The Travels of Marco Polo 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

1. Why was Marco Polo sent as an emissary of the Great Kahn throughout the empire?

2. Why were the Polos worried about the death of the grand khan in relation to returning home?

3. Why did the Polos return to Arghun, kahn of the Levant, with a bride?

4. What did Marco Polo report to the grand khan upon return from his voyage to the East Indies?

5. What needs did a practical traveler and merchant have in order to survive along the route?