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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. Montaigne says that he feels what way with regards to knowing one individual who was brought back to Christianity due to the arguments in the book he discusses in Book 2 of Essay's: Chapter 7?

2. Near the end of Book 1 of Essays: Chapter 3, the two men that Montaigne discusses are cured of their affliction through what?

3. What method of governance dominated Europe in Montaigne's time?

4. In Montaigne's story about the man leading a large number of troops, what moves the man to act with mercy?

5. Who was the target audience of the social experiment that Montaigne discusses near the end of Book 2 of Essays: Chapter 8?

Short Essay Questions

1. What consequences did his father's opinion on education have on Montaigne?

2. What factors in Europe tended to restrict the social status of women?

3. How does Montaigne suggest that a liar can be caught?

4. What decision does the soldier have to make in Book 1 of Essays: Chapter 2, Essay #3?

5. What important contribution did Gutenburg make?

6. Why does Montaigne discuss swaddling clothes?

7. How does Montaigne suggest that virtue is different from kindliness?

8. What does Montaigne say about the difference between a man and an animal.

9. What problem does Henry, the duke of Normandy, experience in one of Montaigne's stories?

10. What is the purpose of this book, according to Montaigne?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Throughout his life, Montaigne was touched by the effects of death, and mortality was a constant but understated part of his thoughts and beliefs.

1) Summarize the losses that Montaigne experienced during his lifetime.

2) Discuss the impact that these losses had on Montaigne, and the reasons he had for avoiding writing about them in his works.

3) Describe the effect that mortality had on Montaigne's thinking and his works.

4) Describe how Montaigne was able to cope with the frequent loss of life that he witnessed.

Essay Topic 2

When Montaigne was mayor of Bordeaux, the city was struck by the bubonic plague, killing about half of its citizens. This plague was a major scourge of medieval Europe, and the suffering that it caused in Bordeaux was a major mark against his administration.

1) Explain the significance of the bubonic plague in medieval Europe. How common and deadly were typical outbreaks, according to Montaigne?

2) Discuss some of the common countermeasures used to combat the plague's effects and its spread. What did Montaigne do to slow its progress in Bordeaux?

3) Describe the impact that the outbreak of plague in Bordeaux had on Montaigne's life, his outlook, attitudes, and writings.

Essay Topic 3

Montaigne embarked on a major journey before taking up office in Bordeaux, and the exhaustive travel journals from that trip comprise the last major work of the book.

1) Discuss Montaigne's reasons for making his journey. Based on information about the culture of the time, would his journey be seen as normal, or unusual?

2) Describe the route that Montaigne followed, and its significance in the broader context of medieval culture.

3) Summarize Montaigne's goals and assess whether or not he achieved them during his journey.

4) Describe any other unexpected benefits that Montaigne derived from his travels.

(see the answer keys)

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