This PYQ is from

UGC-NET-English

Literary Criticism

UGC-NET-English PYQs

Year-wise PYQs

Section-wise PYQs

Read the Question carefully and choose the correct option.
Whom did Keats regard as the prime example of ‘negative capability’?

1. John Milton
2. William Wordsworth
3. William Shakespeare
4. P.B. Shelley

This Question came in
UGC-NET-English-December-2012-Shift-1-Q41
Literary Theory Course

Literary Movement Course

UGC-NET-English Courses

To-the-point Video Lectures

Topic-wise PYQs

Detailed Explanation & Answer
The correct answer is William Shakespeare because Keats used the term "negative capability" to describe a specific quality in great writers, particularly in Shakespeare.

In Keats' view, negative capability is the ability to accept uncertainty, doubt, and ambiguity without the need for concrete resolution or logical explanation. He believed that Shakespeare exemplified this quality because his works often allow characters and situations to remain mysterious and open to multiple interpretations, without forcing a clear moral or intellectual conclusion.

Keats contrasted Shakespeare's "negative capability" with poets like John Milton and William Wordsworth, whose works he felt were more concerned with imposing personal convictions or seeking philosophical certainty.

Thus, Shakespeare is regarded by Keats as the prime example of this concept.
Free PYQ Test Series

Join Telegram for Free PYQ Test Series of UGC-NET-Paper1

Join Telegram
UGC-NET-English PYQs

Year-wise PYQs

Section-wise PYQs

Literary Theory Course

Literary Movement Course

UGC-NET-English Courses

To-the-point Video Lectures

Topic-wise PYQs

Hello, world! This is a toast message.