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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. What is Llelo afraid of at the beginning of chapter 3?

2. What does Davydd die of?

3. Why does Henry agree to let Nell marry Simon de Montfort?

4. Who does Llewelyn agree to help in this conflict?

5. Where do the English attack after beating back the Welsh?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does King Henry respond when it becomes clear that his sister is not pregnant?

2. How does Davydd capture Gruffydd and Owain?

3. Describe Davydd's treatment after he surrenders to King Henry.

4. What happens when Gruffydd and Owain try to escape from captivity?

5. How does Elen react to John the Scot's death?

6. Why does Henry go to war with France?

7. Who are Llelo's parents, and what status does this give him?

8. What does Davydd give up when he surrenders to King Henry?

9. What happens to Llelo when Senena attempts to rescue her husband and son?

10. Describe Simon's experience fighting with Henry against the French.

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

What are the advantages and disadvantages of the Oxford Provisions? Who benefited by their implementation? Whose power was curtailed? Was it a step forward? Cite evidence from the novel to argue one way or the other.

Essay Topic 2

One of the challenges in historical fiction is to relate the general sweep of history in a way that retains the feeling of personal experience for the people involved in that history. How does Sharon Kay Penman manage to keep the personal and the historical within sight of each other? Use specific instances from the book.

Essay Topic 3

Using specific instances from the text, explain the symbolism of the book's title. What is the shadow, and where does it fall? What effect does the title have on the book? How does is guide the reader's expectations? How does the book work against the title?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 754 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample