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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 Windham realize about punishing Harper?

2. With what type of gun does Harper think Sharpe was shot?

3. Why is Sharpe summoned to his old company?

4. How does Knowles base his conduct during the assault?

5. What does Windham do to Harper?

Short Essay Questions

1. What does Windham do to Harper and what do Harper and Sharpe talk about before the event?

2. Where is the British forces camped in relation to Badajoz and what do Sharpe and Harper think will be the only way to assault the city?

3. What does Sharpe say when Hogan informs him of the plan for the dam and what is the plan?

4. What do the British forces begin to do when they arrive at Badajoz and what makes their tasks more difficult?

5. Describe the fortifications of Badajoz.

6. What does Rymer do when the French mount a sortie while Sharpe is watching the digging? What are the French trying to do and what is the British response? What does Sharpe do?

7. At first, what does Sharpe do while the British are dealing with the Rivillas Stream?

8. What does Sharpe find when he returns to the baggage train, why is Windham angry and what is the conclusion about the incident?

9. What does Wellington call, why is Sharpe present and what does Sharpe request? How does Wellington respond to Sharpe's request?

10. Why do the British delay the assault one more day in Chapter 23?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Cornwell has tried as much as possible to use historical events and facts around which to weave his work of fiction. Discuss the following:

1. Do you think RICHARD SHARPE AND THE SIEGE OF BADAJOZ qualifies as an historical fiction? Why or why not?

2. If much of the events in the book are historical, what surprises you about the way the events play out?

3. Do you think the culture of that era is more or less advanced than you imagined? Explain.

Essay Topic 2

In any book centered around the military, leadership of the troops is often crucial with the better leaders able to command the respect and loyalty of their men. The men's willingness to follow a particularly leader can have a decisive impact upon the success of a mission. Discuss the following:

1. Whose command style seems most effective? Analyze the elements of those effective leaders thoroughly and discuss the traits of the good leaders. What makes an excellent leader/commander? Give examples.

2. Whose command style seems most ineffective? Analyze the elements of those ineffective leaders thoroughly and discuss the traits of the poor leaders. What makes a poor leader/commander? Give examples.

3. Is disobeying a poor leader ever justifiable? Explain using details from the text, other books you have read and your personal experience. In times of war, disobeying an order can be punishable by death. Is this harsh sentence justifiable for such an act? Why or why not?

Essay Topic 3

Hakeswill is the primary antagonist in the novel and a completely deplorable character; he steals, attempts rape, murders, threatens infanticide, attempts more murders, and always seeks to frame someone else for his crimes.

1. Why do you think Hakeswill is still in the military? Discuss his motives and the military's motives for allowing him to stay. Use examples from Richard Sharpe and the Siege of Badajoz to support your answer.

2. What do you think would happen to Hakeswill if he served in the U.S. Army and still did the crimes he did? Compare the modern concept of criminals in the military with that of the era of RICHARD SHARPE AND THE SIEGE OF BADAJOZ.

3. Hakeswill manages to come close to raping Teresa in the stables, he shoots Sharpe and later tries for Teresa again. Discuss why he was able to shoot Sharpe when he was caught in the stables trying to rape Teresa. Do you think he should have been arrested at that point? What does it say about the status of women in that era that a man who is caught trying to force her receives no disciplinary action at all.

(see the answer keys)

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