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 is Alec doing when Richard awakes?

2. What is Lord Horn's position on swordsmen's right to refuse a job?

3. Where does St. Vier go after the duel?

4. Who do people suspect hired de Maris and Lynch?

5. Who insults Hugo?

Short Essay Questions

1. What does Richard St. Vier give his landlady when he first sees her in the novel, and why?

2. How does the Duchess act toward Michael during the party?

3. Why is the idea of becoming a swordsman a joke for Michael?

4. What do the houses in Old Market look like?

5. Why does Michael originally decide that he will sleep with Lord Horn?

6. How does Michael respond to Applethorpe asking him to put more effort into his swordsman training?

7. What does Ginnie Vandall think of Richard's performance in the sword fight?

8. What does Richard say after he kills Brent?

9. Describe the job that Richard is approached with in Chapter 8.

10. Why doesn't it matter what Michael is wearing at the Duchess's party?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

In the novel, Richard seeks revenge for Alec. Discuss revenge in the novel.

1) Why does Richard want to hurt those who have hurt Alec? What motives are mixed with a desire for revenge?

2) What other characters want vengeance in the novel? How do they seek revenge? How do characters hurt others who have hurt them?

3) What is Michael's attitude toward revenge? Why?

Essay Topic 2

The main characters of the novel are gay lovers. Discuss gender and sex in the novel.

1) How does the society of the novel view bisexuality and homosexuality? Are Alec and Richard accepted as lovers? Why or why not?

2) How do the different classes of the society view sex differently? How do they view promiscuity as well as homosexuality?

3) What role does the fact that Alec and Richard are the same gender play in the novel? Does it make a difference?

Essay Topic 3

Swordsmanship is central to the novel. Discuss sword fighting in the novel.

1) What changes about Michael after he studies sword fighting? What causes him to change?

2) What does sword fighting require? Is it a laudable occupation? What drives Richard to be a swordsman?

3) Basil believes hiring swordsmen is barbaric. Explain his point of view. Why does he think it is barbaric? How true is his depiction?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 733 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample