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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 are the two people Merivel says he has truly loved?

2. What religion is the staff at Whittlesea Hospital?

3. Who comes to the hospital for a visit and is turned away?

4. What happens when Merivel tries to catch up with Piepold's relatives?

5. Why do the plague flagellants hit themselves?

Short Essay Questions

1. What does the King advise Merivel to do with his life?

2. How does the King feel about Merivel, after time has passed?

3. Who makes up the staff of Whittlesea Hospital?

4. How does Merivel feel about Bath?

5. What news does the King give Merivel when Merivel answers the summons?

6. How does Merivel react to Piepold?

7. What happens when Merivel illicitly visits Katherine?

8. What does Pearce wonder about flowers?

9. What act of bravery does Merivel commit?

10. How does Katherine react to the world outside the hospital?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Love is an important element of Merivel's relationships with others. Discuss love in the novel.

1) Who does Merivel love and why? What is his love for the King based on? What is his love for Pearce based on? What is his love for Celia based on? Does Merivel truly love any of these characters?

2) Who loves Merivel, and why? What is Katherine's love for Merivel based on? What is Merivel's servant's love for him based on? Does Merivel return any of the other characters' love?

3) How does love between the characters govern their actions in the novel?

Essay Topic 2

Discuss loyalty in the novel.

1) Who is Merivel loyal to in the novel? Does Merivel remain loyal to the King? Why does Merivel lie to Celia about the King's message?

2) Are the characters loyal to themselves? In what ways? What happens when a character is disloyal, to himself or to another?

3) What is the relationship between loyalty and love? Can loyalty in the novel exist without love?

Essay Topic 3

Knowledge is an important element of the novel. Discuss this element in the novel.

1) Merivel lacks modern knowledge about medicine. How does this affect his actions and his perceptions? How does it affect his ability to help people or control the world around him?

2) The value of the "nightingale" depends on knowledge about the bird. How does lack of knowledge affect the characters' reactions to the bird and their perceptions of value?

3) How does knowledge of other human beings affect their interactions and perceptions of each other in the novel? What knowledge does Merivel lack about the King? What knowledge does Katherine lack about Merivel?

(see the answer keys)

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