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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. Which courtier was executed the same week as Henry left Whitehall to go on progress?

2. How many acres does John Seymour own?

3. The rumor about the husband of Cromwell's new love interest does NOT include which of the following violent acts?

4. What sorts of objects does Mantel use to characterize the fearsome persona of Gardiner?

5. When Cromwell returns to court, he tells Henry that he believes that Katherine ought to be allowed to visit which person?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does Jane react to Henry's question about her shyness in Chapter 1: Falcons?

2. Who is Mark Smeaton?

3. For what purpose does Henry send Cromwell to meet with Katherine of Aragon and what request does she make of Cromwell?

4. What item does Henry lose in Chapter 1 and how do the rest of the courtiers respond?

5. What examples does Cromwell provide to support his assertion that no one's fate is ever set in stone?

6. What is the significance of Henry's request that Jane become his "good mistress" (97)?

7. What evidence does the narrator provide for the conclusion that Henry has aged a great deal in the past five years?

8. Who are the Plantagenets and what do they believe about the Tudors, according to Cromwell?

9. How does the theme of appearance versus reality arise within Chapter 1: Falcons?

10. In what way does Mantel use Cromwell's character to discuss class differences in Chapter 2: Crows?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Analyze the interplay between the resolution of Bring Up the Bodies and one of the novel's main messages. How does Mantel make connections between these elements and how does their juxtaposition help them get across one main message of the novel?

Essay Topic 2

Look carefully at the passages of Bring Up the Bodies that describe the close relationship between power and corruption. What is Mantel’s purpose for discussing at length the nature of this connection throughout the text?

Essay Topic 3

Write a critical essay about Bring Up the Bodies while using the critical power theory lens of feminist theory. Use textual evidence to back up your strong, specific claim regarding the novel's treatment of gender roles, the objectification of women, female empowerment, misogyny's role within society, or any other issues related to feminist theory that can be found in the novel.

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 1,170 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample