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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. For how long does Esca say he has been a slave in Chapter 6?

2. Who does Marcus tell to muster the squadron and hold them in readiness in Chapter 3?

3. What does Marcus suggest Cradoc put up to wager in their bet in Chapter 2?

4. What kind of war does Centurion Quintus Hilarion say is "ever the most deadly kind, for it recks nothing of consequences" (15) in Chapter 1?

5. What trait identifies Esca as a slave?

Short Essay Questions

1. How is Marcus's surgery described in Chapter 8?

2. What do the Centurions discover to be making noise outside the fort in Chapter 3? How do they respond?

3. What happens when the chariots attack in Chapter 3?

4. Where is Marcus being tended to in Chapter 4? By whom is he being care for?

5. What does Placidus suggest as a reason for the disappearance of the Ninth Legion?

6. How are the slaves described in Uncle Aquila's home?

7. What does Cottia tell Marcus when she appears in the garden in Chapter 8?

8. Who is brought in to examine Marcus's leg in Chapter 8? Why?

9. What bet with Cradoc does Marcus propose in Chapter 2?

10. What does the rose in the wine jar symbolize?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Discuss the theme of coming of age in The Eagle of the Ninth. In what ways do the central characters "grow up" or transform in the novel? What do they lose in doing so? What do they gain?

Essay Topic 2

Analyze and discuss the character of Esca Mac Cunoval in The Eagle of the Ninth. Where is Esca from? How does he come into the servitude of Marcus? How would you describe his relationship with Marcus? How does Esca change in the story?

Essay Topic 3

Describe and analyze the narrative style of The Eagle of the Ninth. From whose perspective is the story related? Is the narrative presented in the present, future, or past tense? How do each of these choices by the author contribute to the work itself?

(see the answer keys)

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