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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. About what person does Harper tell a story?

2. Who talks to Sharpe about a morale problem?

3. How does Sharpe feel about the Real Compañía Irlandesa when he first meets them?

4. Why was Sharpe able to get El Castrador to see him?

5. What does Loup tell Ducos as soon as he meets him?

Short Essay Questions

1. Who is the liaison officer between the Real Compañía Irlandesa and the British, what is he like, where has he served before and how does he feel about his appointment?

2. What does Loup tell Ducos about Sharpe and how does Ducos feel about Loup's disclosure?

3. What does Sharpe do with the two French prisoners and how does he handle Loup's anger?

4. What happens to the Portuguese battalion in Loup's attack?

5. How does Sharpe find out what happened to the Portuguese ammunition wagons?

6. Why is Sharpe frustrated at the beginning of the book, what does Harper do about it and how does Sharpe respond to Harper?

7. How does Juanita first see Loup, what is her impression and how do Loup and her feel when they meet?

8. What happens to the Real Compañía Irlandesa officers in Loup's attack?

9. Describe the battle at the barracks when Loup's troops attack.

10. What does Sharpe find out from Donaju about Kiely?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

1. Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of having a system of nobility in a country, especially how it applies to the military. For example, both Oliveira and Kiely were high born people in charge of a large number of soldiers and yet were incompetent. Use examples from the text to support your answer.

2. The class separations in the era of Sharpe's Battle are very distinct and the upper class is basically impenetrable to the lower class. Discuss the implications of Sharpe, the son of a prostitute being able to obtain the rank of lieutenant and the possible ramifications he might have to deal with when interacting with officers who come from a much higher class.

3. Often in this series of novels the upper class officers are presented as incompetent, at best, and dangerous uncaring at worse. What might that portrayal suggest about how the author might feel about wealthy people and the positions they hold in society, whether qualified or not? Use examples from the text to support your answer.

Essay Topic 2

Though this novel is probably more action driven rather than character driven, obviously there are several characters who make the novel what it is. Discuss one of the following:

1. Compare/contrast the characters of Sharpe and Kiely. Include their goals, sense of honor, abilities and social skills. Use examples from the text and your own life to support your answer.

2. Compare/contrast the characters of Harper and Oliveira. Include their goals, sense of honor, abilities and social skills. Use examples from the text and your own life to support your answer.

3. Thoroughly analyze the character of Richard Sharpe discussing both his strong and weak points and how both affect the outcome of the plot. Use examples from the text and your own life to support your answer.

Essay Topic 3

Most protagonists are a mixture of admirable traits and character flaws, and Richard Sharpe is no exception. Sharpe's legendary powers of military strategy is juxtaposed with his reputation as a womanzier. Discuss the following:

1. Trace and analyze situations when Sharpe demonstrates his prodigious powers of military strategy. Give specific examples to illustrate your analysis.

2. Trace and analyze Sharpe's character flaws offering specific examples of these flaws in your discussion.

3. Discuss how you think Sharpe's admirable traits helped him obtain a high rank in the military despite his background as a child. Have his flaws impacted his career at all? Do any of those under his command seem to notice these flaws? Who? How does the reader know this?

(see the answer keys)

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