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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 talks to Sharpe about a morale problem?

2. How are the men finding about supposed atrocities in Ireland?

3. Why is Sharpe chastising himself about the battle?

4. What does Sharpe tell Harper they need to worry about instead of the rumors?

5. How much notice does Sharpe have that the Portuguese battalion is coming?

Short Essay Questions

1. What does Kiely tell Sharpe about the French and about his men?

2. What is Sharpe ordered to do with the Real and why?

3. What does Loup tell Ducos about Sharpe and how does Ducos feel about Loup's disclosure?

4. How does Sharpe find out what happened to the Portuguese ammunition wagons?

5. What does Sharpe ask Runciman to do and why has he asked him instead of the British command?

6. Who is the liaison officer between the Real Compañía Irlandesa and the British, what is he like, where has he served before and how does he feel about his appointment?

7. What does Sharpe see when they arrive at the village where Loup is supposed to be and what does Sharpe do there?

8. Where are the Real Compañía Irlandesa sent and how do the soldiers feel about their situation?

9. What information about the Royal Guard is Hogan and Wellington not aware?

10. What does Sharpe suggest Donaju do about the problem with the troops?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

In any book centered around the military, leadership of the troops is often crucial with the better leaders able to command the respect and loyalty of their men. The men's willingness to follow a particularly leader can have a decisive impact upon the success of a mission. Discuss the following:

1. Whose command style seems most effective? Analyze the elements of those effective leaders thoroughly and discuss the traits of the good leaders. What makes an excellent leader/commander? Give examples.

2. Whose command style seems most ineffective? Analyze the elements of those ineffective leaders thoroughly and discuss the traits of the poor leaders. What makes a poor leader/commander? Give examples.

3. Is disobeying a poor leader ever justifiable? Explain using details from the text, other books you have read and your personal experience. In times of war, disobeying an order can be punishable by death. Is this harsh sentence justifiable for such an act? Why or why not.

Essay Topic 2

A work of fiction is often organized around a structure called a plot. Discuss the following:

1. Define plot and its major parts (rising action, climax, falling action, resolution [or denouement]. Write a sentence or two synopsis of the major plot of the Sharpe's Battle.

2. Identify where the parts of the plot seem to fall in Sharpe's Battle. Explain using examples.

3. Define the literary term "subplot." Write a sentence or two synopsis of a subplot in Sharpe's Battle.

4. Identify the major parts of the subplot you identified in task number 3.

5. Why do you think identifying the plot and elements of the plot is useful?

Essay Topic 3

Discuss one of the following:

1. Thoroughly analyze how the setting informs the plot in Sharpe's Battle.

2. Trace and analyze one major theme of Sharpe's Battle. How is the theme represented by symbolism? By the characters' behaviors? By the action?

3. Trace and analyze two secondary themes of Sharpe's Battle. How are the themes represented by symbolism? By the characters' behaviors? By the action?

(see the answer keys)

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