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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. Katherine visits her beloved Blanche's tomb. In the tomb, she hears Blanche's voice and decides:

2. Where is Katherine buried?

3. Now legitimately married to John, and their children legitimized as well, Katherine is back at Windsor Castle. But are the ladies in court happy to have her back?

4. Two years later the Duke of Lancaster dies after only how many years of being legitimately married to Katherine?

5. What does Katherine find at the duke's gatehouse that brands him a traitor?

Short Essay Questions

1. Why is the preacher John Ball imprisoned?

2. Katherine and John enjoy only three married years together. She lives another four years, during which Richard confiscates all Lancastrian estates and watches her son Henry return to England and fight for his rights. Did you ever think she should have just remained at Kettlethorpe and not married the duke?

3. While Katherine stays in a pilgrim hostel in Waltham, she learns that the king will soon be arriving there, too. What do some of the people there believe the king will be doing?

4. When the news arrives that Trastamare and the king of France are dead, Spain and France are essentially both leaderless. The throne of Castile is now within the duke's grasp. Although Katherine worries about being around Costanza, what does she realize most about the duke's ambitions?

5. Katherine regains her memory of the events following Brother William's death and the flight of Blanchette. Where and to whom does she go to seek help in finding Blanchette?

6. After the king's men kill Wat the tiler, the king rides up to the front rebel lines and declares himself their leader, the leader they had hoped for. The rebels cheer. Why do you think the rebels are so quick to embrace Richard?

7. It is now 1395. What has happened to Costanza?

8. Who is Lady Julian and what does she help Katherine do?

9. Over time Geoffrey and Philippa have come to live apart. When we see Philippa at this point in the story, how is she?

10. At the raucous wedding of Henry of Bolingbroke to Anne of Bohemia, Robin, playing a comic character called the Lord of Misrule shouts: "Now shall each man kiss the lady of his heart!" He kisses Katherine. How does the duke respond to this incident?

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

There are numerous ironic moments and events in this story, but by far, one of the most ironic is the friendship that develops between Katherine and Blanche, the Duchess of Lancaster. Explain how this friendship starts, how the two women get along, and why in the end it is deeply ironic.

Essay Topic 3

Brother William the friar is an interesting and important character until his death. Why does he harbor suspicions and resentment toward Katherine? And despite this, why does he stay in service to the duke? How would Katherine's life turned out differently if Brother William had not told her of his beliefs regarding Hugh's death?

(see the answer keys)

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