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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. How many swordsman are killed, as the novel begins?

2. What does Lord Ferris hope to gain after Basil is killed?

3. How has Alec lost most of his money?

4. What does Katherine give Richard to wear at his next meeting, so his contact will recognize him?

5. How did Alec once try to kill himself?

Short Essay Questions

1. What do the houses in Old Market look like?

2. How does Michael respond to Applethorpe asking him to put more effort into his swordsman training?

3. How does Richard reply to Lord Horn's letter?

4. Why doesn't it matter what Michael is wearing at the Duchess's party?

5. How does Lord Horn end up angry at Michael during the Duchess's party?

6. When Basil meets with Lord Ferris, what does he ask Lord Ferris to do?

7. What happens when Alec wakes Richard during the night, after Richard's meeting with Katherine?

8. How does Richard describe his relationship with Alec to Katherine?

9. Describe the job that Richard is approached with in Chapter 8.

10. Who does Richard tell Ginnie to thank, and why?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Richard, as a swordsman, has a violent and even bloodthirsty role in the novel. Discuss violence and death in the novel.

1) How does the society look at death? How seriously does the society take death and violence?

2) What power does Richard's ability to inflict death give him? What other characters gain power through death and violence?

3) How is violence viewed differently by the different social classes in the novel?

Essay Topic 2

Discuss the play "The Swordman's Tragedy" within the novel.

1) What does the play reflect about the novel itself? Why does the author include it?

2) How do the different characters react to the superstitions surrounding the play? How do the existence of these superstitions affect the reader?

3) How does Richard perceive the play? What is his point of view about the play before seeing it and after watching it?

Essay Topic 3

Discuss fairness and equity in the book.

1) How are sword fights in the novel fair or unfair? How do the participants and audience benefit and suffer from them?

2) How are punishments meted out in the novel to the lower class and upper class? What roles do fairness and equity play in punishment and law?

3) What is fair or unfair about how Alec lures swordsmen to attack him and be killed? How does this relate to the class rules of the society?

(see the answer keys)

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