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. Who is Lucille?

2. How old is Napoleon's campaign in Belgium?

3. What happens when Halkett obeys the Prince of Orange's orders?

4. What is given to the general of the French dragoons in Charleroi?

5. From where do Harper and Sharpe withdraw?

Short Essay Questions

1. What is used on the field of battle besides weapons and men and why?

2. What are some of the types of infantry attack used in the battle for Quatre Bras?

3. What type of technical details are seen in Chapter 8?

4. What does the Duke of Wellington read at the ball that interrupts his participation? What does he do after he reads the dispatch?

5. Who does Sharpe see as he leaves Wellington to return to the crossroads? What does he do?

6. What is the ultimate end of the second day of the novel?

7. What do Sharpe and Harper do on the second night of battle?

8. Why is the Duchess of Richmond apprehensive about John Rossendale?

9. What town on the river Sambre is easily taken by the French, who tries to stop them, and what does this mean in tactical terms?

10. Why is the Duke of Wellington worried about his troops and what kinds of troops does he have?

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, both in this book 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 have chosen 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

Most protagonists are a mixture of admirable traits and character flaws, and Richard Sharpe is no exception. Sharpe's legendary powers of military strategy are juxtaposed with his reputation as a womanizer and his hatred for his wife. Discuss the following:

1. Trace and analyze situations when Sharpe demonstrates his prodigious powers of military strategy. Give specific examples to illustrate your analysis.

2. Trace and analyze Sharpe's character flaws offering specific examples of these flaws in your discussion.

3. Discuss how you think Sharpe's admirable traits helped him obtain a high rank in the military despite his background as a child. Have his flaws impacted his career at all? Do any of those under his command seem to notice these flaws? Who? How does the reader know this?

Essay Topic 3

During the four days of battle, the Prince of Orange made several egregious errors that killed a lot of men; yet, after the first error he was not removed from command.

1. Discuss why he was allowed to remain in command. Use examples from the book to support your answer.

2. If the Prince of Orange had been a general in the U.S. military today, discuss what you think might be the various outcomes that could happen to him.

3. Do you think royalty should have been given so much power? Why or why not?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 1,099 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample