View a FREE sample

This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. What does Sharpe do as he is riding in the hay wagon?

2. What does Sharpe do as he is hiding after escaping Skovaard's home?

3. What does Lavisser say that surprises Sharpe?

4. What does Sharpe do after throwing the sand?

5. Where does Sharpre meet Aksel Bang?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does Sharpe come to be Skovaard's protector?

2. How does Sharpe escape confinement and what frightens him about his escape means?

3. Describe the encounter between Sharpe and Barker.

4. What does Sharpe do and think after fleeing Wapping Steps.

5. Describe the initial communication between Captain Willsen and John Lavisser.

6. What is the reason for the mission to Copenhagen?

7. Who does Sharpe see when waiting on Hocking and what do they talk about?

8. Why is Richard Sharpe angry about his commission and how did he get a commission?

9. Who is Lavisser and how does he act in the carriage as they are riding to the docks?

10. How does Sharpe deal with Hocking's two bodyguards?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

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 Prey", 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 Prey"? Why or why not.

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

Essay Topic 2

At the conclusion of a novel, most readers either consciously or unconsciously engage in processing the book and usually come to a conclusion as to whether they like the book or not. Discuss one of the following:

1. Would you consider "Sharpe's Prey" a "good" book? Why or why not? Use examples to illustrate your stance.

2. What do you think are the elements of an outstanding novel? Analyze one of your favorite novels to see if those elements are present.

3. What are some reasons you might consider a novel a failure? Analyze a novel you think is a failure and see if those elements are in that novel.

Essay Topic 3

Good versus Evil. Both Barker and John Lavisser are shown to be "evil" characters.

The objective of this lesson is to look at good versus evil.

1. Class discussion. What is good? What is evil? Can good and evil both exist in the same person or situation? Who determines good and evil? In what ways can a "good" person act evil? What about an "evil" person acting good? How should evil be confronted? What can be done about evil? Is Sharpe all good versus Barker and Lavisser the "evil" character? Is life that simple? Is morality black and white? What are the "gray" areas in the scope of good versus evil?

2. Group work. In groups have students list ways in which Sharpe is perhaps not completely good. What of his actions could be considered evil, even if he is motivated for the good of all?

3. Class work. In class have students write an essay addressing the following question: Can good and bad exist together in the same person? Can a world be just good or just bad? When does "good" do harm? When does "bad" do good?

4. Homework. Students will choose one well known historical figure and write a paper comparing everything good and everything bad known about that person. The students might include personality traits, behaviors, actions, especially those which effected history, etc. The paper should include the student's opinion about whether the student would consider the person good or bad and how their traits compare to the characters in this play.

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 1,438 words (approx. 5 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample