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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 British do with the captured bastion?

2. Where do Sharpe and his men assemble prior to their assault?

3. Who captures one of the bastions?

4. Where is Sharpe assigned following the mission at the dam?

5. What does Windham do to Harper?

Short Essay Questions

1. What is Sharpe doing at the beginning of the assault on Badajoz?

2. At first, what does Sharpe do while the British are dealing with the Rivillas Stream?

3. 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?

4. What does Wellington call, why is Sharpe present and what does Sharpe request? How does Wellington respond to Sharpe's request?

5. What do the British forces begin to do when they arrive at Badajoz and what makes their tasks more difficult?

6. What happens to Sharpe as he retreats from the dam?

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

8. How is Badajoz finally taken?

9. What does Sharpe say when Hogan informs him of the plan for the dam and what is the plan?

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

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Richard Sharpe is in some ways a larger-than-life hero. Despite incredible odds, he usually comes out on top, in RICHARD SHARPE AND THE SIEGE OF BADAJOZ and in the others in the series. Discuss the following:

1. Does having a larger-than-life hero make that person less of a hero? In other words, which is more admirable--a hero who ultimately always "lands on his feet," or one who strives against impossible odds and doesn't always succeed?

2. Does a character have to be successful in order to be a hero? Explain your answer.

3. Choose one other character besides Sharpe who you might call a hero/heroine and explain why you choose that person. Illustrate your statements with examples from the text.

4. Does every work of fiction have to have a hero? Explain your answer.

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

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.

(see the answer keys)

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