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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. During the conversation about Merlyn possibly being a sorcerer in Chapter 9, what does Merlyn admit to Ambrose?

2. How old is Merlyn in the Prologue?

3. What does the wild animal that interrupts the beginning of the cavalry show do first?

4. What wild animal attacks the group in Chapter 11?

5. What does Merlyn dream about the night after he visits the leper colony?

Short Essay Questions

1. Why does Merlyn come to realize that he was wrong in calling the Outlanders barbarians?

2. What connection does Merlyn realize he has with his captors in Chapter 1?

3. How does Merlyn come to realize this his cousin may not have killed his wife?

4. What impression does Merlyn have of the leper colony after he leaves?

5. Why is Ludmilla familiar to Merlyn when they meet in Chapter 3?

6. What prevents Merlyn from realizing that he is not, in fact, alone when he goes to visit a secret vale in Chapter 6?

7. What happens between Merlyn and Finn when they first meet?

8. What is problematic about Merlyn's decision to bring horses as a gift to Donuil's father?

9. What does Merlyn tell the Council about his return in Chapter 4?

10. How do the men of Eire react to the size of the boar tusks that Dedalus shows them in Chapter 12?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Choose at least one female character from "The Saxon Shore" and discuss at least 3 ways she goes against traditional gender stereotypes of someone like her.

Essay Topic 2

Discuss 1) at least 3 ways the novel would change if it were written from the perspective of Arthur as well as 2) at least 3 literary devices Whyte could use while writing from this new and different perspective.

Essay Topic 3

Discuss how the Prologue of "The Saxon Shore" 1) sets the tone for the rest of the novel and 2) introduces at least 3 key facts about Merlyn that are important throughout the rest of the text. Make sure to use direct quotations and evidence from the text to support your thesis.

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