Humanities CLEP Prep Practice Exam

Which genre did the Italian humanist Boccaccio contribute to?

1. Comedy

2. Tragedy

3. Epic

4. Novel

The correct answer is: Novel

Boccaccio, a famous Italian humanist, is best known for his contributions to the genre of the novel. Although he did write works in other genres such as poetry and theater, the novel was his most influential and beloved contribution to literature. Option A, comedy, is incorrect because although Boccaccio's work does contain elements of comedy, it is not his main contribution to the literary world. Option B, tragedy, is also incorrect as Boccaccio was not known for writing tragedies. Option C, epic, is incorrect as Boccaccio's writing does not fall into the traditional style of epic poetry. Therefore, the correct answer is D, novel.