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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. After her husband's death, what happened to Catherine of Aragon?

2. What interest did Henry have in Charles of Austria?

3. In what month did Catherine of Aragon give birth to a child in 1516?

4. What does the author hope to do in "The Wives of Henry VIII"?

5. Whom does Fraser note Henry may possibly have met at the huge gathering in 1520?

Short Essay Questions

1. What are some examples of what Catherine of Aragon was taught as she grew up?

2. What was Anne Boleyn's family background?

3. How did Catherine of Aragon come to be married into the English royal family?

4. What contributed to Prince Arthur's bad health?

5. What meeting between France and England occurred around 1520? Whom might Henry have met at this meeting?

6. What does Fraser speculate was the reason Henry VIII married Catherine of Aragon?

7. When did Catherine finally give birth to a healthy child? Why was there disappointment surrounding this child's birth?

8. What was the result of Catherine's first two pregnancies?

9. When did Catherine of Aragon and Henry VIII marry? What happened to Catherine quickly after?

10. After Prince Arthur's death, what happened to Catherine of Aragon?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Describe the conclusion of "The Wives of Henry VIII." What happens at the end of the book? Are there any unanswered questions? Are there any surprises at the end of the book? Why might Fraser have chosen to end the book where she does?

Essay Topic 2

Discuss Henry's desire for a male heir. Why did he want a male heir? Why was his son Henry Fitzroy not an ideal candidate? How did his desire for a male heir affect his life, his reign, and England as a whole?

Essay Topic 3

Analyze the tone of "The Wives of Henry VIII." How does Fraser convey this tone? Does the tone change at any point in the book? If so, what events prompt this change?

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