Historians sometimes forget that no matter how well they might come to

Question

Historians sometimes forget that no matter how well they might come to know a particular historical figure, they are not free to claim a godlike knowledge of the figure or of the events surrounding the figure’s life. Richard III, one of England’s monarchs, is an apt case because we all think we “know” what he was like. In his play Richard III, Shakespeare provided a portrait of a monster of a man, twisted in both body and soul. Shakespeare’s  great artistry and vivid depiction of Richard  has made us accept this creature for the man. We are prepared, therefore, to interpret all the events around him in such a way as to justify our opinion of him.

We accept that Richard executed his brother Clarence, even though the records of the time show that Richard pleaded for his brother’s life. We assume that Richard supervised the death of King Henry VI, overlooking that there is no proof that Henry was actually murdered. And we recoil at Richard’s murdering his two nephews, children of his brother’s wife Elizabeth; yet we forget that Elizabeth had spent her time on the throne plotting to replace her husband’s family in power with her own family. Once we appreciate the historical context, especially the actions of Richard’s opponents, we no longer see his actions as monstrous. Richard becomes, if not lovable, at least understandable. What’s more, when we account for the tone of the times during which Richard lived, as illuminated in literary works of that era such as Machiavelli’s The Prince, Richard’s actions seem to us all the more reasonable.    1 
 1. With which of the following statements would the author of the passage most likely agree?

(A) In Richard III, Shakespeare portrays the king as more noble than he actually was.
(B) The deeds of Elizabeth were even more evil than those of Richard III.
(C) Richard III may have been innocent of some of the crimes that Shakespeare leads us to believe he committed.
(D) Richard III may have had a justifiable reason for killing Henry VI.
(E) Shakespeare was unaware of many of the historical facts about the life of Richard III.

2 
 2. The author of the passage refers to Shakespeare’s “great artistry and vivid depiction of Richard” ( Highlighted ) most probably in order to

(A) make the point that studying Richard III is the best way to understand Richard as a historical figure.
(B) explain why Richard III is widely acclaimed as one of Shakespeare’s greatest works.
(C) contrast Shakespeare’s depiction of Richard with how Richard might have described himself.
(D) illustrate how historians might become prejudiced in their view of historical figures.
(E) point out that historians should never rely on fictional works to understand and interpret historical events.

3 
 3. It can be inferred from the passage information that Machiavelli’s The Prince helps show

(A) that, in his play Richard III, Shakespeare’s depiction of the king was historically accurate.
(B) that Richard’s actions were an accurate reflection of the times in which he lived.
(C) that different authors often depict the same historical figures in very different ways.
(D) that Machiavelli was more astute than Shakespeare as an observer of human nature.
(E) that Richard’s actions as a king are not surprising in light of his earlier actions as a prince.

Source:  Master GMAT

shameekv1989 · Answer

Summary  :- 
 |-|against historians on hw they claim knw of hist. fig.; ex of shakesp. in Richard III depiction
|+| sites cases in favor of Richard - not as monstrous as depicted

Answers - C, D, C

razorhell · Answer

This passage states that historians should not judge the historic figures based on their knowledge....

1. With which of the following statements would the author of the passage most likely agree?

(A) I n Richard III, Shakespeare portrays the king as more noble than he actually was.  Unsupported by passage
(B)  The deeds of Elizabeth were even more evil than those of Richard III.  Can't be concluded
(C)  Richard III may have been innocent of some of the crimes that Shakespeare leads us to believe he committed.       
(D)  Richard III may have had a justifiable reason for killing Henry VI.  Unsupported by passage
(E)  Shakespeare was unaware of many of the historical facts about the life of Richard III.  Can't be concluded .... he may know the history , but he chose to depict Richard in certain way

2. The author of the passage refers to Shakespeare’s “great artistry and vivid depiction of Richard” (Highlighted) most probably in order to

