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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 position does Pierre Ducos have with the French military?

2. When does Ducos point out Guy Loup to Juanita de Elia?

3. What are the four French soldiers that ride up to the village carrying?

4. How many of the Officers of the Real Compañía Irlandesa were killed or wounded?

5. When did Loup kill Oliveira?

Short Essay Questions

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

2. What kind of problem do Sarsfield and Donaju bring to Sharpe and what is his response?

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

4. What does Sharpe see from the hill he is on, and what does he decide to do about it? What changes his decision?

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

6. What does Hogan tell Sharpe about Runciman and Loup's attack and what is Sharpe's response? What does Hogan tell him about it being Sharpe's fault?

7. How does Juanita first see Loup, what is her impression and how do Loup and her feel when they meet?

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

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

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

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

There are a number of "villains" in Sharpe's Battle. Ducos, Juanita de Elia, Father Sarsfield and Loup.

1. Explain, with examples from the text, what you see are the main motivations behind Pierre Ducos's behavior. If he lived in America today with what crimes do you think he would be charged?

2. Sarsfield is a "villain" who does not seem to be motivated by self-interest. Discuss why or why not you believe this statement to be true. Use examples from Sharpe's Battle to support and illustrate your opinion.

3. Do you think crimes or immoral behavior motivated by good intentions is more pardonable than that motivated by self-interests? Why or why not? Use examples from Sharpe's Battle to support and illustrate your opinion.

Essay Topic 2

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 3

There are a number of literary elements that occur in many works of fiction. Irony is a means of increasing both the humor and the complexity of a story. Cornwell often includes irony in his Richard Sharpe series. Point of view is the way the story is narrated; all works of fiction have a point of view. Conflict is almost always present in a work of fiction. Discuss the following:

1. Define the literary terms irony, point of view and conflict.

2. Identify two instances of irony in Sharpe's Battle, offering examples from the text.

3. Identify the point of view of the novel and discuss why you think Cornwell chooses to use that particular point of view. Does the point of view seem to be the best one for Sharpe's Battle? Why or why not.

4. Identfiy two major conflicts in Sharpe's Battle. Are the conflicts completely resolved by the end of Sharpe's Battle? Why or why not?

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