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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 does Margaret confess to Albany one night?

2. How bad is James's case of smallpox?

3. How does Henry feel about the English Court in relation to the Scottish Court?

4. How does Henry respond to the plea for mercy for those still in custody from Evil May Day?

5. Who was Katherine's first husband?

Short Essay Questions

1. Once Margaret learns that Albany has also been unfaithful, where does she put all of her energy and determination?

2. Why does James disagree with his mother about his divorce request?

3. Why does the French king allow Albany to remain in France after Margaret returns to England?

4. What is problematic about Margaret's relationship with Harry?

5. What does Henry do to impress upon Margaret how his English Court is superior to her Scottish one?

6. Why does Angus want to go after Harry?

7. What does Henry like so much about Margaret, Mary, and Katherine's plea for mercy for those involved in Evil May Day?

8. How do Katherine and Henry react to Margaret's plans for divorce?

9. How does James Hamilton make Margaret feel?

10. Why does Margaret object to James's request for a divorce for his lover when she herself had a request granted?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Parents, such as Henry's and Margaret's and even James's, are presented as complicated characters in "The Thistle and the Rose." Discuss how parents are portrayed in "The Thistle and the Rose" as well as what message Plaidy is trying to convey to the reader about the power and influence of parents over the main characters in the text.

Essay Topic 2

Discuss how childbirth is portrayed in "The Thistle and the Rose." Is it conveyed as a positive experience for the women and men? How does it change the reader's opinion of women who have given birth, particularly those who have gone through difficult births or even died in childbirth? What literary devices does Plaidy use to convey the experience of childbirth to a modern reader reading about childbirth during this time in history?

Essay Topic 3

Compare and contrast James and Henry. How are they similar and different as characters? How are they similar and different as kings?

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