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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 do the walls of Badajoz have on them?

2. What does Hakeswill spend his time thinking about during the assault preparations?

3. What does Windham do to Harper?

4. Who captures one of the bastions?

5. What do the British decide they must do with the flooded plain?

Short Essay Questions

1. What has the French built across the Rivillas Stream and what do the British do about it?

2. What does Sharpe find when he returns to the baggage train, why is Windham angry and what is the conclusion about the incident?

3. Why does Windham realize he made a mistake and what does he do to mitigate it?

4. What is Hakeswill doing while the British prepare for the assault of Badajoz and what do the men think about him?

5. How is Badajoz finally taken?

6. What does Rymer do when the French mount a sortie while Sharpe is watching the digging? What are the French trying to do and what is the British response? What does Sharpe do?

7. Describe the fortifications of Badajoz.

8. What is Robert Knowles doing at the beginning of the attack and who does he think about when planning his actions?

9. How are the French able to kill so many of the British, what does that cause and how does Sharpe feel as he watches?

10. What do the British troops do after the weather clears in Chapter 17 and what do they decide about the plain?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

The military way of life is in and of itself similar to a distinct culture. Understanding how the military is organized, how it operates, and its basic rules of conduct will make any novel that centers on the military more understandable and enjoyable. Discuss one of the following:

1. Describe and analyze the military structure during the time of RICHARD SHARPE AND THE SIEGE OF BADAJOZ. What is rank? What is the difference between officers and enlisted men? How serious is it to disobey an order? What happens if one decides he does not like being in the military and walks away? How are men conscripted? Does the infantry have a similar means of augmenting their ranks as the maritime action called "impressments"?

2. Compare the infantry of RICHARD SHARPE AND THE SIEGE OF BADAJOZ to that in modern times in for the United States, England or France. What are the similarities? The differences? Are the changes from those times improvements? Why or why not? (This question will require some research).

3. Discuss why you think the military has the following: Uniforms, a rank structure of Officers and Enlisted, Strict Discipline, Training for New Recruits, Court Martial, and Different types of companies (i.e., rifle, Cavalry, artillery, etc). Discuss why you think men (and nowadays women) choose to become professional soldiers.

Essay Topic 2

RICHARD SHARPE AND THE SIEGE OF BADAJOZ is one book in a series of novels involving Richard Sharpe. Discuss the following.

1. What are two advantages of writing a series of novels about the same characters? Illustrate your statements with details from the text.

2. What is a disadvantage of writing a series of novels about the same characters? Illustrate your statements with details from the text.

3. Do you prefer to read a standalone book, or a series of books with the same main characters? Explain your response.

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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