?
   A) Only kings and warriors
   B) People who were famous or forgotten by history
   C) Philosophers and scientists
   D) Merchants and sailors
   Answer: B) People who were famous or forgotten by history
9. Which literary theme is prominent in The House of Fame?
   A) The dangers of political corruption
   B) The fleeting nature of reputation
   C) The superiority of divine justice
   D) The decline of chivalry
   Answer: B) The fleeting nature of reputation
10. What is one possible reason Chaucer wrote The House of Fame?
    A) To criticize the king
    B) To explore the randomness of fame and fortune
    C) To promote the power of literature
    D) To create a religious allegory
    Answer: B) To explore the randomness of fame and fortune