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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. Gundleus, having paid the bride-price, accepts ____.

2. Morgan says that Merlin's oath is dependent on an oath from ____.

3. As Gundleus greets his wife, he plunges his sword into her and stabs the ____.

4. ____ is the magistrate that Arthur assigns to Mordred.

5. Ban insists that Derfel stay for dinner to meet his warrior sons, Lancelot and ____.

Short Essay Questions

1. Why does Derfel understand, and even respect, Arthur's plan to elope?

2. Describe the opening of the novel.

3. Explain how the meeting between Gorfyddyd, Cuneglas and Arthur gives further detail tot he marriage plan that Arthur has and how, in general, marriages seem to be used in Arthur's time.

4. Explaina Arthur's role in Dumnonia as he prepares to leave to winter in Corinium.

5. Why does Arthur ask Derfel to check on Guinevere?

6. Explain the evil acts that Gundelus does involving Norwenna and Nimue.

7. Explain the High Council's attitude toward what is going on with Arthur and Mordred as they hold their meeting.

8. Who is Nimue according to the description in the first part of the book?

9. Explain the ceremonial process of baby Mordred becoming king.

10. Do you think that it was right for the babies to be switched before Gundleus arrived?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Love versus honor is a key theme in the novel. For example, Arthur promised to marry Ceinwyn and then did a dishonorable thing by eloping with Guinevere, but he did so because he was following his heart.

Part 1: Do you feel that Arthur was right to marry Guinevere? Why or why not?

Part 2: Why do you think that Derfel agreed with Arthur's decision to marry Guinevere when most people viewed it as dishonorable?

Part 3: Is there another way in which Arthur could have married Guinevere and still kept peace with Gorfyddyd? What could he have tried, rather than eloping?

Essay Topic 2

Compare and contrast the characters of Lancelot and Galahad. What makes one better than the other at certain things? For example, even though Lancelot is a liar, is he a better fighter than Galahad? Why or why not? Is Galahad automatically a better person than Lancelot, since, presumably, Galahad does not lie or does Galahad have other faults? If so, what are they?

Essay Topic 3

Choose the character that you feel changed the most, as the story progressed, and answer the following questions about them:

1. What were they like in the beginning of the story?

2. What were they like at the end of the story?

3. When and why do you think the transition took place?

4. Do you feel that it was a good transition? Use at least two examples from the story to explain why or why not.

(see the answer keys)

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