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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. What happens to Lord Ferris's position as Dragon Chancellor?

2. What does Alec offer Richard when he walks into Richard's apartment at the end of the novel?

3. What is Alec's attitude toward being the Duchess's heir?

4. What happens when Lord Ferris tries to visit the Duchess?

5. What does Katherine tell Richard when she meets him at the tavern?

Short Essay Questions

1. Describe the Duchess and Michael's first night as lovers.

2. What does Alec give to the Duchess?

3. How does the Duchess act toward Michael?

4. How does the Duchess see her relationship with Lord Ferris?

5. How does Lord Ferris see his relationship with the Duchess?

6. What does Katherine think she recognizes about Alec?

7. What does the Duchess tell Katherine after Alec injures himself?

8. What happens at the beginning of the formal inquiry into Lord Horn's death?

9. How does Lord Horn feel when he finds Richard has broken into his house?

10. Describe the game played at the Duchess's party in Chapter 19.

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

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?

Essay Topic 2

In many way, the novel is a love story about Richard and Alec. Discuss love in the novel.

1) How does Richard express his love for Alec? What does love mean to Richard?

2) How does Alec express his love for Richard? What does love mean to Alec?

3) How do the other characters express love? Is love different among different social classes? How is love viewed by society in general?

Essay Topic 3

The world of the novel is run primarily by men, leaving women as players in the background. Discuss the role of women in the novel.

1) What is the place of women in society in the novel? How is the role of women different on the Hill and in Riverside?

2) What is the Duchess's role in society like? How does she gather power in a world where men hold the power? How does she exemplify women among the nobles?

3) What is Katherine's role in society? How is her life different because she's a woman? What hazards and opportunities does her gender create?

(see the answer keys)

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