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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 does the local bishop call Katherine after meeting her?

2. Katherine goes back to the Pessoners' and asks Hawise to:

3. How does John suddenly strengthen his political position?

4. What assumption has Katherine made about her release from the convent?

5. What happens when Katherine goes alone to the courtyard?

Short Essay Questions

1. What is Richard's reaction when the duke--who calls himself King of Castile--pledges his allegiance to him? Why?

2. At first, the atmosphere surrounding Blanches' funeral and burial is very solemn, very sad. But it turns jovial and circus-like during the supper at court. What happens?

3. When Katherine leaves the convent where she has lived for the past five years, she is excited because she has yearned to experience life outside the Sheppey Priory walls. During the journey to the queen's court, and upon her arrival, what kinds of people does she meet who make her quickly realize how protected a life she has led?

4. Costanza tells John that she had a dream. What did she dream that sets this chapter into motion?

5. Why does the duke become the "target of an angry, puzzled England"?

6. When the duke and Katherine meet, he decides to make a personal blazon of arms for her. What reason does he give for doing this?

7. Who breaks up the fight between Roger DeCheyne and Hugh Swynford? And how does Katherine react to this?

8. What happens to the duke after he exits the commemorative mass for Blanche, and how does he react?

9. Katherine meets her future husband Hugh Swyndon in this chapter of the story. Why does Katherine have reservations about marrying this man?

10. Describe Bolingbroke. How is it different from Kettlethorpe?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Is it ironic that in Bordeaux, while Katherine tends to her ailing husband and the duke declares his undying love for her, she says she cannot be unfaithful to Hugh? Talk about the internal, emotional tug-of-war that Katherine experiences when it comes to her love for the duke and her feelings toward her abusive husband Hugh.

Essay Topic 2

Nirac the Gascon and loyal servant to the Duke of Lancaster is one of the more interesting characters in the entire story. Loyalty is a theme that recurs throughout the story on many levels. Explain why Nirac is originally very loyal to the duke and why that loyalty is eventually tested. Could things have turned out differently for Nirac?

Essay Topic 3

By the time John Ball has led mobs of angry peasants into London, it's clear that there is a great disconnect between the royals and the serfs. The serfs are fed up with their lot and can no longer take it. Can you think of protest in American history that is similar to the peasant's protests against the poll tax and feudalism of medieval England?

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This section contains 1,037 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample