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This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. Who do Sharpe and his group first encounter at Ducos's estate?

2. What do Sharpe and his group do while the French are firing on Ducos' estate?

3. What do d'Alembord and Harper worry about concerning Jane?

4. Why does Sharpe remain in France?

5. What are Rossendale's nights like for him?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does Sharpe solve the dilemma of the Cardinal's men around them?

2. What happens to Ducos in the Epilogue?

3. Why does Harper travel to London, and what happens when he calls on Jane?

4. How does Sharpe feel about his affair with Lucille in view of his marriage to Jane?

5. Describe the fight at Ducos' defensive room.

6. What does Ducos do as a last ditch effort and why does he do it?

7. What does d'Alembord urge Jane to do, what is her response and how does he feel about that response?

8. What does Calvet do in Naples first?

9. What does Calvet decide to do about Ducos based on local authorities' response to his request?

10. How does Sharpe capture Ducos and what is the cost of that capture?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

The court proceedings in Chapter 5 are a major turning point in the novel; at a stroke Sharpe ceases being a wealthy military hero and commences his life as a penniless fugitive from justice. The parallel development of Sharpe's and Frederickson's demeanors during the proceedings is interesting.

1. Compare and contrast the differences between Frederickson's reactions and Sharpe's reactions at being charged with a crime neither committed.

2. If one was an elitist and believed that whoever is born into a wealthier or more refined family will behave better in almost any circumstance, the demeanors of Frederickson and Sharpe under the proceedings would support that supposition. Discuss this statement using examples from the book to support your opinion as to whether a person born into a certain strata of society will react differently than one born far above or "beneath" him or her.

3. Discuss how you believe you would behave and what you would do if you were in Sharpe's position compared to what he did.

Essay Topic 2

Most protagonists are a mixture of admirable traits and character flaws, and Richard Sharpe is no exception. Sharpe's legendary powers of military strategy are juxtaposed with his reputation as a womanizer and his hatred for his wife. Discuss the following:

1. Trace and analyze situations when Sharpe demonstrates his prodigious powers of military strategy. Give specific examples to illustrate your analysis.

2. Trace and analyze Sharpe's character flaws offering specific examples of these flaws in your discussion.

3. Discuss how you think Sharpe's admirable traits help him obtain a high rank in the military despite his background as a child. Have his flaws impacted his career at all? Do any of those under his command seem to notice these flaws? Who? How does the reader know this?

Essay Topic 3

The military way of life is in and of itself similar to a distinct culture. Understanding how the military is organized, how it operates, and its basic rules of conduct will make any novel that centers on the military more understandable and enjoyable. Discuss one of the following:

1. Describe and analyze the military structure during the time of Sharpe's Revenge. What is rank? What is the difference between officers and enlisted men? How serious is it to disobey an order? What happens if one decides he does not like being in the military and walks away? How are men conscripted? Does the infantry have a similar means of augmenting their ranks as the maritime action called "impressments"?

2. Compare the infantry of Sharpe's Revenge to that in modern times in for the United States, England or France. What are the similarities? The differences? Are the changes from those times improvements? Why or why not? (This question will require some research).

3. Discuss why you think the military has the following: Uniforms, a rank structure of Officers and Enlisted, Strict Discipline, Training for New Recruits, Court Martial, and Different types of companies (i.e., rifle, Cavalry, artillery, etc). Discuss why you think men (and nowadays women) choose to become professional soldiers.

(see the answer keys)

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