(A)  make the point that studying Richard III is the best way to understand Richard as a historical figure.  Unsupported by passage
(B)  explain why Richard III is widely acclaimed as one of Shakespeare’s greatest works.  Out of scope
(C)  contrast Shakespeare’s depiction of Richard with how Richard might have described himself.  Out of scope
(D)  illustrate how historians might become prejudiced in their view of historical figures. CORRECT goes well with the main idea 
(E)  point out that historians should never rely on fictional works to understand and interpret historical events.  Close ... this may be an answer

3. It can be inferred from the passage information that Machiavelli’s The Prince helps show

(A)  that, in his play Richard III, Shakespeare’s depiction of the king was historically accurate.  Can't be inferrred 
(B)  that Richard’s actions were an accurate reflection of the times in which he lived.   Out of scope
 (C) that different authors often depict the same historical figures in very different ways. Correct Goes with the main idea 
(D)  that Machiavelli was more astute than Shakespeare as an observer of human nature.  Out of scope
(E)  that Richard’s actions as a king are not surprising in light of his earlier actions as a prince.  out of scope

AnirudhaS · Answer

Answers are in  bold

1. With which of the following statements would the author of the passage most likely agree?

(A) In Richard III, Shakespeare portrays the king as more noble than he actually was.
(B) The deeds of Elizabeth were even more evil than those of Richard III.
 (C) Richard III may have been innocent of some of the crimes that Shakespeare leads us to believe he committed.  The two examples in the second paragraph relating to his brother's execution and king Henry 6th's murder 
(D) Richard III may have had a justifiable reason for killing Henry VI.
(E) Shakespeare was unaware of many of the historical facts about the life of Richard III.

2. The author of the passage refers to Shakespeare’s “great artistry and vivid depiction of Richard” (Highlighted) most probably in order to

(A) make the point that studying Richard III is the best way to understand Richard as a historical figure.
(B) explain why Richard III is widely acclaimed as one of Shakespeare’s greatest works.
(C) contrast Shakespeare’s depiction of Richard with how Richard might have described himself.
 (D) illustrate how historians might become prejudiced in their view of historical figures.   The passage states - "..has made us accept this creature for the man.." 
(E) point out that historians should never rely on fictional works to understand and interpret historical events.

3. It can be inferred from the passage information that Machiavelli’s The Prince helps show

(A) that, in his play Richard III, Shakespeare’s depiction of the king was historically accurate.
 (B) that Richard’s actions were an accurate reflection of the times in which he lived.   The passage states - "What’s more, when we account for the tone of the times during which Richard lived" 
(C) that different authors often depict the same historical figures in very different ways.
(D) that Machiavelli was more astute than Shakespeare as an observer of human nature.
(E) that Richard’s actions as a king are not surprising in light of his earlier actions as a prince.

Sajjad1994 · Answer

Official Explanation

3. It can be inferred from the passage information that Machiavelli’s The Prince helps show

Explanation

According to the passage, Machiavelli’s The Prince provides information about the tone of the times in which Richard lived. The passage’s final sentence tells us that Richard’s actions seem  “reasonable”  in light of the tone of the times—in other words, that his actions reflected the times.

The correct answer is (B).

Sajjad1994 · Answer

Official Explanation

1. With which of the following statements would the author of the passage most likely agree?

Explanation

Shakespeare depicts  Richard III  as a monster with a twisted soul—a depiction that leads us to believe that Richard could well have been responsible for the deaths of both his brother Clarence and Henry VI. However, the author of the passage tells us that there is historical evidence that  Richard did not kill his brother and that there is no proof that Henry VI was actually murdered.

The correct answer is (C).

Sajjad1994 · Answer

Official Explanation

2. The author of the passage refers to Shakespeare’s “great artistry and vivid depiction of Richard” (Highlighted) most probably in order to

Difficulty Level:   650

Explanation

In the passage, the author first tells us that historians sometimes think they know a historical figure better than they really do. Then the passage’s author explains how this can happen by providing an illustrative example—a biographical work (Richard III) that is so compelling in its development of the main character that even a historian can be unduly influenced by it.

The correct answer is (D).

Historians sometimes forget that no matter how well they might come to

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