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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 was Hakeswill charged with when he was young?

2. What relationship does Sharpe think about when with Teresa?

3. What is presumed about the British and taking Badajoz?

4. For what does Matthews mistake Sharpe?

5. Who does Sharpe see marching towards him?

Short Essay Questions

1. Who does Sharpe see in the new replacements that throws him off and what happens when he sees that person? How does he feel about the encounter?

2. Why might Badajoz be difficult to capture? Has anyone ever tried to capture it?

3. What guerrilla rider approaches Sharpe and what does she tell him? What does she look like?

4. Why are Sharpe and Harper relieved about their company's role in the siege of Ciudad Rodrigo? What will their role be?

5. What does Leroy tell Sharpe, who does he point out to Sharpe and what does Sharpe realize when that happens?

6. What is Lawford and Sharpe's relationship and how do they interact?

7. What happens in Chapter 1 when night falls and what does Lawford send Sharpe and his company to do?

8. Why is Sharpe worried following the siege of Ciudad Rodrigo in Chapter 5?

9. What does Sharpe do with his guerrilla friend?

10. What do Sharpe and Hogan discuss when they see each other in Chapter 1?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

The first assaulting group, known as the forlorn hope, leads the assault through the breach. Generally, the forlorn hope is slaughtered to a man. Because of this, the forlorn hope is manned only by volunteers and any survivor is automatically granted an increase in rank.

1. Discuss Sharpe volunteering for the forlorn hope at both Ciudad Rodrigo and Badajoz. Why do you think he keeps doing that? Use examples from Richard Sharpe and the Siege of Badajoz to support your answer.

2. What does it say about someone's character that he is willing to risk almost certain death for a promotion? Use examples from RICHARD SHARPE AND THE SIEGE OF BADAJOZ to support your answer.

3. Do you think using only volunteers for forlorn hope is good? Does that seem to be more humanitarian than most of the other ideas in this era?

Essay Topic 2

Note that in the British military service, commissions could be purchased for monetary payments to the government. Thus, Rymer's appearance as an inexperienced captain means simply that he comes from a moneyed family. Leroy and Sharpe consider the process, theoretically corrupted, that leads to Rymer's commission.

1. Do you think that a wealthy person should be able to purchase a high rank in the military? Why or why not?

2. It seems that money has always had some sway over the military. In modern times one of the complaints against the Vietnam War is that "rich kids" didn't go. Explain how getting out of military duty because of wealth is as corrupt as obtaining a higher rank because of money.

3. Discuss why someone like Rymer who had enough money to purchase a captaincy would even enter the military and risk his life. Use examples from RICHARD SHARPE AND THE SIEGE OF BADAJOZ to support your answer.

Essay Topic 3

Hakeswill is the primary antagonist in the novel and a completely deplorable character; he steals, attempts rape, murders, threatens infanticide, attempts more murders, and always seeks to frame someone else for his crimes.

1. Why do you think Hakeswill is still in the military? Discuss his motives and the military's motives for allowing him to stay. Use examples from Richard Sharpe and the Siege of Badajoz to support your answer.

2. What do you think would happen to Hakeswill if he served in the U.S. Army and still did the crimes he did? Compare the modern concept of criminals in the military with that of the era of RICHARD SHARPE AND THE SIEGE OF BADAJOZ.

3. Hakeswill manages to come close to raping Teresa in the stables, he shoots Sharpe and later tries for Teresa again. Discuss why he was able to shoot Sharpe when he was caught in the stables trying to rape Teresa. Do you think he should have been arrested at that point? What does it say about the status of women in that era that a man who is caught trying to force her receives no disciplinary action at all.

(see the answer keys)

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