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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 does Montaigne describe the useful substance that can be gathered from some public water?

2. What holiday was Montaigne able to observe at Saint Peter's in Rome?

3. What office did Montaigne take up at the end of the journeys that he describes in his travel journal

4. Most of the essays that follow Book 2 of Essays, Essay #12, Apology to Raymond Sebond center on what subject?

5. Why did Montaigne write his travel journals?

Short Essay Questions

1. What is Montaigne's general perspective?

2. What qualities interest Montaigne about public water?

3. What was Montaigne interested in learning about in Trent?

4. Why does Montaigne believe that women know more about love?

5. What are some of the powers that Roman baths are reputed to have?

6. Why did Montaigne undertake his travels?

7. What was Montaigne's general attitude towards women?

8. Describe the changes in languages that Montaigne encounters during the travels discussed in Travel Journal: Chapter 13?

9. How does Montaigne say that he was able to deal with the restrictions of marriage?

10. What influences may have caused Montaigne to have a greater respect for women?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

The issue of parenting is very important to Montaigne, and his views on the subject are surprisingly modern. He has a great deal to say about proper methods of parenting, especially from the perspective of the father.

1) Explain the role does Montaigne believe a father should fill in a child's life, including his duties and responsibilities.

2) Discuss Montaigne's assessment of the importance of parental affection. How much attention does Montaigne recommend, and why does he believe this topic to be of particular importance?

3) Discuss Montaigne's stance on the issue of discipline and punishment for children. Why does he recommend against the use of physical punishment?

Essay Topic 2

During his travels, Montaigne encounters a wide range of languages in colloquial use, reflecting the rapidly changing political landscape that results from the pressures and oddities of the feudal system.

1) Describe some of the unusual trends in language use that Montaigne witnessed during his travels. Which language stood out the most, and why?

2) Montaigne was somewhat disappointed to discover that foreigners often spoke with him in French. Describe the prominence of the French language in the countries that Montaigne visited and discuss the reasons for this phenomenon.

3) Relate the spread and persistence of foreign-language use to the feudal political system that dominated medieval Europe.

Essay Topic 3

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.

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