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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. Who takes over some of the Pope's charitable projects, leading to the nickname Little Pope?

2. What happens to another fleet of Saracen ships come to invade Rome?

3. What does Joan do to treat the Pope's illness in Chapter 20?

4. What warning does a messenger bring the Pope on the Day of Ascension?

5. What event is Anastasius waiting to take place in order to help him advance in the church?

Short Essay Questions

1. What causes Joan's death?

2. Why does Benedict abandon his brother and leave Rome?

3. How does Joan prove Gerold innocent during his trial for treason?

4. Why does Pope Leo excommunicate Anastasius?

5. Why is Cardinal Leo elected Pope over Anastasius?

6. What warning does Joan give Pope Sergius in the face of the Saracen attack that he does not heed?

7. Who begins to plot against Pope Joan because of her ideas?

8. What project does Joan immediately give to Gerold to oversee as she becomes Pope?

9. Who starts the fire that burns the new wall Pope Leo is building and destroys several other buildings, including the school? Why?

10. To what office does Anastasius aspire? For what reason?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Discuss Joan's childhood, paying special attention to the things that affected her choices in young adulthood. Who is Joan? Who was her father? Who was her mother? What was the relationship like between Joan's parents? What impact did this relationship have Joan's emotional growth as a child? How did Joan's father treat her? Why? How was Joan's relationship with her mother? What was unusual about this relationship?

Essay Topic 2

Discuss these characters' relationships to one another and the impact of these relationships on other characters and the development of the plot. Use theme, symbolism, and metaphor in your discussion. Cite examples from the novel.

1. Joan and John

2. The Canon of Ingleheim and Gudrun

3. Matthew and Joan.

Essay Topic 3

Why did Joan cut her hair and take her brother's cloak after the massacre on her wedding day? Where does Joan go? Why? What education does Joan receive in this new place? How does this situation place Joan in trouble? What might happen if Joan were discovered? Who eventually does discover the truth? What does this person do? Who else knows the truth about Joan? Why does no one ever learn the truth about Joan? How likely is it that a woman could live in this way for so many years and deceive so many people? How does the author explain this deceit to the reader?

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