The great French writer, Montaigne, deserves to be regarded as a class

Question

The great French writer, Montaigne, deserves to be regarded as a classic, not only in the land of his birth, but in all countries and in all literature. His Essays, which are at once the most celebrated and the most permanent of his productions, form a magazine out of which such minds as those of Bacon and Shakespeare did not disdain to help themselves; and, indeed, as Hallam observes, the Frenchman’s literary importance largely results from the share which his mind had in influencing other minds, coeval and subsequent.

But, at the same time, estimating the value and rank of the essayist, we are not to leave out of the account the drawbacks and the circumstances of the period: the imperfect state of education, the comparative scarcity of books, and the limited opportunities of intellectual intercourse. Montaigne freely borrowed of others, and he has found men willing to borrow of him as freely. We need not wonder at the reputation which he with seeming facility achieved. He was, without being aware of it, the leader of a new school in letters and morals.

His book was different from all others which were at that date in the world. It diverted the ancient currents of thought into new channels. It told its readers, with unexampled frankness, what its writer’s opinion was about men and things, and threw what must have been a strange kind of new light on many matters but darkly understood. Above all, the essayist uncased himself, and made his intellectual and physical organism public property. He took the world into his confidence on all subjects. His essays were a sort of literary anatomy, where we get a diagnosis of the writer’s mind, made by himself at different levels and under a large variety of operating influences.    1 
 1. What is the main purpose of the author in writing the passage?

(A) To advocate that Montaigne’s works deserve to be considered a classic in all countries of the world.
(B) To conclude that Montaigne’s essays provide an elaborate idea of his mind.
(C) To discuss various stand-out aspects of Montaigne’s writings.
(D) To analyze the impact of Montaigne’s mind on his writings.
(E) To discuss how Montaigne’s essays were superior to his other literary works.

2 
 2. From the information in the passage, what can be inferred about Shakespeare?

(A) Shakespeare considered Montaigne with disdain.
(B) Shakespeare’s works played a significant role in shaping Montaigne’s mind and thought process.
(C) Shakespeare picked up ideas from Montaigne’s works.
(D) Bacon and Shakespeare’s works had a lot in common.
(E) Shakespeare was not a French writer.

3 
 3. From the information in the third paragraph, which of the following can be inferred about Montaigne’s books?

(A) They were an amalgamation of the thought processes of several prominent writers of his time 
(B) They were primarily concerned with stating Montaigne’s point of view about the world around him 
(C) They were, to a large extent, impersonal and objective in nature 
(D) They were the most permanent and celebrated of all his works 
(E) They helped unravel many mysteries of Montaigne’s times

RC Butler 2022  -  Practice Two RC Passages Everyday.   
Passage # 144 Date: 08-Apr-2022
 This question is a part of RC Butler 2022 .  Click here for Details

Pranay18 · Answer

can someone help me with q1 /?

Sajjad1994 · Answer

Official Explanation

1. What is the main purpose of the author in writing the passage?

Difficulty Level:   700

Explanation

This question can appear tricky to students because two or three options may look correct at the first glance. However, in such global questions, you need to go with the option that encompasses all or most of the passage. The entire passage is dedicated to praising Montaigne and discussing the various unique aspects of his work—how he borrowed from others and let others borrow from him, how his essays provide a glimpse into his mind and thought process, etc.  (C)  encompasses this best and is the correct answer.

(A)  While the author starts off the passage by stating this fact, this is not the primary purpose of the entire passage.

(B)  Again, this is stated in the latter part of the passage but is too narrow to be the main purpose of the passage.

(D)  This is part of the passage but not the entire passage.

(E)  The passage never discusses this fact.

Answer: C

VKat · Answer

Hello Team,
I have query regarding question no.2.

Please explain, how can we infer that Shakespeare has picked up ideas from M's works...I did not get this...

ParamjitDasGMAT · Answer

Hi  VKat ,

We can infer this from the following sentence in the first para: "His Essays,....,  form a magazine out of which such minds as those of Bacon and Shakespeare did not disdain to help themselves ". This essentially means that M's works influenced those of Shakespeare and Bacon, as these writers borrowed from the same magazine of thought/ideas that originated from M's essays.

Hope this helps.

Sajjad1994 · Answer

Official Explanation

2. From the information in the passage, what can be inferred about Shakespeare?

Difficulty Level:   550-600

Explanation

The first para clearly states that authors such as  Shakespeare and Bacon did ‘not’ disdain from helping themselves  to Montaigne’s works, that is, they picked up ideas from Montaigne’s works.  (C)  states this best and is the correct answer.

(A)  Opposite, as explained above.

(B)  The passage never states this; in fact, the contrary may have been true.

(D)  There is nothing in the passage to suggest this. The only common aspect was perhaps that they both picked up ideas from Montaigne’s works.

(E)  The passage does not contain anything to support or oppose this fact.

Answer: C

Vaishrekha · Answer

hello team,
can someone explain Q3? how come B is the ans?

Sajjad1994 · Answer

Official Explanation

3. From the information in the third paragraph, which of the following can be inferred about Montaigne’s books?

Difficulty Level:   600

Explanation

The entire third paragraph is dedicated to discussing how Montaigne’s works were extremely personal and opinionated, a fact because of which his books provide an elaborate glimpse into his mind.  (B)  states this best and is the correct answer.

(A)  The third paragraph does not mention this. This may have been hinted at in the second paragraph.

(C)  Opposite, as described above.

(D)  This is mentioned, in the first paragraph, about Montaigne’s essays.

(E)  The passage never states this.

Answer: B

VerbalBot · Answer

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The great French writer, Montaigne, deserves to be regarded as a class

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The great French writer, Montaigne, deserves to be regarded as a class

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