Alfred the Great: Asser's Life of King Alfred & Other Contemporary Sources Short Essay Assignments

Short Essay Questions

The 60 short essay questions listed in this section require a one to two sentence answer. They ask students to demonstrate a deeper understanding of the text. Students must describe what they've read, rather than just recall it.

Short Essay Question - Introduction, Section I, King Alfred the Great

1. What happened to the kingdom of Wessex during King Alfred's reign? What happened as a result?

2. What was King Alfred's significance to the kingdom of Wessex?

3. Explain Alfred's reform efforts during his reign.

4. Where does most of what we know about Alfred come from?

5. What three themes characterize the political history of Anglo-Saxon England in the first half of the ninth century?

6. List at least three events in Alfred's youth that probably influenced...
(read more)