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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 main types of French people are wandering Bordeaux?

2. How do Sharpe and Frederickson enter the Château Lassan?

3. At what age does Sharpe join the military?

4. What color is Sharpe's uniform jacket?

5. What does Lassan want to do with his life?

Short Essay Questions

1. What do Sharpe and Frederickson decide to do and how does Harper help?

2. What is Jane doing in London while Sharpe is still in France? What happens to her because of this?

3. What does Soult do with Toulouse following the British assault?

4. What is Toulouse and who commands it?

5. What does Peter d'Alembord do with Shape and his companions?

6. What are the British organizing to do in the beginning of this book and what has occurred in their military campaign that motivates this?

7. Describe Henri Lassan's sister.

8. Who has set up the charges against Sharpe and Frederickson and what do the British authorities know?

9. Of what does Part I in this novel consist and what does Part I serve to do in the novel's narrative arc?

10. What does Sharpe and his friends do after the battle of Toulouse?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

The court proceedings in Chapter 5 are a major turning point in the novel; at a stroke Sharpe ceases being a wealthy military hero and commences his life as a penniless fugitive from justice. The parallel development of Sharpe's and Frederickson's demeanors during the proceedings is interesting.

1. Compare and contrast the differences between Frederickson's reactions and Sharpe's reactions at being charged with a crime neither committed.

2. If one was an elitist and believed that whoever is born into a wealthier or more refined family will behave better in almost any circumstance, the demeanors of Frederickson and Sharpe under the proceedings would support that supposition. Discuss this statement using examples from the book to support your opinion as to whether a person born into a certain strata of society will react differently than one born far above or "beneath" him or her.

3. Discuss how you believe you would behave and what you would do if you were in Sharpe's position compared to what he did.

Essay Topic 2

Richard Sharpe is in some ways a larger-than-life hero. Despite incredible odds, he usually comes out on top, in Sharpe's Revenge and in the other novels 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 whom 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 3

Sharpe's Revenge 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.

(see the answer keys)

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